Melbourne factory installs 1.45 MW rooftop solar system

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The 1.45 MW Altona solar system consists of more than 3,000 solar panels and covers approximately 80% of the factory’s roof space.

Etex Australia, which manufactures Siniat plasterboard at the factory, says the solar system will provide about 20% of the factory’s power demand, and is expected to cut roughly 6% of Altona’s gate-to-gate emissions.

The company is also planning to install a smaller solar system at its Matraville plant in New South Wales, though no timeframes for that project have been provided.

The Altona solar system’s ‘switch flick’ ceremony was attended by Lily D’Ambrosio, Victoria’s Minister for Energy and Resources.

Image: Siniat Australia

Unlike our Asia-Pacific neighbours, commercial and industrial (C&I) solar installs have traditionally lagged residential installs in Australia. This dynamic, however, has been changing in recent years.

According to solar and storage analyst SunWiz, Australia’s C&I solar segment had a “record month” in December 2022. Australian businesses are increasingly turning to solar to offset the sharp rises in electricity costs, and to boost their increasingly important ESG (Environmental and Social Governance) reporting.

Etex Australia is the manufacturer and distributor of Siniat products in Australia, and belongs to the Etex Group headquartered in Belgium.

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