Textile mill turns to 1 MW rooftop PV system to combat energy costs

Power solutions provider and manufacturer Quality Energy has completed the installation of a 1 MW rooftop PV system that will provide almost 30% of the annual electrical energy demand at an advanced textile manufacturing site at Wangaratta in regional Victoria.

May 15, 2024 David Carroll

Image: Quality Energy

Melbourne-headquartered Quality Energy confirmed the 1 MW rooftop system is now fully operational and helping to power operations at Bruck Fabrics’ Australian Textile Mills (ATM) at Wangaratta in Victoria’s northeast.

The project, financed through a five-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Victoria-based commercial and industrial solar specialist Green Peak Energy, comprises 1,851 Risen solar panels (540 W) and nine 110 kW inverters supplied by Sungrow.

The system, deployed across four buildings at the ATM site, is expected to generate 1,313 MWh of clean energy annually and offset more than 1,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.

Quality Energy said the system, tailored to mitigate the impact of rising commercial energy costs, is expected to provide 28% of electrical energy demand at the advanced textile manufacturing site.

Bruck Textiles Chief Executive Officer Sandip Ranjan said the rooftop system is part of an $8 million decarbonisation strategy the company is pursuing as it seeks to mitigate the high energy demands of textile manufacturing.

Ranjan said it is unlikely the operation will achieve net zero because of the energy intensive nature of the industry, but the company is determined to do what it can.

“We are already investigating the possibility of installing battery energy storage,” he said, adding that the company will also explore the potential to increase the size of the solar system.

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