Karratha-headquartered clean energy company Powerhouse has completed the install of a remote 60 kVA, off-grid solar array at the Whim Creek Hotel, located halfway between Karratha and Port Hedland in the Pilbara region, 1,639 kilometres northeast of Perth.
The Whim Creek Hotel solar array features Jinko panels, two SMA string inverters from the panels to charge the battery, and four Victron Quattro inverters to discharge the batteries and supply a 50 kW electric vehicle (EV) charger, which can also be upgraded to a 75 kW fast charger.
The EV charging station, is one of 110 EV fast chargers being rolled out over 49 sites for gentailer Horizon Power’s 7,000 kilometre long Western Australia (WA) EV Network project, on behalf of the government of WA.
To complete the array’s 106 x 475 W module system installation in December 2024, Powerhouse crews worked through the night to combat daytime temperatures of almost 50°C.

Image: Powerhouse
Powerhouse founder and co-owner Brigette McDowell told pv magazine remote installs require a multi-skilled team as the cost of using contactors is prohibitive due to the location.
“Our team do all the crane lifts, fencing, footings, etc. The Whim Creek site is also located in wind region D and therefore additional engineering and strengthening is required,” McDowell said.
“One of the challenges of this install includes the 48°C temperatures in December in the area. Often our teams are required to camp for these projects but fortunately we were able to stay at a nearby mining facility.”
McDowell added the key to safe and successful remote installations is organisation, planning and efficiency on site.
“If you forget one clamp, you will blow your budget and your time frame,” she said.

Image: Powerhouse
Since completing the Whim Creek Hotel project, Powerhouse has also commissioned another charger for the WAEV Network at the Mundrabilla Roadhouse on the Nullarbor, 1,361 kilometres east of Perth, bringing their total to 12 EV chargers for the network.
The WAEV Network is a collaboration between state-owned power company Horizon Power and gentailer Synergy, with the WA government, which will be the longest EV charging network in Australia, connecting more than 7,000 kilometres of WA roads.

Image: Horizon Power
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