Having satisfied engineering requirements, alcoholic beverage manufacturer Lion NZ, which operates as a subsidiary of the Australian-based Lion Group, is installing a 1.21 MW solar system on the roof of its Pride production and bottling plant in east Auckland.
The project got the go-ahead in August last year but the size of the rooftop array meant the brewery, which opened in 2010, had to be assessed thoroughly to ensure it could support the system.
The design of the system includes 2,424 solar panels covering an area of about 5400 square metres and weighing a combined 74,251 kilograms. The solar panels alone weigh a combined 57,000 kg.
“The Pride opened in 2010 but wasn’t expressly designed for rooftop solar. One of the things we had to work out was whether the roof could hold the weight as well as balance the costs,” Lion NZ Managing Director Craig Baldie said.
“A significant structural assessment of the roof was undertaken to engineer the design for the roof to take the load of the 74,000 kg structure.”
Installation of the panels commenced last month and the project, being delivered in partnership with renewable energy system designer Reid Technology and commercial solar specialist Solar Vision, is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.
Once operational the system, being funded through a power purchase agreement with electricity generator and retailer Meridian Energy, is expected to provide 14.4% of site’s electricity.
Baldie said brewing is an energy intensive process and the addition of solar at the site is a sensible commercial decision.
“Adding solar electricity into the mix is a logical milestone for us,” he said. “Along with the sustainability benefits, it’s also a smart commercial investment with a power purchase agreement providing predictable electricity costs and a less than seven-year payback period.”
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