More than 1200 bi‑facial solar panels are helping Wannon Water save significant energy costs related to pumping water from Brierly Basin to the Warrnambool water treatment plant.
The new system – which represents one of Australia’s largest floating solar arrays – can generate more than 600,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity each year, with 1260 bi‑facial solar panels capturing sunlight from above as well as reflected light from the water surface.
Wannon Water managing director Steven Waterhouse said the project was supporting a wise use of energy.
“Projects like this help us use energy more efficiently and keep costs down, which means better value for our customers,” he said.
A key cog in Warrnambool’s drinking water equation, Brierly Basin is used as a holding storage for water sourced from the Gellibrand River in the Otways and is supplemented by water captured from the Warrnambool Roof Water Harvesting System.
Once water from Brierly Basin is pumped to the treatment plant, it’s disinfected and made safe for drinking and food preparation before being distributed to homes, businesses and industries across Warrnambool, Koroit and Allansford.
The floating solar system supports Wannon Water’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2030 by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 600 tonnes each year.
“It’s a practical way to cut emissions while continuing to provide safe and reliable water services for our community,” Waterhouse said.
Growing solar solutions
Franklin Electric Australia has become a key provider of solar pumping solutions through its Electroflo range, which combines high-efficiency motor technology with robust pump engineering to deliver dependable results in challenging and remote environments.
Electroflo supports everything from remote livestock watering and rural water supply to mining camps and off-grid infrastructure, helping operators facing heightened energy costs by reducing their reliance on diesel generation without compromising performance.
“Franklin Electric Australia’s Electroflo range has been developed specifically with these applications in mind,” Franklin Electric Australia national sales manager Stephen Jennings said.
“By integrating advanced drive technology, durable pump construction and high-efficiency permanent magnet motors, the system offers a purpose-built solar pumping package engineered for reliability, efficiency and ease of use.”
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