Floating Solar (fPV) System | CEC Award-Winner

In 2024, the switch was flicked on Australia’s largest floating solar system. A mammoth achievement for Greenwood, our partner, Gippsland Water, and renewables innovation. Here’s the story behind Greenwood’s award-winning, record-breaking system.

Location

Drouin, Victoria

Type

Floating Solar (FPV)

Started

August 2023

Completed

November 2024

Role

Procurement & Construction (EPC)

Gippsland Water had a problem. They needed to transition their wastewater treatment facility in Drouin from coal-power to solar. The catch? No available rooftop or ground space - and certainly not enough room for a system that could power their facility. And so began our greatest challenge: a 350kW fPV system, built on top of shit wastewater.

A quiet country town, Drouin’s home to 15,287 humans and some world-class baked goods. But Greenwood’s work started well before any pies were harmed in the site shed. A floating solar system of this scale was unprecedented; not to mention the added complexity of the wastewater. With the health and safety of Greenwood’s People always coming first, the system’s design was made even more complex as it had to be built, and deployed, without anyone touching the water.

The Greenwood Systems engineers huddled together, tasked this tricky brief. For weeks they were researching, designing, debating, revising and designing again. From start to finish, our team of curious creatures were presented with obstacles - but, together, they overcame each one. Their efforts recognised when the floating marvel was declared Winner of the CEC (Clean Energy Council’s) ‘Design & Innovation’ award at All Energy. Well deserved peer recognition!

“Greenwood’s triumphant realisation of a 350kW+ floating solar array for a wastewater treatment plant exemplified their mastery in solar PV system design, engineering and implementation“

- Clean Energy Council (CEC)

Plenty of challenges were also faced during the construction and delivery of the system. With Greenwood Projects’ procurement and construction teams leaning on their decades of cumulative experience to methodically approach, and overcome, each one. All the while ensuring that health, safety, environment and quality (HSEQ) best practices were always met.

Here are a few highlights from the build reel:

01

Custom Float Design

~650 solar panels were secured to floats - a practical but clever design, which meant the team avoided contact with the wastewater

02

Launch dock construction

A special dock needed was built - one that enabled our people space enough to build and deploy the floats with efficiency

03

Mooring Installation

Precision handling of a 250-tonne crane was needed when positioning the concrete anchors more than 68 metres from shore. Did we mention each of the anchors weighed in five tonne?!

02

People First

We go on about it, but we’ll apologise for ensuring the safety of Greenwood’s People. The entire installation process was achieved without any direct contact with the wastewater. An insane feat!

We hope you enjoyed the journey, from design to install, of Australia’s largest floating solar system. For us, the greatest achievement was the collaboration of Greenwood’s teams. Coming together to deliver an award-winning system of unprecedented scale and complexity!

02

Thank you!

Read about Greenwood’s other floating solar projects on PV Magazine - the industry’s leading publication.

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