Australian water utility Wannon Water has commissioned one of the country's largest floating solar installations at Brierly Basin in Warrnambool, Victoria, in a move that combines renewable energy generation with the operational demands of drinking water supply.
The AU$2 million installation comprises 1,260 bi-facial solar panels, capable of producing over 600,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. The bi-facial technology allows the panels to harvest both direct sunlight and light reflected off the water surface below, boosting overall system output. The array sits atop Brierly Basin, a holding reservoir that stores water drawn from the Gellibrand River in the Otways ranges, supplemented by flows from the Warrnambool Roof Water Harvesting System.
The basin feeds the Warrnambool Water Treatment Plant, which processes and disinfects water before distributing it to homes, businesses and industries across Warrnambool, Koroit and Allansford. As the second largest water corporation in Victoria by area, Wannon Water faces considerable energy expenditure in pumping and treating water, and the solar installation is expected to offset a significant portion of those costs.
Wannon Water Managing Director Steven Waterhouse highlighted the financial and environmental rationale: "Projects like this help us use energy more efficiently and keep costs down, which means better value for our customers."
Beyond cost savings, the project is projected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 600 tonnes per year, contributing to Wannon Water's target of achieving net zero emissions by 2030.
"It's a practical way to cut emissions while continuing to provide safe and reliable water services for our community," Mr Waterhouse added.
The Brierly Basin installation joins a growing portfolio of clean energy initiatives at Wannon Water, which also includes a wind turbine serving Portland's water and sewage treatment plants, rooftop solar at its Gateway Road offices, solar arrays at treatment plants in Warrnambool and Hamilton, and a carbon offset programme.
