Sep 24 2014
Enphase Energy, Inc. and Yingli Green Energy Australia Pty Ltd* have announced the installation of a 99.77kW solar system using Enphase Energy® microinverters and Yingli Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, at Richmond Football Club. At the time of installation, the system was the largest solar system using Enphase Microinverters in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere.
Metro Solar, a family-owned, national solar installer and official Sustainability Partner for the club, provided the solar solution to meet the high energy consumption of the iconic Punt Road Oval. Yingli Solar PV panels and Enphase microinverters now power the roof of the famous black-and-yellow ME Bank Centre, the club’s headquarters and training facility.
As one of the first AFL clubs to go green, the Tigers are proud of their decision to install solar and the example they are setting for the broader community. Club CEO Brendon Gale says, “Metro Solar was able to deliver a solar solution to meet the club’s power consumption and exploit the roof’s energy potential, using a top-quality solar system that can generate more energy than other systems.”
The elite sports facility, housing a high-performance training gym, treatment and recovery clinic, education, workplace and retail spaces, has an extremely large base load, most of which is consumed during the day. To achieve maximum yield and performance for the system, Metro Solar utilised Yingli Solar’s high-efficiency multi-crystalline panels with the Enphase Microinverter System to produce the highest energy utilisation for the club. Enphase’s patented “Burst Mode” technology, which initiates during low-light conditions, allows the system to produce additional generation in the morning and at dusk, increasing overall savings for the Tigers. During “Burst Mode”, the microinverter stores a small trickle of power coming from the panel until there’s enough to send a burst of energy. By doing this, the microinverter maintains highly efficient operation during low-light conditions, extending the system’s daily production hours.
Anthony O’Connell, CEO of Metro Solar, commented, “We’re proud to assist Richmond Football Club in becoming greener and of our role in giving them energy independence. On such a high-profile site, quality and reliability are paramount. Both Yingli and Enphase are world leaders, and their proven reliability is something we proudly stand behind as a solar installer.”
Using Enphase Energy’s intelligent, cloud-based Enlighten software platform, Metro Solar was able to integrate powerful energy production data into their proprietary monitoring package. In real-time, the software reports on the performance and health of the Punt Road Oval solar system, which they proudly display to the public at the clubhouse.
The solar system is part of a broader effort by the Tigers to make their 170-year-old training headquarters eco-friendly, and they are now considering ways they can promote renewable energy to the broader community through the example they have set.
Yingli Solar has a long history of involvement with sporting organisations across the world in developing and implementing sustainable energy solutions at stadiums and other sporting facilities. Most recently, as a sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Yingli Solar equipped the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro and Arena Pernambuco in Recife with over 5,100 Yingli Solar PV panels.
* Yingli Green Energy Australia, known as Yingli Solar, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yingli Green Energy, which is the world's largest vertically integrated photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturer.
About Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, also known as the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Since the club's inception in 1885, it has been based at the Punt Road Oval, formerly known as the Richmond Cricket Ground. The club's training and administration headquarters are at the Punt Road Oval and from 2011 are called the ME Bank Centre. For more information visit www.richmondfc.com.au.
About Metro Solar
Metro Solar is the largest microinverter installer in Australia in residential and commercial installs. With a national presence, they look to create bright and sustainable futures with solar providing the highest-quality solar products with the most innovative technologies. Metro Solar’s administration office and warehouse is located in Lynbrook, Victoria. For more information on Metro Solar please visit www.metrosolar.com.au.
About Yingli Green Energy
Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE), known as "Yingli Solar", is the world's largest photovoltaic module manufacturer in terms of production capacity and shipments. Yingli Green Energy's manufacturing covers the photovoltaic value chain from ingot casting and wafering through solar cell production and module assembly. Headquartered in Baoding, China, Yingli Green Energy has more than 30 regional subsidiaries and branch offices and has distributed more than 10,000 MW PV modules to customers worldwide. For more information please visit www.yinglisolar.com and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Weibo.
About Enphase Energy, Inc.
Enphase Energy delivers microinverter technology for the solar industry that increases energy production, simplifies design and installation, improves system uptime and reliability, reduces fire safety risk and provides a platform for intelligent energy management. Our semiconductor-based microinverter system converts energy at the individual solar module level and brings a systems-based, high technology approach to solar energy generation. Connect with Enphase on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. www.enphase.com/au