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Australia’s Powerhouse has installed a 60 kVA off-grid solar array in northern Australia to power a remote EV charger. The project is part of the 7,000 km WAEV Network. Powerhouse has installed a remote 60 kVA, off-grid solar array at the Whim Creek Hotel in Australias Pilbara region, 1,639 km northeast of Perth. The Whim Creek Hotel solar array features JinkoSolar panels, two SMA string inverters from the panels to charge the battery, and four Victron Quattro inverters to discharge the batteries and supply a 50 kW electric vehicle (EV) charger, which can also be upgraded to a 75 kW fast charger. The EV charging station, is one of 110 EV fast chargers being rolled out over 49 sites for gentailer Horizon Power’s 7,000 km Western Australia (WA) EV Network project, on behalf of the government of Western Australia. Powerhouse crews installed the 106-module, 475 W system in December 2024, working overnight to avoid daytime temperatures nearing 50 C. Powerhouse founder and co-owner Brigette McDowell told pv magazine that remote installations require multi-skilled teams, as the cost of using contractors is prohibitive due to the location. “Our team do all the crane lifts, fencing, footings,” McDowell said. “The Whim Creek site is also located in wind region D and therefore additional engineering and strengthening is required. One of the challenges of this install includes the 48°C temperatures in December in the area. Often our teams are required to camp for these projects but fortunately we were able to stay at a nearby mining facility.” McDowell added that the key to safe and successful remote installations is organisation, planning and efficiency on site. “If you forget one clamp, you will blow your budget and your time frame,” she said. Since completing the Whim Creek Hotel project, Powerhouse has also commissioned another charger for the WAEV Network at the Mundrabilla Roadhouse on the Nullarbor Plain, 1,361 km east of Perth, bringing their total to 12 EV chargers for the network. The WAEV Network is a collaboration between state-owned power company Horizon Power and gentailer Synergy, with the Western Australian government, which will be the longest EV charging network in Australia, connecting more than 7,000 km of roads in Western Australia. |
