The panels are about 25 kilos each, we've got 250 panels up there. We started out looking at about a 16-ton installation, and that's what had to be scaled back. So the curved roof was quite a challenge, we've got flat rigid panels on a curved roof. It's our best structural roof, according to our engineer, So we had to maximise the installation up there. The strongest roof and the best structure we had was the big curved roof. So that's where we've concentrated the solar, and then the lower, flatter section where we've gone into landscape for the panels. We've had to stay close to that dividing wall there because, again, that's where all the structure was and that's what we had engineering approvals for.
So the layout of the array is purely based on what our engineer would allow us. We had to stay close to this wall of the curved structure, because that's where our main supporting beams are underneath. So we're just maximising the amount of energy we can get in this area of the roof, which is how we've come up with this design. We also had to try and stay away from some of these plant and bits of equipment. So the layout is what it is, there was no design considerations. It can't be seen from the road or from anywhere else, it's purely based on loading the roof in the correct way. The original plan was 16 tonnes worth of solar panels on this roof, we've ended up with about four, four and a bit. So we had to be careful with where we placed the panels.
So commercial installations, sometimes, can be easier than residential. You've got large football field roof structures, they're generally flatter. We can get all the panels in one direction and one array. So commercial installs are a great way to be able to reduce energy consumption at a low entry cost. We're installing solar at a low price now. That the payback can be under four years, or even in worst case scenario, five or six years. It's an excellent investment for any large user of power.
What were the engineering challenges with the commercial solar power installation at Kedron-Wavell?
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