Fast facts

The challenge

Power and Water Corporation (PWC) manages infrastructure across 1.3 million square kilometers of the Northern Territory. Their role includes providing a continuous supply of water and electricity to 72 remote communities, such as Borroloola, a town near the Gulf of Carpentaria.

• Borroloola is an extremely remote location, situated 12 hours by road from Darwin.
• Northern Australia is prone to extreme weather events, averaging 2 cyclones per year.
• The site has a heavy reliance on diesel generators, an increasingly expensive source of energy. 

The solution

A 653 kWp 5B Maverick solar system was installed at Borroloola in July of 2018, integrated with existing diesel gen-sets. Roughly 25% of the community's power is now produced using solar energy, significantly reducing running costs to PWC.

5B Maverick's prefabricated system has streamlined and simplified deployment in this remote community, limiting labour time in its harsh conditions. The ballasted system has survived 2 cyclones to date - cyclone Trevor and cyclone Owen with wind gusts in the order of 39 m/s.

Benefits of the 5B Maverick in Borroloola project

Durability

5B Maverick can be optioned-up to withstand harsh and cyclonic conditions which is critical in the Northern Territory.

Modular design

Remote locations are difficult and costly to build in. 5B Maverick’s prefabricated design drastically reduces the work required on-site.

Ultra rapid deployment

A harsh climate mandates rapid deployment. 5B Maverick takes on average one third of the time of deploy compared to conventional solar technologies.