Fast facts

Challenge

The Happy Valley site required extensive earthworks and filler after the removal of a pine forest. 

The end user, SA Water were facing significant land constraints and needed a high-density power solution that could be relocated and replaced if further site works were needed. 

The land requirement for such a large project was a major consideration in its development. SA Water wanted to keep land clearing to a minimum making panel density and efficiency a key consideration.

Solution

Low to the ground, prefabricated, pre-wired and sporting high energy density, 5B Maverick was the ideal choice for the Happy Valley project. 

5B’s ballasted nature resulted in minimal ground penetration, avoiding the need for drilling and piling into the bedrock beneath the soil. The low profile was favoured by local residents as it had less impact on their views, while the prefabricated nature of the solution sped up deployment, and kept rubbish onsite to a minimum, further improving safety and reducing costs. 

That the 5B Maverick solution could be moved or readjusted for ongoing maintenance works was also a key consideration, in case the site needed ground works in the future.

Benefits of 5B Maverick in Happy Valley project

Energy Density

Leveraging an east-west configuration, 5B Maverick produces more energy on less land - typically around 1.5 to 2 times the energy of traditional fixed tilt or tracking solar arrays. 

The Happy Valley project squeezes 12.8MW of solar capacity, or 33,750 panels, on just 12Ha of land - a utilisation factor of ~80%.

Ground conditions

The soil at the Happy Valley location had been recently labeled 'extremely reactive' after the clearing of a pine plantation weeks earlier.

This would have significantly raised the installation cost and risk for a conventional solar array. However, 5B Maverick’s ballasted design requires minimal ground penetration and avoids the need for drilling and piling into the bedrock beneath the soil.

Relocatable

5B Maverick can easily be moved or readjusted for maintenance works or if ground movements exceed the anticipated levels.