The Australian solar market has seen a large growth of buyers in recent years, and it is not hard to see why. This technology has been most widely accepted by large-scale manufacturers seeking a cheaper alternative to city grids and a more reliable source of power; a point not missed by shopping centers, malls, and other such retail businesses.  Demand increased as much as twenty to thirty percent this year in Australia, said Govind Kant, Country Sales Manager for Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands.

The Rising Popularity of Solar

A big reason for solar energy’s rising popularity would be the rising prices of electricity derived from fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal. Solar energy is a cheaper alternative in the long run and appeals to companies with rising running costs. Although its initial capital investment such as the set-up cost remains high, the return on investment due to the more expensive local grid can make up for it in a short amount of time. For many companies, it is a financially sound investment; and lends to the fact that most of the solar energy buyers are from the finance departments. 

Solar energy’s other major selling point would be its reliability. Electricity derived from fossil fuels has to be moved through transmission lines, which often causes power loss during transit. The long distances between power stations and the destination make this process unreliable and prone to blackouts. Moreover, the state of its affairs can only be monitored through primitive means such as manual checkups.

With solar energy, none of these problems exist. There is no power loss as the solar energy is directly converted into electrical output. Furthermore, it can be remotely monitored by using smart technology, which ensures direct connection to the solar modules. 

Solar energy’s reputation for reliability is why airports often choose to opt for solar energy. For example, Adelaide Airport in Australia houses a 1.17MW rooftop mounted solar system that uses 4,496 solar modules. The solar setup is connected to the internet through a smart meter which is used for remote monitoring. Another example would be the airport in Mildura.  Situated in one of the hottest regions in Australia makes this particular airport uniquely suited for solar energy. Before switching to solar energy, the airport received power from the nearest power station over 700 kilometers away, subjecting it to regular blackouts.  It currently employs a 100kW rooftop solar setup that uses 400 modules that can be remotely monitored through the web. This setup provides the airport with the necessary electricity that it needs for the operation.

Besides supplying both airports with solar energy, Trina Solar also supplies commercial businesses like Aker Flowerbulbs. The company operates out of the Dandenong mountains at the fringes of Melbourne where they grow tulips and other flora. With nurseries full of flowers that require conditions such as specific constant temperatures, humidity, and light intensity, a reliable power source is crucial to power the nursery’s various systems and controls. 

Trina Solar in Australia

As of 2018, Trina Solar has installed more than 1.5 GW worth of solar panels across Australia and is constantly innovating and creating new products and technologies to stay on top of the competitive solar industry.

Trina Solar also encourages universities and other tertiary institutions to introduce groundbreaking additions to the solar platform. To date, Trina Solar has had the privilege to work with prestigious universities like the Australian National University (ANU), Monash University and the University of New South Wales.

Partnerships like these have resulted in tremendous results for the company like last year’s breakthrough with the University of New South Wales. Researchers achieved a new record efficiency for low-cost semi-transparent perovskite solar cells. This new development could bring down the cost for generating electricity with solar panels.

Kant also added: “The R&D work we have been doing with Australian universities is of global significance and helps to reinforce Australia’s position as a high-tech economy and a leader in development of solar cell technology.”