Kyocera Solar Modules Advance the Green Game Plan at Stadium in Australia

Kyoto, Japan-based Kyocera (News - Alert) Solar recently provided 348 kilowatts (kW) of solar modules to the Townsville RSL Stadium in North Queensland, Australia. The 1,800 modules will cover 90 percent of the sports venue’s roof, as well as shade-producing structures in the car park.

Townsville is a city on the northeastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland, adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef. The photovoltaic installation at the stadium, which will produce about 500 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy annually, is now the largest in North Queensland and will supply the equivalent of two-thirds of the stadium’s power requirements.

Garbutt, Queensland-based Ergon Energy installed the solar system, which will generate about 1,400 kilowatt hours each day, equivalent to the daily energy requirements of 75 typical North Queensland homes. That amount of clean energy will eliminate an estimated 460 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution each year, or the equivalent of removing approximately 100 cars from the road.

Australia’s Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Mark Dreyfus, helped inaugurate the Townsville RSL Stadium solar array. “These measures make the most of Australia’s natural resources and help us make the gradual shift to a modern, clean energy economy,” he stated. 

The solar-powered stadium is a key component of the federally funded Townsville Solar City Program, which is already responsible for installing more than 1MW of solar energy to the city. The program’s goal is to better manage the rising electricity demand in Northern Queensland using environmentally friendly resources.

Townsville Queensland Solar City is one of seven solar cities across Australia, and part of the Australian Government’s Solar Cities program, which collaborates with all levels of government, industry and community to change the way we think about and use energy. The other Solar Cities nationwide include Adelaide, Alice Springs, Blacktown, Central Victoria, Moreland and Perth. The Solar Cities program is managed by the Australian Government’s Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency

“Kyocera is proud to support Ergon, the leader of the Townsville Solar City Program, to help create renewable solar energy that will power the North Queensland region for decades to come,” said Steve Hill, president of Kyocera Solar, Inc. “Citizens attending basketball games and other events at Townsville RSL Stadium may enjoy themselves even more, knowing that the stadium’s commitment to environmentally friendly renewable energy helps to protect Australia’s natural beauty.”