Brisbane CBD High-Rise - JLL

Springers Solar won the Under 100kW category for the 2022 Clean Energy Council Solar Design and Installation Awards. This was awarded for outstanding innovation and exceptional workmanship on this installation in 2022. 

Springers Solar worked closely with JLL, the building management team for Brisbane City’s Australian Taxation Office headquarters, and Clenergy to design and install a 67.6kW solar system for the high-rise’s complicated rooftop. The goal was to install a highly efficient solar system that maximised the limited roof space to reduce the carbon footprint of the building.

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The project is a demonstration of careful and complex design planning due to a multitude of technical challenges, and exceptional workmanship on a difficult site to access and work on. The result was a beautifully executed system that proves complicated city CBD properties are capable of reducing their carbon footprint with solar PV systems. 

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Technical challenges including the building’s height of 15 storeys, the concrete roof deck, and waterproofing requirements resulted in cooperation between Springer’s in-house engineers and Clenergy’s engineering team. It resulted in a design feat that included 1,284 holes to drill across the roof deck, carefully mapped around existing roof assets. The design and installation of the holes and brackets also upheld the integrity of the waterproof membrane warranty still held by the building. With the building’s height standing over 60m, the fixings were also designed to withstand extreme wind loads and meet AS1170 standards. 

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With the building relying on an on-site auto-start generator to power the building in the event of blackouts, a solution was designed to automatically shut down the solar system if the generator starts. The protection of the generator and solar is guaranteed via the electrical interlock system. 

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Busbar extensions were required as the main switchboard was unable to accommodate circuit breakers for the solar. Due to the building being occupied by the Australian Taxation Office, coordination with a specialist switchboard contractor was necessary to complete these extensions. As this needed to be completed outside business hours, the electrical components required extensive project management from our in-house team, led by Project Manager David Honzatko.  

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The site was a difficult installation project due to the property being occupied by the ATO and the building’s location in Brisbane’s CBD. David managed security measures, rooftop escorts, daily sign-in procedures, and criminal history checks to ensure the Springers installation team could complete the project with due security diligence as required by the ATO. Due to cranage restrictions, offsite preparation and packing were required to ensure materials could be transported safely to the roof via a weight-limited elevator. Rails were cut to specific lengths to maximise space within the lift and to minimise joints. 

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Solar Analytics software was installed to allow the property owner, JLL, and Eddie Springer to monitor the system’s performance and track the production and consumption of the solar generation, as well as monitor for potential service requests. As reducing greenhouse gas emissions was important to the client, the system is designed to maximise solar production for a large commercial premise operating five days a week. JLL has extended their gratitude on behalf of the client for the seamless operation that integrated environmental benefit, asset integrity, and exceptional project management and workmanship. 

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This property is set to produce 93,461MWh of solar energy every year, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 76,638kg per annum. The client will save up to $26,169 on their electricity bills every year.