Riviere Apartments Kangaroo Point

Springers Solar designed and installed a bespoke solar and battery-connected solution for Aria Property Group’s new luxurious apartment building, Riviere, in Kangaroo Point, Brisbane City. The objective was to integrate sustainable energy management into the fabric of urban living. 

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The project proved to be a testament to unparalleled project management, intricate design planning, and installer workmanship on a site that posed recurrent technical challenges and demanded aesthetic excellence.

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A 64.8kW PV system was designed, with 162 x 400W Trina Solar Vertex S modules installed across the architectural sawtooth rooftop. The large array optimises available roof space, ensuring that the building can garner as much energy as possible while retaining the upscale facade. 

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Challenges emerged from the sawtooth rooftop, which required careful consideration of existing plant assets in the PV array layout and string design. Additionally, the building’s riverside location presented vulnerability to high wind loads. The spacings on the tin roof interface were over-engineered to accommodate this and to provide additional security given the height of the building. Trina Solar was selected for its ability to sustain and perform in high wind load areas. 

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A 50kW Sungrow commercial inverter was selected for its proven performance in complex systems and 10-year extensive warranty period.

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In addition to the PV system, nine Tesla Powerwalls were installed to total 121.5kWh of storage capacity. Aria Property Group wished to heavily offset energy consumption in their community spaces and appliances, including but not limited to:

• Electric vehicle and scooter charging stations
• Pools and spas
• Temperature control
• Lighting

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The addition of 121.5kWh of battery storage to this system will allow Riviere to run almost entirely self-sufficient 24 hours a day. 

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The Springers team conducted a comprehensive analysis of the projected energy consumption during the project’s design phase. Based on this analysis, the system was tailored to maximise the utilisation of roof space for PV panels, ensuring optimal charging for nine batteries. These batteries will distribute energy to various community distribution boards within the building.

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Springers collaborated closely with essential construction partners and a diverse team of skilled trades professionals on-site to guarantee the seamless and safe execution of the project. To illustrate, four of the nine Tesla Powerwall batteries were situated in a specially designated room above the building’s driveway. Given that the battery room had yet to be constructed and the area served as a central hub for cabling and wiring across the structure, a meticulous coordination effort between Springer’s battery exerts and external tradespeople was imperative for the battery installation. The routing of cables was executed with precision, discreetly concealed beneath the window sill using white ducting for an aesthetically pleasing finish.

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In the construction of this 14-storey high-rise, cranes were essential for lifting materials due to site access constraints. Weather constraints posed an ongoing issue, as mid-morning wind shifts would halt crane operations. The persistent risk of crane shutdowns demanded agile project management, prioritising early crane operations and adaptively shifting focus to alternative tasks or leveraging existing materials on the rooftop once the winds set in.

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Aria Property Group has expressed gratitude for the seamless integration of asset integrity and aesthetics, along with exceptional project management and workmanship. The inclusion of sustainable energy assets has elevated the building’s status, with many hailing it as a model for future apartments.