Eatons Hill Hotel

Only 25 minutes north of Brisbane’s CBD stands the Eatons Hill Hotel, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest pub. Known for bringing big acts to the ‘burbs”, the hotel's various venues have hosted the likes of Prince, Post Malone, Rita Ora and Ice Cube. With the recent addition of the Comiskey Distillery, the Comiskey Group sought a way to improve its sustainability efforts as the precinct continues to expand. 

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Sustainability is a major focus for the Comiskey Group venues and the Eatons Hill Hotel is the first to implement a renewable energy solution to power the facility with as little environmental impact as possible. In light of this, the Comiskey Group reached out to Springers Solar in 2022 to find out how they could improve their sustainability model with the addition of solar.

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Major renovations, venue upgrades, and other facility additions also meant the Comiskey Group expected a significant increase in their utility bills. Springers Solar completed a comprehensive analysis of the precinct’s electricity costs and power consumption to customise a bespoke solar energy system that would not only reduce their carbon footprint but also significantly offset the utility costs associated with the upgrades. 

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“Our main goal for choosing solar was to provide an energy-efficient solution to reduce the venue’s environmental footprint. Eatons Hill Hotel strives to become a greener hotel in any way possible”.

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Eddie Springer, a Springers Solar director, worked closely with the Comiskey Group to determine an optimal solution. 200 x 500W Trina Solar Vertex S solar panels were installed on the Hotel’s boutique liquor store, Harry Brown, to achieve a whopping 100kW capacity. The Trina Solar Vertex S range was the perfect choice for the flat rooftop thanks to its high-efficiency ratings, long-lasting performance in high-temperature conditions, and reliable cell technology. 

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Paired with a 110kW Sungrow Three-Phase Inverter, the system will produce 143.6MWh of solar energy per annum. The team at Eatons Hill Hotel can easily monitor their solar energy production and consumption through Sungrow’s iSolarCloud platform.

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To retain the famous EH ‘flair', the inverter has been transformed into a work of art. Included in the Comiskey Distillery’s outdoor mural*, the Sungrow inverter effortlessly blends in to not detract from the art. This Sungrow inverter is definitely the most colourful of Springers Solar’s installations!

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The solar system will produce enough power to completely offset the addition of the Comiskey Distillery, making the facility more profitable with little overhead. The system will save 117.7t of CO2 emissions per annum, improving the Comiskey Group’s sustainability initiatives tenfold and significantly lowering the business’s carbon footprint. 

“We chose Springers as they were able to customise a solution to cater to all the venue’s needs. We would absolutely recommend Springers to others - not only is the quality great, but the Springers team is also amazing to work with”.

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In addition to the EH’s existing sustainability practices, such as a food waste reduction policy, recycling systems, and biodegradable servery, the Eatons Hill Hotel is an excellent example of how environmentally-focused initiatives not only benefit the environment but also reduce costs. 

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*Comiskey Distillery artwork completed by local artist Drapl. Artist's work can be viewed at https://www.instagram.com/drapl/ *

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More on The Comiskey Distillery

The newest addition to the already wonderful Eatons Hill Hotel (EH) Precinct is the Comiskey Distillery. Nestled next to the Harry Brown bottle shop, which alone features a wonderful classic European marketplace design and 300 authentic wine barrels, the shining new Comiskey Distillery is the latest adventure for the Comiskey family (owners of the Eatons Hill Hotel and more). Having over 50 years in construction and with many iconic venues to their name, founders Paul Comiskey and sons David and Robert are taking a step into the local distillery world. Soon they intend to distil their own gin, vodka, rum and a signature spirit known as “Comiskey Whiskey” out of the 100-litre copper still inside the luxurious new distillery. Find out more here: https://www.eatonshillhotel.com.au/comiskeydistillery/