$100,000 for SA solar tracker

Adelaide Advertiser
Thursday 16/12/2010 Page: 52

Solar Shop Australia and Hydragate will use a $100,000 grant to install a locally manufactured solar tracking system by the end of next year. The companies recently won the State Government grant to develop the system. Hydragate will manufacture the system and Solar Shop will provide photovoltaic research and development expertise.

Solar Shop corporate development chief Chris Stewart said the local product would be cheaper than other tracking systems in the market and would have fewer moving parts. "It's all being made here with the tracker itself offering 40% more efficiency than roof solar panels", Mr Stewart said. The technology is targeted at the commercial market.

Competitor ZEN recently installed a $450,000-plus, 30kW solar tracking farm at Monarto Zoo with the help of a State Government grant. Its system is jointly developed and manufactured with European based company Mecasolar. "As a private company that's installed Australia's largest solar tracking system only months ago, launched by Premier Mike Rann, we are disappointed to have not had a chance to tender on this grant", a spokesperson for ZEN said.

The grant was among measures Mr Rann announced at the Cancun climate change conference, including opening up 400,000sq km of crown land for solar and wind farms.