Solar Design and Installation Awards

2021 award winners

Congratulations to the winners in the 2021 Solar Design and Installation Awards. Read on to find out more about the winners and finalists in the following categories:

• 30-240 kW
• Over 240 kW

30-240 kW

Winners - Matthew Linney and Jarrod Shepherd

Working with Autonomous Energy, Matthew and Jarrod designed and installed a 77.76 kW roof-mounted PV system on a 139 m skyscraper in the Sydney CBD. This integrated solution maintained the client’s requirement for a 6-star Green Star rating while proving that installing large solar arrays on skyscrapers is possible.

Over 240 kW

Winners - Ashley Funnell, Dylan Palmer and Nelson Steer

Working with AGF Electrical, ACE Electrical and Solgen Energy Group respectively, Ashley, Dylan and Nelson designed and installed a 2.3 MW solar PV system at the Karratha shopping centre. As Karratha suffers from extremely high winds, the system was designed and custom components were fabricated to be able to withstand these harsh conditions. The system also demonstrated that large renewable energy embedded generation is more viable than previously assumed in remote grid locations.

2021 finalists

30-240 kW

• Patrick Falzon, Tristan Nowak and Andrew Trist (Solgen Energy Group and Peninsula Solar & Electrical) for a 50 kW PV system on a luxury car showroom at Moorabbin Airport. A reverse titled system was installed to maximise production efficiency and to meet the requirements of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Moorabbin Airport policy.
• Grant Finigan and Scott Mason (Platinum Solar Designs) for a 78.5 kW roof mount PV system on an aged care facility in Sydney. Aesthetics were a key component of the client’s brief, resulting in an all-black solution with custom fabricated components.
• Matthew Linney and Jarrod Shepherd (Autonomous Energy) for a 77.76 kW roof mounted PV system on a 139 m skyscraper in the Sydney CBD. This integrated solution was designed to maintain the client’s requirement for a 6-star Green Star rating.

Over 240 kW

• Nathaniel Elliot and Daniel Westover (Keystones Solar Group) for a 1.14 MW solar PV system on the car park of the Flinders Medical Centre. Access restrictions and building layout required innovative manual handling solutions and system design.
• Kurt Elvery and Dhayan Nadarajah (Elvery's Electrical Service and GEM Energy) for a 810 kW solar PV and a 1160 kWH battery energy storage system at Shalom College in Bundaberg. This flagship project supports the client’s aim of transitioning to 100 per cent renewable Energy.
• Ashley Funnell, Dylan Palmer and Nelson Steer (AGF Electrical, ACE Electrical and Solgen Energy Group) for a 2.3 MW solar PV system at the Karratha shopping centre. As Karratha suffers from extremely high winds, the system was designed and custom components were fabricated to be able to withstand these harsh conditions.

Please note, the Solar Design and Installation Award for the Under 30 kW category was not awarded this year as the judges deemed that the entries weren't of a sufficient standard.