Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary Reduces Dead Load of Solar Mounting Components By 750 kg (≈ 1650 lbs.)

Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is situated in the Flinders Ranges region of Southern Australia and features scenic sightseeing as well as ancient rocks and structures tracing back nearly two billion years. Around 12,000 individuals go to the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia each year to witness the spectacular scenery and explore the area’s history. This nature reserve dedicated to the preservation of natural resources is situated far from any reliable source of power, so it depends solely on diesel engines to produce electricity. The Arkaroola Education and Research Foundation needed an energy-efficient approach to address its power requirements that can be high in the winter when it is near freezing and can reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the summer. This new solar array situated on the roof would be required to provide energy to the entire structure. One of the key aspects taken into account when installing the solar system was the age and construction of the roof as well as potential wind uplift effects. Due to the remote location of the site, it posed a challenging task. Arkaroola is very remote, located a considerable distance from the closest town and only accessible through a rough and challenging road. Due to this, materials that need to be transported must be condensed and lightweight. The solar array of the Arkaroola rail-less microgrid is an example of this.