Regional New South Wales maybe isn’t the first place you’d expect to find a carpark full of technology, but at Club Mulwala, that’s exactly what’s happening. Each year the club plays host to visitors from around the country as they enjoy water sports, fishing and entertainment on Lake Mulwala. Scheduled for completion by June 30th this year, the existing 100-120 space carpark will be converted to a massive 215Kw solar array with the power generated able to save the club thousands in electricity bills.
As electric vehicles become more affordable and more popular, customers will be able to park and recharge at Club Mulwala. While solar carparks aren’t new, this scale and location are unique. The project will cost $750,000 which is substantial, but its expected to generate 430 Megawatts of energy every year which over time will save the club and attract more customers.
Club Mulwala CEO, Alan Rowe said,
“Our power bill was ridiculously high. The club is pretty well open 24/7, not to the public but there are people on site and we have a 61 room motel.
We were wondering how to get costs down and came up with the idea of a significant solar project in the car park. It’s also about members’ needs, people want to park in the shade.”
It is hoped that this is a showcase project, one that other businesses will follow. Given the benefits to the business and its customers, it makes a lot of sense. The biggest question will be the EV recharging infrastructure and which connectors to provide. If all goes well for Tesla, then there’ll be thousands of Model 3s driving around Australia, but with so many other manufacturers also releasing electric vehicles in the next 3-5 years, charging standards are still a complete mess.
Via Border Mail and thanks to Steve for the tip.