Enphase microinverter-equipped solar panels on CFS harvest energy for the rebuilt Stokes Bay Community Hall

Eighteen Enphase microinverter-equipped REC solar panels will provide energy for the $1.3 million reconstructed Stokes Bay Community Hall, which was destroyed by catastrophic bushfires in 2020.

Located on the north coast of Kangaroo Island, Stokes Bay has a population of more than 200 people, for whom the 60-year-old hall is the heart of the community. In January 2020, a bushfire badly damaged the hall and destroyed a recently completed adjacent kitchen building, as well as 17 houses in the community. Across Australia, the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20 caused 33 deaths, destroyed 3094 houses and burned more than 17 million hectares.

As part of the rebuilding project supported by the Prince’s Trust, Enphase Energy has provided 18 IQ7+ microinverters for 18 370-watt REC solar panels, which were installed on a nearby Country Fire Service (CFS) shed by Enphase partner Energy SA. 

The 6.66 kilowatt-peak (kWp) solar system, with a retail value of about $12,000, will provide energy for the rebuilding project this year and for the entire hall when it’s completed in the second half. As Stokes Bay lacks fixed-line Internet access, Energy SA installed a 4G modem at the hall to enable remote monitoring of the system using the Enphase Enlighten web-based solar energy monitoring software. Enphase also donated five years worth of monitoring data for the system.

Stokes Bay Community Hall Committee Treasurer Michael Stanton said the hall was the heart of the small community. “We use it every week for everything from tennis club meetings and church services to sports tournaments and Christmas shows,” he said. 

The Stokes Bay Community Hall after the January 2020 bushfire

“Since the bushfire, we’ve either had to make do with our truck shed or travel all the way to Parndarna, which is 27km away. Our new solar system is fantastic because it will lower the cost of power and increases its reliability. Because of the extra energy generated by the solar system, we can now have lights on the tennis court and extra power and airconditioning for the kitchen and our planned conference room.”

Enphase Energy donated its IQ7+ microinverters through its Giveawatt program while REC provided its Alpha Series solar panels through its REConstruct initiative. The system went live in December. 

Energy SA co-founder and sales manager Robby Mack said Enphase was perfect for the remote location on Kangaroo Island, which is separated from the Australian mainland by the 13.5 km Backstairs Passage. “Enphase is the best inverter manufacturer, with the most efficient and most reliable equipment,” he said. 

“Importantly, panels are configured in parallel, not daisy chain, so there is no single point of failure. We can also use the Enphase software to easily monitor the panels remotely without going on-site, which is more than 230 km by road. Remote management allows us to make configuration changes from Adelaide and, if a problem occurs with a panel, we can diagnose it, place a warranty claim and ship the replacement panel to our local partner without the customer experiencing a problem.”

Mr Mack and his partner Paul Avion established Energy SA in 2011, eight years after they had founded an electrical contracting business together. Energy SA designs and installs residential and commercial solar PV systems throughout Adelaide and regional South Australia.

About Enphase Energy, Inc.

About Enphase Energy Inc.

Enphase Energy, a global energy technology company based in Fremont, CA, is the world's leading supplier of microinverter-based solar and battery systems that enable people to harness the sun to make, use, save, and sell their own power—and control it all with a smart mobile app. The company revolutionized the solar industry with its microinverter-based technology and builds all-in-one solar, battery, and software solutions. Enphase has shipped more than 45 million microinverters, and over 2.0 million Enphase-based systems have been deployed in more than 135 countries. For more information, visit www.enphase.com/au and follow the company on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

© 2022 Enphase Energy, Inc. All rights reserved. Enphase, the "e" logo, and certain other names and marks are registered trademarks of Enphase Energy, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

About Energy SA https://www.energysa.net.au

Founded in 2011, Energy SA is an Adelaide solar energy system and storage installation specialist that operates from its warehouse-turned-office is in Darlington, about 20 minutes south of Adelaide. For more information, contact Energy SA by email at sales@energysa.net.au on phone 08 8374 1491. The company’s head office is located at 3 Godfrey Street, Darlington, SA, 5047.

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