Open to the public every day, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures had an average annual electricity bill of $100,000. To minimize operating expenses, the park owner explored alternative options to offset the attraction’s large energy needs.

Contractor Australian Sustainable Energy Services (ASES) has installed an Enphase microinverter system at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, a wildlife attraction in Australia. ASES selected Enphase microinverters to maximize the solar system’s power production under challenging coastal climate conditions, while the Enphase Enlighten monitoring platform will be used to conduct annual energy savings reports.

With long-term sustainability in mind, ASES chose Enphase technology for its safety, reliability and robust design to protect Hartley’s energy investment. The IP67-rated Enphase Microinverters are built to withstand the severe mechanical stress that Far North Queensland’s tropical environment imposes on equipment. ASES also selected CNPV 250W modules, which are 2PFG and IEC61701 certified for salt mist and ammonia corrosion resistance.

“When using a string inverter, if there is an internal wiring failure, we are unable to easily locate the faulty module,” explained Jason Pyne, managing director of ASES. “String inverters also carry a much higher safety risk due to their accumulated high-voltage DC power. Enphase’s reliable all-AC system maximises safety and substantially reduces fire risks for the system, the installer and the customer, whilst also providing detailed module-level monitoring.”

“Enphase microinverters are rigorously tested to survive the extreme weather conditions that Australia often experiences,” said Nathan Dunn, managing director, Asia-Pacific, Enphase Energy. “ASES selected the Enphase system for its durability, reliability and exceptional performance in harsh climates, further validating our value proposition.”

The system is expected to produce 50,000kWh of clean energy a year and to considerably offset the park’s electricity bill. Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures will also use Enphase Enlighten to quantify its energy savings, with the view of increasing the size of the easily scalable plug-and-play system in the future.