Telstra says it has switched on its largest ever AC Grid Connect solar power system. Exchange buildings in Deer Park and Lyndhurst – both in Melbourne – have had 30kW solar panel systems installed. These are expected to produce around 40,000 kWh of energy each from the sun every year, Telstra says.
While solar panels on Telstra exchange buildings are common across rural and remote parts of Australia, these are not connected – as are the latest Grid Connect systems – to the national electricity grid.
Telstra property executive director John Romano said the Big T envisions connecting more solar panels in coming months.
“We have a long history of using solar panels, mainly at our small rural exchange buildings as the primary source of power where the electricity grid is unavailable,” he said.
“This is the first time we are using solar power systems at this scale in a metropolitan area, and could very well change the way we power our network in the future.”