Canberra arboretum adds 30KW of solar + 82KWh of storage

Canberra National Arboretum - horticultural depot. (One Step off the Grid)

Canberra’s National Arboretum – a 250 hectare tourist centre that hosts 94 forests of rare, endangered and symbolic trees – has gone off diesel, after the installation 30KW of solar and 82KWh of battery storage. The arboretum’s horticultural depot is not connected to the grid and has been using a diesel generator. The system should be paid off within eight years via fuel savings alone.

The arborists and gardeners are now using clean, solar-powered electric chainsaws, hedge trimmers, lawn mowers and so on for their work, instead of fossil fuelled tools. There now are fully electric, lithium-ion battery powered and cordless alternatives to most power tools and lawn mowers, available to buy in Australia. With the solar panels installed, these arboretum tools are now powered by the sun and are emission-free.

Further reading: Canberra arboretum goes green-er, ditching diesel for solar and storage. One Step off the Grid, March 2, 2018.