Water treatment powered by solar energy

A project to install solar panels at the Korong Vale Water Treatment Plant has significantly reduced the plant’s consumption of grid energy.

Korong Vale is located in north-western Victoria and is serviced by the Wimmera Supply System. The water treatment plant delivers treated water to residents, commercial and industry users through 121 connections.

The plant can treat up to 3.6 ML of raw water per day before it pumps the treated water from its clear water tanks to the reticulation system. When the pumps are not in operation, the water from the tanks is supplied to the town through a gravity-fed system. The pump and filtration systems consume high levels of energy.

Jon Anstey, general manager Insight & Innovation at Coliban Water, said the treatment plant project is part of Coliban’s commitment to deliver innovation and achieve renewable energy targets set by the Victorian Government, with 25% of the state’s electricity set to come from renewable energy by 2020.

“Whilst the targets were officially announced in June, we had been anticipating them for some time,” he said. “Our Sustainability Strategy outlines our longstanding commitment to supporting innovation and operational improvement by investing in sustainable technology.”

With this in mind, said Anstey, the organisation made the $55,000 decision to install a 30 kW solar energy system, consisting of 112 panels, at the Korong Vale Water Treatment Plant. He explained, “This improves the plant’s energy efficiency by using solar power, before drawing from the grid network.

“The Korong Vale plant was chosen for the project because of its location, size and the compatibility of its electricity system with the solar network,” he added.

This project will enable 50% of the plant’s operations to be powered by solar energy, making it an encouraging early step towards achieving the 2020 goals. It will also deliver a $7000 annual saving in energy costs and reduce the plant’s carbon emissions by 50 tonnes each year.

“With the successful completion of this project, we are keen to explore opportunities for renewable energy at other treatment plants and will continue to work with the state government on emission reduction targets,” Anstey said.