General information Location: Newington Suburb, Homebush Bay, Sydney, Australia Sunshine hours (annual average): 5,5 hours per day Type of project: Residential Type of application: BIPV Design process: 1996 -1998 Realization: The Newington village was completed in December 1999. Development of the whole site started in June 1997 and will continue until 2007 depending on market demand [ Top ] Description The New South Wales government Olympic Co-ordination Authority (OCA) requested a sustainable approach, including the promise of delivering a green Olympics. The Olympic Solar Village is part of this with the ambitious goal of changing the world’s view of solar energy and energy efficiency, demonstrating to Olympic viewers and overseas visitors the commercial capacity of renewable energy technologies in providing electrical energy to an entire urban residential development. The project is the world’s largest solar village showcase for the Olympics and as part of a sustainable inner suburb, exemplifying innovative approaches to ESD principles. Its requirements included: housing for 15 300 athletes and officials and future Newington occupants (2000 homes for approx. 5000 people); strict implementation of energy efficient and demand side management best practices; environmentally benign community built on a brown field site; renewable energy integration as a demonstration for future replication; BIPV which satisfies the architectural requirements for a visually acceptable solution, without compromising the technical performance of the roof and the solar power system; cost effectiveness in delivering a clean green suburb. Following extensive prototyping and full scale mock ups of various roof integrated (PV) system design options the final product consisted of a metal sub-tray waterproof roof sheet on which frameless BP Solar high efficiency Saturn PV module laminates were fastened down using six custom designed diamond shaped mounting clips. An inverted ‘U’ joint between laminates encourages natural convection cooling. A mesh was used to surround the PVs to prevent leaves and animals entering behind the panels. A number of advantages were identified in this design option. These included each systems delivery requirement of 1 600 kWh per annum, compliance with Australian building load, health and safety specifications and electrical standards, developing and verifying best practices where standards did not exist and providing a simple product for rapid deployment of the PV systems to avoid compromising the overall construction activities of each dwelling Off cuts from the sub-tray sheeting acted as weatherproof joints between trays. [ Top ] System characteristics PV system power: 629 x 1 kWp Type of building integration: Roof integration Type of cell technology: Monocrystalline silicon Modular dimensions Canopy: To be inserted Inverters: 629 inverters type BP Solar 1200W each [ Top ] Project cost breakdown Sydney Olympic Village development AUD 590 million (~€ 350 million) (NSW Government contributed AUD 63,8 million). Estimated selling price of the houses start at AUD 355 000 (~€ 210 000) for 3 bed courtyard homes to AUD 540 000 (~€ 320 000) for 4 bedroom executive homes.) [1 € (Euro) =~1,7 AUD (Australian dollars)] [ Top ] Performance characteristics Some calibration of the weather monitoring equipment has caused delay in release of the results. Early indicators confirm average PV performance around 1400-1500 kWh/yr – with a number of favourable days achieving generation greater than 1600 kWh/yr. Post Olympic reconstruction and development has impacted on the systems. A drop in efficiency was noted following consecutive dry days when construction site dust was suspected of covering the PV systems. This was confirmed as post rain generation and self cleaning of the PV laminates caused increased power output relative to irradiance and ambient temperature. [ Top ] Project team Client: Olympic Co-ordination Authority Owner and user: Originally Pacific Power (home owner thereafter) 82-86 Bay Street, Botany, NSW 2019, Sydney, Australia Tel +61 2 9316 6811 Fax +61 2 9666 4079 Email: info@psolar.com.au Website: http://www.psolar.com.au Project architects: Henry Pollack Architects (co-ordinators), Virginia Kerridge, Grose Bradley, Gordon & Valich, Order Architects, Howard Tanner & Associates, Tonkin Zulaikha, Richard Huxley. Engineers: Connell Wagner, BP Solar & Pacific Power Contractor: Civil & Civil (Lend Lease Projects) Builders-Developers: Mirvac LendLease PV manufacture: BP Solar BIPV system supplier(s): BP Solar, PV Manufacturers, BOS suppliers BIPV installer(s): BP Solar Structural installation [ Top ]