Southland’s Largest Solar System Preparation Underway

The Borland Lodge is about to go solar!

Awarua Synergy is very proud to be working with Borland Lodge and Venture Southland on the largest solar install in Southland.  Our team have started preparation work on-site for a 22 kW solar photovoltaic system.   

Borland Lodge Adventure and Education Trust is a Charitable Trust. The Lodge is a regional outdoor educational facility which serves schools and community groups throughout Southland as well as many Otago groups. Borland Lodge is situated at the gateway to Fiordland National Park in southern New Zealand – a World Heritage area. It is 12km west of the Southern Scenic Route, between Lake Manapouri and Lake Monowai, south of Te Anau.

Borland Lodge has been operating for 40 years and the trust recently completed an upgrade of the existing facilities and has built new accommodation, eco-centre and amenity facilities at the camp. The Manapouri – Invercargill transmission line traverses through the lodge site. The building of the Manapouri power station and the transmission line has been a strong element of the lodge heritage, which was the location of the Pig Creek construction camp. Energy is a significant operating cost and this project is aimed at both reducing the energy cost as well as promoting the benefits of renewable energy and the role of the grid in the distribution of power.

This is a ‘non-profit’ ‘public good facility’ that caters for the outdoor education needs of 150 schools, community groups and territory institutions from throughout Southland and Otago. The project will contribute directly to the community as the facility provides over 1000 bed nights per month in support of the many programmes which run from Borland Lodge.

Energy efficiency and electricity interpretation is an important aspect of the Borland experience. The Borland Lodge Adventure and Education Trust have been fundraising for capital cost contributions for a solar photovoltaic (PV) system at the lodge. This includes a 22kW ground-mounted system for the lodge.

The objectives of this project are to reduce energy costs by utilising PV renewable power generation and to provide an interpretation opportunity for renewable energy. This project will sustain and improve the quality of the Borland Lodge environment for the community by providing a public education opportunity and the reduced operating cost will help to ensure that children are able to use the facility at an affordable cost.

This project provides an opportunity to develop the skills of the community and industry as well as creating awareness of energy technology and a focus towards educational and ongoing interpretation opportunities.

The performance measures of this project are expected to be the reduced electricity costs and the production of electricity for the facility will guarantee the reliability of power supply to the region.

This solar PV project will provide a sustainable future beyond the support of the Trust support as any funding assistance will contribute to the capital cost for the PV system. The lodge manager will carry out routine maintenance and panel wash down and any ongoing maintenance will be covered initially by the supplier, inverter and panel guarantees.

The install will provide a valuable electricity supply on-site and be used as an education platform for groups visiting.  Our team look forward to the progress.