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RAA’s expansion into the energy market has reached a new milestone, with the completion of its first turnkey commercial solar installation at Torresan Estate in the Adelaide Hills.
The 100kW solar PV system is comprised of 240 solar panels and expected to generate 30 per cent of the wine bottling facility’s energy needs – saving around $19,000 per year – with a payoff period of under five years.
Torresan Estate is a family owned and operated contract bottling facility and winery, which bottles and matures two of its globally recognised brands, Croser and House of Arras at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills.
Chief Executive Officer Nick Reade said RAA was proud to be helping South Australians make the move to a more sustainable and affordable future, at a time when the cost of living and rising power bills was putting pressure on businesses and households.
“For 120 years RAA has been innovating to help its members stay on our roads and move around our great state,” Mr Reade said.
“Today, we believe we are in a unique position to help South Australians again as they make the transition to a low carbon future – that’s sustainable and affordable.
“Through the expansion of our energy division, we are now able to help some of the state’s largest energy users to decarbonise their power supply and reduce their energy bills.
“RAA’s evolution into the energy market began in 2020 and expanded in 2022 with the acquisition of two solar companies.
“It meant RAA was able to add sales, operations, design and installation capability from small residential to commercial megawatt scale projects to its growing solar and battery business.
“The RAA solar and battery team now offer a turnkey solution for commercial customers looking to make the switch to solar and battery storage, including detailed energy modelling to optimise project return on investment and provide a system recommendation suited to a business’s needs.
“In the same year RAA also won the state government contract to own and operate the state’s first border-to-border electric vehicle charging network, with installation of its 140 charging stations now well underway.”
Torresan Estate Director Damien Torresan said going down the path of solar with RAA was an easy decision.
“We saw power price rises jumping quarter to quarter to the point where we were having $10,000 bills come in,” Mr Torresan said.
“We’ve already seen a reduction in our energy usage, and I think now we are projected to hit around $19,000 a year in savings.
“For a family run business that has invested in a 100kW system, to see that straight up is very exciting.” For more information visit: www.raa.com.au/commercialsolar