Enervest begins construction of Australia’s largest floating solar project in Victoria
Image: Wannon Water
Enervest has commenced construction of a 500 kW floating solar array at Wannon Water’s Brierly Basin in Warrnambool, Victoria, set to become Australia’s largest floating solar installation upon completion later this year.
The AU$2 million (US$1.4 million) project will feature around 1,200 bifacial solar modules mounted on floating platforms across the raw water storage basin. Once operational, the system is expected to generate more than 600,000 kWh of renewable electricity annually.
The installation is designed to offset the energy consumption associated with pumping water from the basin to Wannon Water’s treatment plant, which supplies customers in Warrnambool, Allansford, and Koroit.
Brierly Basin stores raw water pumped from the Otways, alongside water collected through Wannon Water’s roofwater harvesting scheme. The program captures runoff from residential areas in north-east Warrnambool, as well as from industrial sites, Albert Park sporting facilities, and Warrnambool College.
The project incorporates bifacial module technology to optimise performance in a floating environment. These modules can capture both direct sunlight and reflected light from the water surface, improving overall energy yield.
According to project documentation, this configuration not only enhances system efficiency but also reduces maintenance complexity compared with conventional single-sided modules.
With a capacity of 500 kW, the Brierly Basin installation will be the largest floating solar project in Australia. However, it remains relatively small compared with international floating solar developments, which have reached capacities of several hundred megawatts in markets such as China, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.
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