Image:Wannon Water
Melbourne-based renewable energy developer Enervest has finished construction on a 500kW floating solar installation at the Brierly Basin reservoir in Warrnambool, Victoria, representing one of Australia’s largest floating solar systems.
Developed for regional water utility Wannon Water, the AU$2 million project started construction in March 2026 and is now fully operational. The system uses 1,260 bifacial solar panels mounted on high-density polyethylene pontoons, which capture both direct and reflected sunlight from the water to boost efficiency. It is expected to generate more than 600,000kWh of clean electricity annually.
The installation is designed to offset electricity costs for pumping drinking water uphill from Brierly Basin to Wannon Water’s treatment plant, which supplies customers in Warrnambool, Allansford and Koroit. Water pumping is among the utility’s most energy-intensive operations, making on-site floating solar a highly cost-effective investment.
This 500kW system is Wannon Water’s largest floating solar array to date, adding to its existing 250kW floating solar plant at the Warrnambool Water Treatment Plant and two 100kW floating solar systems at the Hamilton Water Treatment Plant.
Steven Waterhouse, Managing Director of Wannon Water, stated the project will lower energy expenses and improve value for customers while supporting the utility’s net-zero emissions target by 2030. The installation will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 600 tonnes each year.
