'Switched on': Stockland Merrylands celebrates new $2.2 million solar system for shoppers

Stockland Merrylands has today celebrated the official ‘switch on’ of a new $2.2 million rooftop solar system recently installed to provide clean, renewable energy to the centre.

The 1,128 kW solar system consists of almost 3,000 solar panels across the rooftop of Stockland Merrylands, covering a surface area of around 5,800 square metres. On average, the system is set to generate around 1.57 million kilowatt hours  of renewable energy per year – enough to power 278 homes.¹

Stockland Regional Retail Manager, Craig Piper, was joined by Julia Finn MP, State Member for Granville, and Paul Peters, CEO of Verdia, to tour the new solar installation.

Craig Piper, Stockland Regional Retail Manager, said: “Switching on the new rooftop solar system at Stockland Merrylands today means we can offer customers a more sustainable shopping experience.

“With more than 10 million customer visits to Stockland Merrylands each year, these new solar panels will help meet the centre’s power needs into future, particularly in the hot summer months.”

The Merrylands installation forms part of Stockland’s extensive national solar investment, the largest ever rooftop solar commitment by an Australian property company. Stockland Merrylands is the company’s second retail town centre in Western Sydney to be plugged into solar power.

Julia Finn, MP, State Member for Granville, said: ““What Stockland is doing here at Merrylands with this major solar installation will make a big difference for the centre’s energy needs and the environment, and I congratulate the team involved.”

Greg Johnson, National Manager Sustainability at Stockland, said: “Our investment in sustainability initiatives like solar provide strong environmental benefits and positively impact local communities by creating more employment opportunities.

“We’ve already invested more than $4.5 million in successful solar projects at four of our shopping centres in NSW and hope to continue working with our project management partners at Verdia to roll out solar installations at all suitable centres across our portfolio.”

By June 2019, Stockland will have invested $30 million in solar across 16 retail town centres, installing more than 45,000 panels across an area equivalent to 13 rugby fields. Its solar capacity will be lifted to 16.36 MW and produce around 23 GWh of energy annually, the equivalent to driving an electric car around the world 3,188 times or powering over 4,000 homes every year.

Stockland owns and manages the most Green Star rated Shopping centres in Australia (Design & As Built) and has Australia’s first retail portfolio with a Green Star Performance rating.

Located 25 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD, Stockland Merrylands is a regional shopping centre which has serviced the local community since 1972. The centre features six major retailers including ALDI, Coles, Woolworths, Big W, Kmart and Target as well as over 200 specialty stores.

¹ Based on 3 occupants per household located in postcode 2160 (Merrylands), www.energymadeeasy.gov.au/benchmark