Perth-based construction company Mechanical Project Services (MPS) has successfully completed the rollout of a combined 270 kW of solar spread across 27 rooftops in the remote Western Australian community of Mowanjum.
The solar arrays, averaging 10 kW each and featuring lightweight flexible solar panels provided by Chinese manufacturer Sunman Energy, have been installed across selected rooftops – those best suited by orientation, shading and condition.
MPS National General Manager Billy Quinncroft said the Sunman panels had helped address some of the challenges associated with the project, including extreme heat, complex logistics, vast distances, and tight timeframes.
“They sit flush with the roof with no glass surface or exposed racking, making the resistant to damage while being considerably lighter, a design suited to roofs that may not hold the structural integrity needed to withstand the weight of traditional glass panels,” he said.
“The result is a more rugged, low-maintenance installation built to deliver reliable performance for years to come.”
The project was delivered as part of government-owned utility Horizon Power’s Kimberley Communities Solar Saver (KCSS) program – an initiative designed to remove the barrier of individual household cost and ensure that the community benefits collectively from solar generation.
Under the KCSS program, backed by the state and federal governments, rooftop solar systems are installed on selected rooftops in the community with the energy credits generated shared equally among all households, regardless of whether their individual roof has panels
Horizon describes the model as being “like a solar farm, using residential rooftops instead of land,” adding the approach is reducing reliance on high-cost diesel generation and lowering electricity costs for households with pre-paid meters.
Mowanjum is the sixth community in the Kimberley to benefit from the program. A combined 1.38 MW of rooftop solar across 125 systems has also been installed in the communities of Warmun, Bidyadanga, Ardyaloon, Yungngora and Beagle Bay.
Horizon said since the launch of the program in 2024, KCSS has delivered more than $185,000 in energy-saving credits to the six communities, with approximately 435 homes benefiting from the program. The utility noted that the program is funded to continue expanding.
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