Printed Solar Panel Canopy at Melbourne Zoo
Solar panel canopy incorporating 27 m2 of flexible, printed solar panels produced by CSIRO using processes offering the prospect of low-cost, large-scale manufacture, and versatile enough to enable bespoke designs. Melbourne Zoo, 2018.
A partnership between CSIRO and Zoos Victoria (2017-2018) led to the design and construction of a large-scale printed solar panel canopy ‘demonstrator’. The canopy was installed at Melbourne Zoo from early 2018 until mid-2019, where it was integrated into a pre-existing structure in the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect information area outside the butterfly house. This was the first example of CSIRO integrating this technology into a large-scale demonstrator in a public space.
The bespoke demonstrator design highlights the appealing aesthetics possible using unique features of this innovative solar cell technology such as colour, flexibility, and semi-transparency.
Unrolling printed solar panels during re-commissioning at CSIRO’s North Clayton site (Victoria).
After its tenure at Melbourne Zoo, the printed solar panels were repatriated to CSIRO’s North Clayton site where they are being used for on-going collection of valuable data on the long-term performance of this innovative solar panel technology under outdoor conditions.
Printed solar panels at CSIRO (North Clayton, Victoria) being used for testing long-term performance durability under outdoor conditions.