Customer Case Study:
The Crown Melbourne Entertainment Complex is Australia’s leading integrated resort, featuring luxury accommodation, award-winning dining, world-class gaming, conferencing, shopping and entertainment facilities. Crown Melbourne is also Australia’s largest casino and is a significant driver of tourism within Australia, particularly in Victoria. Crown Melbourne operates three hotels with approximately 1,600 guest rooms. Crown Towers was awarded the prestigious 2017 Forbes Travel Guide Global 5 Star Award, the only hotel in Melbourne achieve this status.
The Crown complex commissioned Beon Energy Solutions to design and install a 300kW solar system. Each year more than 21 million people pass through the building. Open 24 hours a day, the Southbank venue’s energy costs are substantial. As part of the project, 923 photovoltaic panels were installed on top of Crown’s administration building on north-orientated 10-degree tilt frames. It is the largest rooftop solar system in central Melbourne, overtaking the Queen Victoria Market (252kW) and North Melbourne Football Club (200kW).
While similar panels are commonly installed on metal roofs, the concrete surface posed a new challenge for the installation team. The system also needed to integrate with Crown’s co-generation plant, which provides standby emergency power and heat capacity.
Unique in terms of height, Beon engaged a range of engineering partners and suppliers to conduct structural tests and ensure the solar system could withstand high winds and uplift. The construction also involved drilling into concrete without cracking the waterproof membrane underneath.
“The Beon solar project was delivered quickly and without complication, with just a few months between the start of works and commissioning of the technology. The installation team managed itself, without affecting the operations of the business. Crown is highly satisfied with Beon’s delivery of this solar project”
Jeremy Sampson, Crown Melbourne Infrastructure & Capital Works Manager
