Off-Grid Innovation Powers ‘Rumi’ a Luxury Eco-Resort
The Challenge Rumi on Louth, a new secluded eco-resort off the coast of South Australia, presented a unique challenge: how to provide reliable power to a remote island while suppor
Lake Deborah, Wild Harvested Salt and Renewables
- PowerPlus Team,
Supporting Environmental Preservation
Working with PowerPlus products in hand, Western Australia off-grid solar company, Save Energy, has replaced an outdated system of lead acid batteries for WA Salt Supply. A pure lake salt farm located at Lake Deborah near a town called Koolyanobbing (meaning “place of large rocks” in Aboriginal).
Having been in operation since the 60s, WA Salt Supply follows a set of refreshing business values; they choose sustainability and respect for natural processes. Instead of pumping brine into Lake Deborah, the team allow it to happen “naturally and sustainably” with “the help of the sun…[and] minimal intervention by man”.
“We have deliberately decided not to pump brine into [the] ponds at Lake Deborah…[allowing] the wind to fill the producing ponds during the winter rains.”
This mindset promotes environmental preservation and has meant the 5-million-year-old lake can continue its existence. Being so remote it remains untouched by pollution and contaminants–free of micro-plastics! This remoteness, however, means gaining access to reliable power can be a challenge.
Upgrading an End of Life Lead Acid System
During harvest, generally every October, around 20 crew members come in to scrape the salt from the millions of years old lake bed. It is cleaned and stacked for year-round truck shipments to Perth. The wild-harvested lake salt is sold for cooking and pools in biodegradable packaging, again observing sustainable impacts.
Save Energy installed the original off-grid power system 12 years ago. The system consisted of lead acid batteries filling a 20ft container with over 300kWh of storage. Due to constant use, the system needed to be upgraded and Save Energy, working with PowerPlus Energy, revisited the site in August last year to install a new Lithium based system of 48 Eco4840P batteries (192kWh) in four PIR12 cabinets. The system is designed to be safer, more efficient and create more usable space. There is also 60kWp of solar running the whole site and charging the batteries, with diesel generators as backup.
For most of each year, their entire remote camp is supplied with renewable energy by the systems put in place. Systems supported by Australian Made products. WA Salt Supply mention in their Carbon Footprint statement the PowerPlus’ system as state of the art.
“…This process has included energy saving initiatives such as the installation of a state of the art solar / battery system which supplies our remote camp’s power needs.”
Seeing commitment to sustainability in values from customer, to installer right through to supplier and working with key agents motivated by this cause is always refreshing. Save Energy shared their PowerPlus experience on conclusion of the project.
“We trust Australian Made products, quality and warranties and are always impressed with the technical support the PowerPlus team provide throughout the design and installation process.”
The work at WA Salt Supply highlights the impact Australian energy storage made by PowerPlus can have in a unique, remote setting.
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