The largest solar powered system at an Australian theme park is a reality at Dreamworld, located on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

The park has teamed up with Origin Energy for the installation of a 708-kW solar rooftop. It is expected that the system will generate nearly one quarter of the park’s annual electricity power.

Rides and attractions at Queensland’s Dreamworld are set to be powered by solar energy thanks to Origin Energy business unit Origin Zero.

More than 2,000 solar panels and 13 inverters have been installed for this landmark project which will be up and running in April.

An estimated 21% of the park’s annual electricity usage will be covered. The panels will generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 198 houses for a year.

Origin Zero General Manager of Business Development and Advisory Liam McWhirter said: “Dreamworld’s energy use is heaviest during the day, which makes the theme park perfectly placed to reap the benefits of solar, particularly when you consider Queensland weather.”

“We’ve worked closely with Dreamworld to understand their business and utilise data and insights to identify the right solutions to suit their energy needs and ambitions.”

Coast Entertainment Director of Commercial and Facilities, Dwayne Clark, who oversee Dreamworld, said “Given our location and the space we have on site to maximise solar solutions, it became a simple decision for our business as we identified the longer-term reduction in energy costs far outweighed the upfront installation cost of the solar panels, as well as having a significant environmental benefit.”

“The installation of the solar unit marks a significant step in the process of reducing the environmental footprint at Dreamworld.”

Image: Origin Energy