Located in South Australia’s remote Far North near the Northern Territory border, Mt Willoughby Station is managed by the Tjirilya Aboriginal Corporation. As Traditional Owners and long-term custodians, the corporation is dedicated to caring for their munda (land)—carrying out critical environmental conservation, cultural site protection, and ranger activities. With no access to the utility grid, a dependable off-grid power supply is essential to support these daily operations.
To address these remote energy needs, ZYC Energy’s storage technology was selected as a core component of a new Remote Area Power System (RAPS) designed and installed by Adelaide-based specialists, MyEnergy Engineering.
Overcoming Remote Power Challenges
The Tjirilya Aboriginal Corporation previously relied on an aging off-grid power setup that depended heavily on a diesel generator to meet daily energy demands. Rising fuel consumption, high running costs, and ongoing reliability issues highlighted the need for a modern, dependable upgrade.
Collaborative Off-Site Pre-Assembly
To minimize on-site installation time in such a remote desert location, MyEnergy Engineering pre-built and tested the entire system at their headquarters. Housed within a custom-built, weather- and vermin-resistant steel cabinet, the system was safely transported to Mt Willoughby Station for efficient deployment.
System Design & Integration
The single-phase RAPS is built around a 15kVA Victron MultiPlus-II inverter/charger to manage daily loads and allow for future expansion as requirements grow. It integrates 19kW of solar generation from 40 roof-mounted JA Solar panels (using a Schletter mounting system) with 61.44kWh of ZYC Energy battery storage to ensure reliable round-the-clock power availability. The existing generator has been integrated to act solely as a backup.
Battery Storage: 61.44 kWh ZYC Energy Battery Storage
Inverter: 15 kVA Victron MultiPlus-II 48/15000/200-100 230V
Solar Array: 19kW JA Solar Panels
Key Components:
· SMA Sunny Boy 5kW Inverter
· Victron SmartSolar MPPT RS 450/100-Tr
· Victron SmartSolar MPPT RS 450/200-MC4
· Victron Ekrano GX
· Schletter Roof Mounting System
Delivering Energy Security for Land Custodians
With 61.44kWh of ZYC Energy storage, the Tjirilya Aboriginal Corporation now benefits from a consistent and dependable power supply. This setup significantly reduces generator reliance, enabling the corporation to focus on their core mission of land preservation and cultural heritage care with greater energy independence.
At ZYC Energy, we are pleased to deliver robust and dependable energy storage solutions that perform reliably in demanding off-grid environments.
