Tenpin Bowling Australia Racking Up Solar Panels

Organisations across Australia face being bowled over by the increasing cost of electricity. But a new sponsorship deal for Tenpin Bowling Australia will help ease some bowling centres’ power price pain.

Tenpin Bowling Australia (TBA) is a National Sporting Organisation as recognised by the Australian Sports Commission. In July this year, the organisation announced it was to establish the sport’s first National High Performance and Community Centre (NHPCC) based at Suncity Bowl in Alexandra Headland on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. The facility is visited by more than 400 league bowlers every week.

AGL and TBA announced yesterday AGL will soon begin installation of a 99.8kW solar system on the rooftop of the Centre as part of a sponsorship arrangement, which also includes a rename to “AGL High Performance Centre”. The building appears to have a great rooftop for solar power generation.

The 217 solar panels are expected to  meet 44 per cent of the centre’s overall energy demands, with some of the clean electricity to be exported back into the grid.

“Harnessing solar energy to help power the AGL High Performance Centre is a major step forward into ensuring the sport prepares for the future,” said TBA Chief Executive Officer Rohan O’Neill. “With our Olympic ambitions clear, this partnership enables the sport to invest more in developing our talented athletes while also doing our bit for the planet.”

AGL says it will also be working with TBA on energy efficiency opportunities for other tenpin bowling centres across Australia, while accelerating the transition to renewables.

“Several centres already have existing solar energy capability however there remains a huge opportunity for the conversion of tenpin bowling centres to solar energy,” says AGL.

Commercial Solar A No-Brainer – Sponsorship Or Not

While not all organisations can be lucky enough to score such sponsorship deals, the good news is if an organisation has suitable rooftop space and can afford to pay their electricity bills currently, they can afford commercial solar.

Australia’s national “solar rebate” can knock up to tens of thousands of dollars off the cost of a commercial solar system up to 100kW capacity. But finding the up-front cash needed can still be a challenge – and that’s where other options such as solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) can be useful as they usually don’t require any capital outlay.

Under solar PPA arrangements, the provider owns the system and covers costs including installation, operating and maintenance, monitoring and insurance. The organisation buys the electricity generated by the solar panels at a cheaper rate than mains grid supply.

Learn more about commercial solar options in Australia.