Supermarket giant Coles has completed the construction of its $43 million state-of-the-art ripening facility in Melbourne, featuring a 600 kw solar system. The ripening facility will house the produce of banana, avocado, and mango growers in North Queensland, and with the aid of its 1,790 solar panels installed by Beacon Energy Solutions. The facility will be able to ripen 350 million pieces of fruit each year as needed, improving shelf life and reducing waste.
According to an article on pv-magazine-australia.com¸ the 600 kW installation will produce enough solar energy to power 86 average Australian homes annually. The highly energy-efficient facility will ensure that customers at 270 supermarkets across Victoria and South Australia will be able to enjoy perfectly ripened Australian bananas, avocados, and mangoes from Queensland growing regions like Tully, Lakeland, Innisfail, and Mareeba.
This is excellent news for a country so devoted to tropical fruit that its younger generations prefer to eat avocados than afford their first house.
Source: pv-magazine-australia.com
