Solar case study – Bidfood Truganina (VIC)

As a wholesale food distributor, energy costs are one of Bidfood’s major costs.

With multiple sites throughout the country, Bidfood is a leader in food distribution.

Bidfood operates over a nationwide distribution network, shipping fresh produce and meats to food service businesses all over the country.

Bidfood provides over 56,000 unique food products to clients in the Australian foodservice industry – as such, refrigeration alone accounts for a large portion of Bidfood’s overall cost.

Thanks to Pacific Solar however, BidFoods Truganina was able to bring down their onsite electricity consumption by a whopping 34.6%.

Commercial solar in Melbourne is a perfect choice for distribution businesses like Bidfood, helping to sustain food storage, warehouse space, machinery and other equipment without the associated energy bill.

Site specifics

No. of panels: 684 x LG 4000w NeON2 solar panels
System size: 270kW
Inverter: 9 x Fronius Symo 27.0-3 inverter
Extras: 1 x Fronius Smart Meter; online energy monitoring portal

Predicted ROI & savings

Predicted ROI: 22.6%
Reduction in power bill: 42%
System payback period: 4.6 years

Bidfood goes solar

As one of the biggest distributors of wholesale fresh produce and meat across Australia, Bidfood partnered with Pacific Solar to implement eco-friendly business solutions and achieve lower operating costs.

In November 2018, Pacific Solar was contracted by Bidfood to bring costs down at Bidfood Truganina, west of Melbourne.

Despite installation challenges posed by the facility roof, Pacific Solar installed 684 LG 4000w NeON2 solar panels and 9 Fronius inverters, which are predicted to deliver a 22.6% ROI and be fully paid-off within a span of 4.6 years.

This powerful system allows Bidfood to make considerable savings on the cost of electricity – in particular, refrigeration.

It supplies the cold storage facility at Truganina with electricity during the day, dramatically reducing running costs and immediately reducing energy bills at the site by 42%.

Over the projected 25-year lifespan of the LG NeON2, Bidfood is projected to save $2.2 million on their power bill at this single site alone (assuming a conservative 3% rise in energy prices each year).

Using LG solar panels allowed Pacfic Solar to overcome layout and engineering constraints imposed by the facility roof.

With lightweight, high-efficiency panels, Pacific Solar was able to install solar panels without the added cost of reinforcing the roof, bringing the cost of the project down further.

Choose Pacific Solar for commercial solar installation

Pacific Solar is committed to helping you save energy through commercial solar installation that:

Lowers electric bills
Gives a guaranteed, positive ROI
Provides your business with energy security

Each project begins with in-depth system design, during which we take stock of your energy requirements as well as engineering challenges unique to your site.

During consultation and installation, Pacific Solar considers these factors upon commercial solar installation: