Innamincka Hotel sits in the remote far north-east of South Australia, around 15 hours from Adelaide. The final 500 kilometres of the journey are along unsealed outback roads, reflecting the isolation of this well-known outback destination. The region is also prone to heavy seasonal rains that can cause widespread flooding, at times completely cutting off the township from surrounding areas. The hotel includes a heritage bar, large restaurant, 14-room motel, staff accommodation and on-site laundry. With no grid connection available, the property relies entirely on off grid power to support daily operations.
The Innamincka Hotel had been relying on diesel generators running 24 hours a day to power the entire property, including the bar, restaurant, accommodation and operational facilities. Operating generators continuously in such a remote location is costly, requires regular maintenance and servicing and creates ongoing challenges around fuel supply and reliability, especially during flooding events that can cut off access to the township. With high daily energy demands and the limitations of a fully diesel-powered system, the hotel required a new off grid power solution that could reduce generator run time while still supplying dependable power across the site.
MyEnergy’s commercial off grid power solution includes a large 200 kWp solar array roof-mounted across various buildings on the property, generating solar power across the site.
The BESS battery bank comprises 18 × 15.4 kWh (usable) clusters, providing a combined 277 kWh of battery storage. Each cluster includes 3 × BYD Premium 15.4 batteries, connected to 6 × SMA 24 kW rated three phase Sunny Island clusters, which form the core of the power system supplying electricity across the hotel’s facilities.
Solar: 200 kWp Solar PV Array
Battery: 277 kWh BYD Premium Battery Storage
Key Components:
6 × SMA Sunny Island 24 kW Three-Phase Inverter Clusters
18 × BYD Premium 15.4 Battery Clusters
Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
This installation has significantly reduced the Innamincka Hotel’s reliance on diesel generation. Before the upgrade, generators ran 24 hours a day. Now, generator runtime has dropped to approximately two to three hours during winter, while fuel consumption has fallen from around 500–600 litres per day to roughly 100 litres per day.
By designing and installing this large-scale off grid power system, the MyEnergy team has enabled the hotel to generate the majority of its electricity from solar, supported by battery storage. The project is expected to reach payback in approximately four years, after which around 80% of the hotel’s electricity will be supplied by solar for the remaining life of the off-grid power system, delivering reliable power for the Innamincka Hotel in this remote outback location.
Find out more about our commercial off grid power solutions here: