Retail First
Five centres. One coordinated energy rollout.
South East Queensland · 5 sites
A portfolio-wide solar rollout across five busy shopping centres, delivered while the centres continued trading.
Installed portfolio capacity
Five centres.
Expected annual production
Portfolio-wide.
Estimated CO₂ reduction
Each year.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Solar across a live retail portfolio.
CLIENT
Retail First
COMMISSIONED
2025
01 / THE CHALLENGES
Installing solar across multiple busy shopping centres meant working in live environments where there is very little room for error. Centres needed to continue trading. Tenants required uninterrupted access.
Live trading environments
Tenants, shoppers and centre operations needed uninterrupted access.
Five different load profiles
Each system had to match its site’s daytime demand.
Safe commissioning
The transition had to maintain supply and on-site safety.
THE SYSTEM AT WORK
From site to useful energy
Site assessment
Converts sunlight into clean electricity.
Tailored design
Upgraded infrastructure moves energy safely across the site.
Delivery and care
On-site generation helps reduce reliance on the grid.
02 / THE SOLUTION
DS Energy delivered a 3,049 kW portfolio-wide solar installation across five centres. Each system was engineered to match the specific load profile of its site, ensuring optimal performance while maintaining a consistent technical standard across the portfolio.
Portfolio
3,049 kW across five centres
Sites
Australia Fair Main & Metro; Booval; Mt Gravatt; Toowong
Delivery
Staged installation and temporary generation during commissioning
Installation was staged to suit live retail environments, with temporary generation used during commissioning to ensure uninterrupted power throughout the transition.
03 / THE RESULTS
The combined systems are expected to generate approximately 4.46 GWh of renewable energy annually, delivering substantial operational and environmental benefits. The result is reduced grid reliance, greater long-term cost certainty, and improved energy resilience across the portfolio.
Expected annual production
Estimated CO₂ avoided
Shopping centres
Less grid reliance
Each centre gains on-site renewable generation.
More cost certainty
Solar helps manage long-term energy exposure.
Operational continuity
Centres kept trading through delivery.
KEEP EXPLORING
Related projects
Planning solar across multiple sites?
Talk to DS Energy about a staged portfolio rollout designed around your operations.
