The Southern Hotel
Queensland, 2025
Client Name: The Southern Hotel
Location: Kearneys Spring, Toowoomba QLD
Project Completion: 13 March 2025
Expected Annual Solar Production: 757.4 MWh
The Southern Hotel is one of Toowoomba’s most established full-service hospitality venues, operating around the clock with a consistently high energy load. With annual electricity consumption exceeding 1 GWh, the hotel faced rising costs, unpredictable grid pricing, and the need for long-term operational resilience. DS Energy partnered with the venue to deliver a fully integrated energy system combining rooftop solar, solar carpark structures, battery storage, and EV charging — future‑ready infrastructure designed to cut costs and enhance sustainability.
CHALLENGES
The Southern Hotel’s energy profile presented several key challenges, including high daytime consumption (especially during summer), growing reliance on the grid, and rising and unpredictable energy costs due to occupancy levels, seasonal peaks, weather, and operational activity
As a busy hospitality venue, the installation process also needed to avoid disrupting customers, staff, or service operations.
SOLUTION
DS Energy delivered a multi‑technology, future‑ready energy system, integrating rooftop solar, solar shade structures, battery storage, and EV charging stations.
System components included:
– 99.84 kWp Rooftop Solar
– 371.11 kWp Solar Carpark Shade Structures
– Battery Energy Storage System: 300 kWh
– 4 EV Chargers (available for customer use)
To maximise efficiency and long-term performance, the system incorporated:
– Astronergy CHSM60N(DG)/F-HC-480W and 590W modules
– Sungrow inverters (SG30CX, SG20RT, SG110CX-P2)
Solar carpark structures were engineered using S‑Rack racking systems, creating dual‑purpose shading and energy‑generating assets. Delivered by DS Energy’s swift installation team, the entire project was completed while keeping the hotel fully operational.
RESULT
The system is expected to generate 757 MWh of clean energy each year, significantly reducing the hotel’s reliance on grid electricity.
Benefits include:
– Reduced annual energy costs
– Improved price stability and resilience against rising electricity rates
– Lower carbon footprint
– Enhanced load management through battery integration
– Future‑ready infrastructure supporting EV charging and energy storage expansion
This project demonstrates DS Energy’s capability to deliver complex, multi-layered installations (in this instance, rooftop plus carpark) within live hospitality environments, all while maintaining performance, safety, and business continuity.
Ready to join the movement towards a cleaner future?
Contact DS Energy today to discover how our solar solutions can help your business.