Uniplas

In late 2024, ZEN Energy partnered with Uniplas, a long-established, major Wellington-based plastics manufacturer and exporter, to support them in improving their energy consumption and costs and reducing their reliance on the grid.

ZEN installed 1,622 solar panels onto the roof of the Uniplas manufacturing premises, currently making it the largest rooftop solar installation in the Wellington region.

This ‘sea of solar’ solution will generate 880KwAC of energy, producing nearly all of Uniplas’ total daily energy needs and equating to be enough to power up between 125-145 NZ homes annually! 

Not only that, but Uniplas are expected to see an 80% reduction of carbon emissions (2,500 tonnes of CO2) saved over the building’s lifetime, the equivalent of 186K trees being planted contributing significantly towards Uniplas’ corporate social responsibility objectives. 

The project marked Wellington Electricity’s largest involvement in a commercial solar installation to date. Given the unprecedented scale of the system, extensive planning, engineering, testing and validation were critical to ensure the solar system’s integration would not adversely impact the local grid. Maintaining grid stability and ensuring voltage regulation through the inverters were top priorities throughout the commissioning process. Our engineering and design teams programmed the inverters to carefully manage and throttle system output, mitigating any risk of overloading the network due to the high levels of energy production.

The roof coverage achieved was significant, driven by Uniplas' high energy demand and unique ability to utilise a large proportion of daytime generation. Whereas typical commercial and industrial installations achieve around 60% self-consumption of solar generation, Uniplas is able to utilise approximately 100% whilst still having surplus energy available for export. To manage this generation, eight inverters were installed and commissioned, each rated at 100 kW.

Given the age and design of the existing building, the project presented numerous technical challenges. Key engineering efforts focused on adapting outdated infrastructure to accommodate a modern renewable energy system. For example, upgrades were required to the main switchboard and incoming supply to ensure compliance with contemporary standards and the added load from the new solar array. ZEN Energy successfully navigated these challenges through bespoke modifications and several hundred hours of dedicated engineering work.

The complexity of the project also necessitated comprehensive third-party verification and regulatory compliance, including certification under AS/NZS 4777 standards, Distributed Generation (DG) approval processes, and full electrical engineering certifications.

Overall, the successful completion of this project stands as a testament to the capability, resilience, and innovation of all stakeholders involved.

By adopting solar as a core source of energy into its operations, Uniplas is setting itself up as a highly competitive, innovative and future-proofed kiwi business, aligning itself with New Zealand Inc’s sustainability goals on the global stage, and thus ensuring it sits favourably in a market increasingly valuing green initiatives and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Plus, at a time of increasing local deindustrialisation due to rising energy costs, Uniplas has now achieved a level of energy self-sufficiency, resilience, and affordability that most businesses haven’t even imagined is possible yet.   

‍—

Products

• 8 x Huawei SUN2000 100.0kW 3P 10MPPT Inverters
• 1,622 LONGi 580W panels
• Premium Schletter rails

‍—

With energy costs on the rise, we saw an opportunity to make a smart investment, not just for the future of our business but for the planet too. Our new solar system with ZEN is both a hedge against one of our biggest overheads and a reflection of our strong commitment to sustainability. Designed with performance and efficiency, it’s already set to deliver a strong return on investment within a few short years and significantly reduce our carbon emissions. It’s a win for our operations and the environment.

       - Joseph Whitmore, Uniplas