Solahart Midland partners with local providers to deliver solar solutions to WA rural hospitals

Overview

Solahart knows the importance of providing industry-leading technology to regional properties in Australia, and our network of dealers are connected to local providers to ensure that no matter where a job is located, Aussies can access sustainable energy and hot water solutions.

Merredin Hospital and the Kununoppin and Districts Hospital provide critical medical care and support services for the residents and workers living in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region. The Wheatbelt is an extensive and sparsely populated rural grain-growing region in Western Australia. Stretching across 155,256 square kilometres, the area is made up of over 200 towns – each with an average of just 375 people.

With both hospitals in need of large-scale solar hot water system upgrades, and no sizeable solar providers in these small towns, there was an urgent need to find a provider to install and maintain these essential new systems.

Due to its established and long-lasting relationships with local plumbers in Merredin and Kununoppin, Solahart Midland (located over 100 kilometres from these facilities), headed up by Martin Lynch, was selected by both hospitals as their trusted solar provider of choice.

Solahart Midland supports rural WA

The Wheatbelt is an extensive and sparsely populated rural grain-growing region in Western Australia. Stretching across 155,256 square kilometres, the area is made up of over 200 towns – each with an average of just 375 people.

Solahart knows the importance of providing industry-leading technology to regional properties in Australia. Its network of dealers are connected to local plumbers and providers to ensure that no matter where a job is located, Aussies can access sustainable energy and hot water solutions.

According to Martin Lynch, Manager of Solahart Midland, maintaining strong relationships with local plumbers ensures that these areas have access to, and knowledge of, the latest solar technology. It also means they have a partner who can undertake basic maintenance to support customers in remote regions when required.

“At our dealership in Midland, connecting with plumbers and forming long-term and trustworthy relationships is crucial,” says Martin. “These local plumbers know that when they recommend Solahart to one of their customers, they are recommending the highest quality and standard possible. They can count on the fact that we are prepared to drive hundreds of kilometres to help get the job done – especially if the job is at a hospital that the area so crucially relies on.”

Local plumbers and tradespeople will then conduct the ongoing maintenance on these Solahart systems, further supporting jobs in the region.

 

Kununoppin

With a population of just 150, Kununoppin has a local hospital with 15 beds that also serves the broader region.

After learning from the hospital’s plumber that a major overhaul of its hot water system was needed, Solahart Midland, with the assistance of the Rheem Commercial team in Perth, put together a solar hot water upgrade plan for the hospital.

Within a week of starting the job, the upgrade was complete. Solahart Midland installed a brand new solar hot water system with gas boosting, and a Rheem Tankpak. This provides hot water on continuous circulation throughout the building.

“At the time, this was the biggest installation our dealership had ever done, and the team, led by Todd Bastian, did an incredible job,” says Martin.

Merredin

After such a successful installation at Kununoppin, the head engineer of Wheatbelt’s health facilities reached out to Solahart Midland asking them to provide a plan for upgrading the hot water system at the considerably larger Merredin Hospital. 

Although located almost 250 kilometres from the hospital, Solahart Midland was selected as the best company for the job.

“As a regional centre, Merredin is home to nearly 2,000 people, so this made the job more demanding than Kununoppin. This install was also more technically challenging due to the Guardian warm water temperature control system, which was needed for the aged care home as part of the hospital,” says Martin.

“We also needed to avoid any significant disruption to the hot water supply throughout the system upgrade.”

Despite the challenges, through careful research and planning, Solahart Midland was able to complete the job on time and without any complications.

 “As two of the biggest jobs Solahart Midland has ever completed, it’s an important reminder that it is our responsibility to help bring solar to rural communities across Australia,” says Martin.

 “At Solahart Midland, we make it our business to provide sustainable, energy-efficient and industry-leading solar systems to Australians everywhere. We encourage other dealers to reach out to nearby rural regions to offer and spread the word of Solahart’s expertise and knowledge.”