Decon Corporation partners with nbn to trial solar sleeve on Fixed Wireless monopole in Victoria
Type: Partnership · Technology: Solar · Country: Australia · Announced: 2026-09-25
Decon Corporation and nbn have entered a partnership to trial Decon's lightweight, flexible solar laminate panels wrapped around a 40‑metre‑high Fixed Wireless monopole in New Gisborne, Victoria. The proof‑of‑concept trial, now in its first month, aims to generate up to 40% of the site’s power demand during daylight and sustain operations for up to 12 hours during outages using integrated battery storage. The trial site is located approximately 60 kilometres northwest of Melbourne and serves as a pilot for scaling solar sleeves across the nbn network to improve resilience and reduce carbon emissions. Both parties view the initiative as a way to leverage existing telecom infrastructure for renewable energy generation, enhancing network reliability for local communities. The collaboration will continue with operational monitoring and potential expansion to additional fixed wireless sites.
Analysis
Decon Corporation and nbn announced a partnership on 25 September 2026 to trial Decon’s lightweight, flexible solar laminate panels wrapped around a 40‑metre‑high Fixed Wireless monopole in New Gisborne, Victoria, Australia. The trial site, located about 60 km northwest of Melbourne, aims to generate up to 40 % of the site’s daylight power demand and provide up to 12 hours of operation during outages using integrated battery storage. The proof‑of‑concept trial entered its first month in September 2026 and will continue with operational monitoring and possible expansion to additional fixed wireless sites.
Key points
- Partnership announced on 25 September 2026
- 40‑metre‑high Fixed Wireless monopole in New Gisborne, Victoria
- Target of up to 40 % daylight power generation
- Battery storage designed for up to 12 hours of outage operation
- Trial site located ~60 km northwest of Melbourne
Counterparties
- Decon Corporation (Partner)
- nbn (Partner)
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