The Sunflower Mobile Solar Energy Project

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The sunflower solar energy project prototype with a crowd of people attending and event - credit Woodford Folk Festival
The Solar Sunflower at Ocean Lovers Festival

‘Sunflower’ Mobile Solar Energy Project

The Southern Cross University ‘Sunflower’ Mobile Solar Energy Project is a creative interdisciplinary technology project that aims to demonstrate the potential of emerging battery and solar energy technology and enhance community understanding of electricity and sustainable energy use. 

Image: Sunflower 1 Powering Woodford Folk Festival Hilltop Stage 2015-2016. Credit: Woodford Folk Festival.

The Sunflower Sustainable Energy Project's goals

Goal 1

Demonstrate and evaluate the capacity of current solar energy technology to provide mobile sustainable power solutions, as well as a range of scalable applications such as emergency power and disaster relief, mobile EV charging stations, agricultural applications, mining, and remote power microgrids.

Goal 2

Showcase innovative off-grid solar generator designs at off-grid community events to enhance community understanding of sustainable energy solutions.

solar powered portable power supply
Top: Sunflower 1 Launch Day 2013 - Bottom: Sunflower 1 at Splendour in the Grass 2016

History of The Sunflower Project

The Sunflower Mobile Solar Energy project launched in 2012 with the goal to provide a energy solution for offgrid community events such as Music Festivals and Rural Industry Field Days.

A interdisciplinary research team, working with students and local regional industry partners, designed and constructed Sunflower 1, a prototype mobile solar energy generator designed to replace commercially available ICE (internal combustion engine) driven portable generators.

The prototype design used existing and commercially available photovoltaic, and the newly emerging Lithium battery storage. To maximise the visual impact of the prototype incorporated an iconic variable azimuth flower-shaped solar array to make the prototype design standout when installed at public events.

At its official debut in 2013, Sunflower 1 successfully powered a music venue at Byron Bay Bluesfest music festival for 6 days without a backup power source. Since then, Sunflower 1 has been installed at more than 100 music, arts and community events in NSW and QLD. These include Vivid Sydney, Splendour in the Grass, World Science Festival Brisbane, Woodford Folk Festival, Byron Writers Festival, and Island Vibes Music Festival.

The Sunflower 1 mobile solar generator prototype has been featured on the ABC Science Show, and showcased by Renew Economy, and Green Music Australia. 

design stage of a portable solar power stystem
Design images for Sunflower 2.

From Sunflower 1 to Sunflower 2

In 2025, a new, more powerful Sunflower 2 generator will be launched.

Sunflower 2 will be a rapidly deployable, highly portable energy solution for off-grid three phase power systems.  It will feature a larger automated variable azimuth solar PV array, a 100kwh EV battery pack and three phase AC power outputs.  It will act as a research platform for evaluating the commercial feasibility of mobile off-grid solar generator systems for use in events emergency power and microgrid applications.

Sunflower 2 is an exciting development of the original Sunflower 1 design.  Co-funded by Southern Cross University in partnership with external philanthropic funding.

The design of the Sunflower 2 prototype has been led by Southern Cross University researchers Dr Barry Hill (Faculty of Business, Law and Arts) and Dr Mustafa Ucgul (Faculty of Science and Engineering), in collaboration with colleagues from the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE) at UNSW, as well as local Engineering and Solar Energy Industry partners.

Construction of Sunflower 2 is underway, and completion is scheduled for September 2025.  

graph of data - Regen Ag festival power consumption and production
Sample research data relating to power consumption and production at the Regenerative Ag festival 2023.

Valuable Research Data: Power Consumption at Festivals and Events.

Research data relating to power consumption and production obtained during the deployment of Sunflower 1 at music festivals and events shows that self-recharging solar generators have real-world applications and can provide sustainable energy solutions.

solar power supply with students attending workshop
High School students attending a STEM Solar Workshop 2025 with Dr Barry Hill.

Key Community Engagement and Education and Impact

"Research impact survey results indicate more than 70 per cent of respondents surveyed at festivals felt that seeing the Sunflower Generator in action increased their knowledge of electricity and sustainable energy systems."
From SCU Survey Data 2016, “Understanding community knowledge and perception of current commercially alternative energy generation and consumption technology.”

The Sunflower Sustainable Energy Project demonstrates Southern Cross University's commitment to working with industry partners to realise community education goals as well as develop real-world sustainable energy solutions.

The Sunflower 1 and 2 solar generators are available to be used at public events, school STEM education events and other community engagement opportunities. Contact sunflower@scu.edu.au and see FAQ’s below for more information about this aspect of the project.

The Sunflower FAQs

Sunflower Mobile Energy generators are designed to be used as portable off-grid self-recharging power systems.

No. The Sunflower systems have a built-in battery bank that allows them to be used at evening and night-time events and does not need sunny weather or daylight to operate.

The Sunflower 1 Generator features

  • 14.4kWh (24VDC) (LiPO4) battery pack,
  • Australian standard single-phase AC240V 10amp and 15amp power output connections
  • a 1.2kWh solar array that can recharge the battery while in operation.

The Sunflower 2 generator (Launch September 2025) will incorporate

  • A 100kWh 48VDC (NMC) battery pack.
  • Australian standard three-phase (400V) and single-phase (240V) AC power outputs.
  • 3.6 kWh solar array that can recharge the battery while in operation.
  • Sunflower 2 can be recharged at any EV charge station or from a V2L-enabled BEV/PHEV vehicle.

Effective runtime (or how long the unit can supply power) will depend on what electrical equipment is being powered by the Sunflower generator. When working with battery power systems, it is essential to power audit your power needs accurately. 

Talk to us for more information about how to power audit your event via partnerships@scu.edu.au.

They are very easy to operate. 

They can be deployed in 15 minutes and transported by a standard utility vehicle or SUV.

Note: As they are owned by Southern Cross University, the Sunflower 1 and 2 generators need to be installed by a Southern Cross University authorised technician.

Yes. The Solar Sunflower features wi-fi monitoring systems that record solar energy generation, storage and consumption data in real-time.

The generators can be easily transported.

Sunflower 1 can be towed by any registered vehicle with a minimum braked towing capacity of 2000kg. 

Sunflower 2 can be towed by any registered vehicle with a minimum braked towing capacity of 3000kg. 

Contact partnerships@scu.edu.au for more information.

The Sunflower Sustainable Energy Project concept was created by Southern Cross University Music and Technology Researcher Dr Barry Hill, primarily to replace diesel generators at music festivals

Sunflower 1 was designed and built at Southern Cross University, Lismore campus by a team of audio technology and creative design researchers and technicians working with solar energy and engineering Industry partners.

The design of the new Sunflower 2 generator has been led by Southern Cross University researchers Dr Barry Hill (Faculty of Business law and the Arts) and Dr Mustafa Ucgul (Faculty of Science and Engineering), in collaboration with colleagues from the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE) at UNSW as well as local Engineering and Solar Energy Industry Partners.

The Solar Sunflower is available for use at any event within Australia and has been installed at more than 100 events across Australia.

Contact partnerships@scu.edu.au for more information.

Want the Sunflower to power your event?

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