Solar power in Australia
Encyclopedia
Australia has an estimated 300 MW of installed photovoltaic
(PV) power (September 2010), contributing an estimated 0.1 to 0.2% of total electricity production (as of July 2009) despite the hot and sunny climate that would make it ideal for utilisation. Feed-in tariffs and mandatory renewable energy targets
are designed to assist renewable energy commercialisation in Australia
.
during winter months, with a region in the north exceeding 6 kWh/day. Australia's insolation greatly exceeds the average values in Europe, Russia, and most of North America. Comparable levels are found in desert areas of northern and southern Africa,south western United States and adjacent area of Mexico, and regions on the Pacific coast of South America. However, the areas of Australia with highest insolation are in the interior, away from population centers.
Schools are eligible to apply for grants of up to A$50,000 to install 2 kW solar panels and other measures through the National Solar Schools Program beginning 1 July 2008, which replaces the Green Vouchers for Schools program.
The MRET requires wholesale purchasers of electricity (such as electricity retailers or industrial operations) to purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), created through the generation of electricity from renewable sources. These sources include Wind, Hydro, Landfill Gas and Geothermal, as well as Solar PV and Solar Thermal, providing a stimulus and additional revenue for these technologies.
. The government funding is for 4 new solar plants that produce coal plant scale power (in total up to 1000 MW - coal plants typically produce 500 to 2,000 MW). This subsidy would need additional funding from the plant builders and/or operators. As a comparison Abengoa Solar, a company currently constructing solar thermal plants, put the cost of a 300 MW plant at 1.2 billion euros in 2007. In 2009, the Arizona state government announced a 200 MW plant for 1 billion US dollars.
: Hermannsburg
, Yuendumu and Lajamanu
. Solar Systems
and the Federal government were involved in the projects.
The solar concentrator dish power stations together generate 720 kW and 1,555,000 kWh per year, representing a saving of 420,000 litres of diesel and 1,550 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
The solar power stations at these three remote indigenous communities in Australia’s Northern Territory
are constructed using Solar Systems’ CS500 concentrator dish systems. The project cost AUD $7M, offset by a grant from the Australian and Northern Territory Governments under their Renewable Remote Power Generation Program.
The project won a prestigious Engineering Excellence award in 2005.
The Federal Government has funded over 120 innovative small-scale standalone solar systems in remote indigenous communities, designed by Bushlight
, incorporating sophisticated demand side management systems with user-friendly interfaces.
Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
(PV) power (September 2010), contributing an estimated 0.1 to 0.2% of total electricity production (as of July 2009) despite the hot and sunny climate that would make it ideal for utilisation. Feed-in tariffs and mandatory renewable energy targets
Mandatory renewable energy targets
A mandatory renewable energy target is a government legislated requirement on electricity retailers to source specific proportions of total electricity sales from renewable energy sources according to a fixed timeframe. The additional cost is distributed across most customers by increases in other...
are designed to assist renewable energy commercialisation in Australia
Renewable energy in Australia
Renewable energy in Australia represents 5.2% of total energy consumption, but only 1.7% of total production, the difference being the result of significant non-renewable energy exports. In the five years to 2009 renewable energy consumption grew by 3.5%, faster than other energy sources. Of all...
.
Potential
The combination of Australia's dry climate and latitude give it a high potential for solar energy production. Most of the Australian continent receives in excess of 4 kWh per square metre per day of insolationInsolation
Insolation is a measure of solar radiation energy received on a given surface area in a given time. It is commonly expressed as average irradiance in watts per square meter or kilowatt-hours per square meter per day...
during winter months, with a region in the north exceeding 6 kWh/day. Australia's insolation greatly exceeds the average values in Europe, Russia, and most of North America. Comparable levels are found in desert areas of northern and southern Africa,south western United States and adjacent area of Mexico, and regions on the Pacific coast of South America. However, the areas of Australia with highest insolation are in the interior, away from population centers.
Rebates
Until June 2009 the Australian Government provided a rebate program that offered up to A$8,000 rebates for installing solar panels on homes and community use buildings (other than schools), through the Solar Homes and Communities Plan. However, on 8 June 2009, this program was phased out, to be replaced by the Solar Credits Program, where an installation of a solar system would receive 5 times as many Renewable Energy Certificates for the first 1.5 kilowatts of capacity under the Renewable Energy Target (see below)Schools are eligible to apply for grants of up to A$50,000 to install 2 kW solar panels and other measures through the National Solar Schools Program beginning 1 July 2008, which replaces the Green Vouchers for Schools program.
Feed-in tariffs
Feed in tariffs are being introduced by a number of states to increase the amount of solar PV power generated. can be defined by a number of factors including the price paid, whether it is on a net or gross basis, the length of time for which the scheme is guaranteed, the maximum size of installation allowed to benefit, the type of customer allowed to participate. Current Australian State tariffs are only net basis tariffs, whereas conservation groups are arguing for gross feed in tariffs. From March 2009 the Australian Capital Territory(ACT) has introduced a solar gross feed in tariff. For systems up to 10 kW the payment is 50.05 cents per kWh. For systems from 10 kW to 30 kW the payment is 40.04 cents per kWh. The payment is made quarterly based on energy generated. The tariff rate is guaranteed for 20 years. In Germany, a guaranteed PV tariff means that Germany now has the highest PV capacity per capita – at 10W for every person in Germany compared to Australia at 2.6W per capita.Mandatory Renewable Energy Target
The Federal Government MRET will ensure renewable energy obtains a 20% share of electricity supply in Australia by 2020. The MRET will increase from 9,500 gigawatt-hours to 45,000 gigawatt-hours by 2020. The scheme lasts until 2030.The MRET requires wholesale purchasers of electricity (such as electricity retailers or industrial operations) to purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), created through the generation of electricity from renewable sources. These sources include Wind, Hydro, Landfill Gas and Geothermal, as well as Solar PV and Solar Thermal, providing a stimulus and additional revenue for these technologies.
Subsidy funding
The Solar Flagships program sets aside $1.6 billion for solar powerSolar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
. The government funding is for 4 new solar plants that produce coal plant scale power (in total up to 1000 MW - coal plants typically produce 500 to 2,000 MW). This subsidy would need additional funding from the plant builders and/or operators. As a comparison Abengoa Solar, a company currently constructing solar thermal plants, put the cost of a 300 MW plant at 1.2 billion euros in 2007. In 2009, the Arizona state government announced a 200 MW plant for 1 billion US dollars.
Status by state
The list of solar power projects below is not complete as there are many more sites that have solar power or hybrid solar/wind systems to generate their own power needs. Projects with a power rating less than 3 kW are not listed.| State | Project/Location | Coordinates | Capacity kW | Status | Council | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACT | No site chosen | 35.31°S 149.14°E | 33,000 | Proposal announced 20 March 2008 http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/news/local/general/here-comes-the-sun-stanhope-plans-solar-city/1205796.html | No site chosen | ActewAGL | Proposed |
| NSW | Pymble Ladies' College Pymble Ladies' College Pymble Ladies' College, , is an independent, non-selective, day and boarding school for girls, located in Pymble, a suburb in the North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.... |
33.745°S 151.137°E | 16 | commissioned 2011 | Ku-ring-gai | Autonomous Energy | Photovoltaic |
| NSW | Johnson & Johnson Medical | 200 | commissioned 2010 | Energy Matters | Photovoltaic | ||
| NSW | Buronga | 34.035°S 142.330°E | 50,000 | proposal | Wentworth | EnviroMission EnviroMission EnviroMission is an Australian listed company. It has, since 2001, proposed to build a solar updraft tower power generating station known as Solar Tower Buronga in western New South Wales at a site 25 km northeast of Mildura. More recently, 12 February 2007, EnviroMission also claims to be... |
solar tower technology Solar updraft tower The solar updraft tower is a renewable-energy power plant. It combines the chimney effect, the greenhouse effect and the wind turbine. Air is heated by sunshine and contained in a very large greenhouse-like structure around the base of a tall chimney, and the resulting convection causes air to... |
| NSW | Dubbo | 32.25°S 148.62°E | 50 | commissioned 1998 | Country Energy | Photovoltaic | |
| NSW | GPG Solar | 32.25°S 148.62°E | 45 | commissioned 2008 | GPG Solar Panel | Photovoltaic | |
| NSW | Building 46, Newington Armoury | 33.85°S 151.07°E | 64 | commissioned 1999, refurbished 2007 | Sydney Olympic Park Authority | Photovoltaic | |
| NSW | Newington | 33.85°S 151.07°E | 10 | commissioned 1996 | Energy Australia | Photovoltaic | |
| NSW | Leichardt | 33.865°S 151.13°E | 3 | commissioned 2000 | Leichardt Council | Photovoltaic | |
| NSW | Liddell Power Station http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1698520.htm | 32.374851°S 150.979013°E | 1,000 | complete | Solar Heat and Power / Macquarie Generation | Solar thermal | |
| NSW | Little Bay | 33.87°S 151.18°E | 4 | commissioned 1994 | University of New South Wales | Photovoltaic | |
| NSW | Lord Howe Island | 31.550°S 159.080°E | 10 | commissioned 1997 | SEDA | Photovoltaic | |
| NSW | Newcastle Foreshore | 32.930°S 151.770°E | 6 | commissioned 1996 | Energy Australia | Photovoltaic | |
| NSW | Pine Bluff | 33.570°S 148.560°E | 6 | commissioned 2002 | Trinity Grammar School | Photovoltaic | |
| NSW | Queanbeyan | 35.350°S 149.230°E | 50 | commissioned 1999 | Country Energy | Photovoltaic | |
| NSW | Singleton | 32.591°S 151.177°E | 400 | commissioned 1998 | Energy Australia | Photovoltaic | |
| NSW | Sydney | 33.870°S 151.210°E | 7 | commissioned 1997 | SEDA | Photovoltaic | |
| NSW | Sydney Superdome | 33.870°S 151.170°E | 70 | commissioned 1999 | Energy Australia | Photovoltaic | |
| NSW | White Cliffs Solar Power Station | 30.856°S 143.089°E | 45 | Constructed 1981 25 kW, upgraded 1996, decommissioned 2004 |
White Cliffs White Cliffs, New South Wales White Cliffs is a small town in outback New South Wales in Australia, in Central Darling Shire. White Cliffs is around 255 km northeast of Broken Hill, 93 km north of Wilcannia. At the 2006 census, White Cliffs had a population of 119.... |
Originally steam piston then photovoltaic |
|
| VIC | Brunswick | 37.780°S 144.980°E | 20 | Citipower | Photovoltaic | ||
| VIC | Fosterville | 36.785°S 144.486°E | 24 | Solar Systems Pty Ltd | Photovoltaic | ||
| VIC | Queen Victoria Market | 37.807°S 144.960°E | 200 | commissioned 2003 | Melbourne City Council | Photovoltaic | |
| VIC | Ballarat University, SMB Campus, Grant Street, Ballarat | 37.63°S 143.89°E | 8.5 | Complete | Ballarat | Going Solar | Building Integrated PV - the largest contiguous BIPV vertical facade in Australia. |
| VIC | Ballarat Solar Park. Ballarat Aerodrome. Mitchell Park, Ballarat. | 37°S 143°E | 300 | Complete | Ballarat | Origin Energy / Sharp Corporation | Photovoltaic. Victoria’s first ground mounted, flat plate and grid-connected solar farm |
| VIC | Bendigo Solar Park. | 300 | Complete | Bendigo | Origin Energy / Sharp Corporation | Photovoltaic. Victoria’s first ground mounted, flat plate and grid-connected solar farm | |
| VIC | 50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne | 37.8096°S 144.9707°E | 4 | Complete | Melbourne | Going Solar | High-rise installation in Melbourne's CBD. |
| VIC | 45 Faversham Road, Canterbury | 37.819523°S 145.084027°E | 4.94 | commissioned 2011 | Melbourne | Sunstainablehttp://www.sunstainable.com.au | Photovoltaic. |
| VIC | North West Victoria, (See Solar power station in Victoria Solar power station in Victoria The Mildura Solar Concentrator Power Station is a proposed photovoltaic heliostat solar concentrator power station is to be built at Carwarp, near Mildura, Victoria, Australia.The provisional timeline for the project is:... ) |
35.34°S 143.56°E (Swan Hill used) | 154,000 | Proposed | Either: Gannawarra, Swan Hill or Mildura | Solar Systems Solar Systems (company) Solar Systems has constructed three concentrator dish power stations in the Northern Territory, which together generate 720 kW and 1,555,000 kWh per year. This represents a saving of 420,000 litres of diesel fuel and 1550 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.In 2003 Solar Systems completed... |
concentrator photovoltaic |
| VIC | Tullamarine-Calder Interchange Solar Freeway Noise Wall, Essendon Airport, Melbourne | 37.73°S 144.880°E | 24.4 | Complete | Melbourne | Going Solar | Building Integrated PV - Australia's first Solar Noise Wall: Solar Panels used as a noise barrier Noise barrier A noise barrier is an exterior structure designed to protect sensitive land uses from noise pollution... on a freeway. |
| QLD | Caboolture | 27.160°S 152.940°E | 5 | commissioned 2000 | Stanwell Corporation | Photovoltaic | |
| QLD | Tewantin (PO) | 26.393°S 153.038°E | 5 | commissioned 2001 | Australian Postal Corporation | Photovoltaic | |
| QLD | Coorparoo | 27.4963°S 153.0636°E | 5.5 | commissioned 2007 | Clyde Anderson Pty Ltd | Photovoltaic | |
| QLD | Cloncurry Solar Power Station Cloncurry solar power station A solar thermal power station was to be built in Cloncurry, in north-west Queensland. The solar thermal power station was planned have a capacity of 10-megawatt and deliver about 30 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year, enough to power the whole town.... |
Stalled | Solar thermal | ||||
| QLD | Windorah Solar Farm Windorah Solar Farm The Windorah Solar Farm is Ergon Energy's first solar farm trial near the town of Windorah in Queensland.The plant uses five concentrated solar dishes or reflectors which were manuafactured and installed by Solar Systems. This is expected to save up to 100,000 litres of diesel fuel per year... |
150 | Completed December 2008 | Ergon Energy, Solar Systems Solar Systems (company) Solar Systems has constructed three concentrator dish power stations in the Northern Territory, which together generate 720 kW and 1,555,000 kWh per year. This represents a saving of 420,000 litres of diesel fuel and 1550 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.In 2003 Solar Systems completed... |
Photovoltaic http://brightthing.energy.qld.gov.au/windorah-solar-farm.html | ||
| QLD | University of Queensland University of Queensland The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation... St Lucia campus |
27°29′52"S 153°00′46"E | 1220 | Completed July 2011 | Ingenero, Trina Solar Trina Solar Trina Solar Limited is a Chinese manufacturer of photovoltaic modules, which was founded in 1997 as a system installation company. Trina Solar's solar modules provide electric power for residential, commercial, industrial and other applications worldwide.... , RedFlow |
Photovoltaic http://www.uq.edu.au/news/index.html?article=23497 http://solarmagazine.com.au/news/solar_array_project_launched_in_qld/062114/ | |
| SA | Adelaide Showgrounds | 34.945355°N 138.586626°W | 1000 | Completed 2009 | Built Environs and Solar Shop Australia http://www.solarshop.com.au | Photovoltaic http://www.bpn.com.au/Article/Australias-largest-solar-power-system-opens/497792.aspx http://www.australia.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14102 http://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/Committees/Standing/HA/PublicWorksCommittee/CompletedInquiries/Infrastructure/Report331AdelaideShowgroundsSolarPhotovoltaicProject.htm | |
| SA | Wilpena Pound | 31.570°S 138.580°E | 100 | commenced 1998 | AGL | Photovoltaic | |
| SA | Whyalla | 33.035°S 137.560°E (Town, not project) | announced March 2008 http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/money/story/0,26907,23386681-2682,00.html | Wizard Power Wizard Power Wizard Power Pty Ltd is an Australian company focused on solar technology research, development and commercialisation. The company is headquartered in Canberra, Australia.Wizard Power's technology portfolio includes:* The Big Dish solar thermal concentrator... Pty Ltd |
Solar Thermal with ammonia thermochemical storage (1000 homes) | ||
| WA | Carnarvon | 24.900°S 113.717°E | 46 | 15.8 commissioned 2005; 30.2 added 2007 | Carnarvon Shire | Alexander Fullarton | Photovoltaic |
| WA | Kalbarri | 27.71°S 114.16°E | 20 | commissioned 1995 | Verve Energy | grid-connected tracking system | |
| WA | Noranda | 31.880°S 115.890°E | 3 | commissioned 2001 | Noranda Primary School | Photovoltaic | |
| NT | Bulman | 13.660°S 134.330°E | 56 | commissioned 2002 | NT PowerWater | Photovoltaic | |
| NT | Hermannsburg | 23.933°S 132.767°E | 192 | commissioned 2005 | Solar Systems | Photovoltaic | |
| NT | Kings Canyon | 24.250°S 131.570°E | 241 | commissioned 2003 | NT PowerWater | Photovoltaic | |
| NT | Lajamanu | 18.338°S 130.633°E | 288 | commissioned 2005 | Solar Systems | Photovoltaic | |
| NT | Yuendumu | 22.258°S 131.797°E | 192 | commissioned 2005 | Solar Systems | Photovoltaic | |
Victoria
The 150 MW PV Mildura Solar Concentrator Power Station is planned and is expected to cost as much as $905 million over its lifetime. It is expected to be the biggest and most efficient solar photovoltaic power station in the world. The power station is expected to concentrate the sun by 500 times onto the solar cells for ultra high power output. The Victorian power station will generate electricity directly from the sun to meet the annual needs of over 45,000 homes with on-going zero greenhouse gas emissions.Northern Territory
There are 30 solar concentrator dishes at three locations in the Northern TerritoryNorthern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
: Hermannsburg
Hermannsburg, Northern Territory
Hermannsburg is an Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory of Australia, 131 km southwest of Alice Springs. It is known in the local Western Arrernte language as Ntaria....
, Yuendumu and Lajamanu
Lajamanu, Northern Territory
Lajamanu is a small town of the Northern Territory in Australia. It has a population of 669 , of which a significant amount are of Aboriginal origin...
. Solar Systems
Solar Systems (company)
Solar Systems has constructed three concentrator dish power stations in the Northern Territory, which together generate 720 kW and 1,555,000 kWh per year. This represents a saving of 420,000 litres of diesel fuel and 1550 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.In 2003 Solar Systems completed...
and the Federal government were involved in the projects.
The solar concentrator dish power stations together generate 720 kW and 1,555,000 kWh per year, representing a saving of 420,000 litres of diesel and 1,550 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
The solar power stations at these three remote indigenous communities in Australia’s Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
are constructed using Solar Systems’ CS500 concentrator dish systems. The project cost AUD $7M, offset by a grant from the Australian and Northern Territory Governments under their Renewable Remote Power Generation Program.
The project won a prestigious Engineering Excellence award in 2005.
The Federal Government has funded over 120 innovative small-scale standalone solar systems in remote indigenous communities, designed by Bushlight
Centre for Appropriate Technology (Australia)
The Centre for Appropriate Technology Inc is an Australian indigenous controlled organisation, based in Alice Springs , which aims to improve the lives of indigenous Australians, using appropriate technology to improve their access to a range services.It is headquartered in the Desert Knowledge...
, incorporating sophisticated demand side management systems with user-friendly interfaces.
Solar cities program
Solar Cities is a demonstration programme designed to promote solar power, smart meters, and energy conservation in urban locations throughout Australia.See also
- Andrew BlakersAndrew BlakersProfessor Andrew Blakers, Director of the Australian National University Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems, is involved with the development of Sliver Cell photovoltaic technology which uses just one tenth of the costly silicon used in conventional solar panels while matching power,...
- Building-integrated photovoltaics
- Martin Green
- List of countries by electricity production from renewable sources
- Photovoltaic and renewable energy engineering in Australia
- Solar hot water in AustraliaSolar hot water in AustraliaSolar hot water is heated using natural energy from the sun. Solar energy heats up large panels called thermal collectors. The energy is transferred through a fluid to a reservoir tank for storage and subsequent use...
- Solar thermal energy in AustraliaSolar thermal energy in AustraliaAustralia is well placed to harness solar thermal energy. Solar thermal energy is used in three main ways: solar hot water heating, production of steam for electricity generation and space heating through building design.-Environmental importance:...
External links
- A daily solar map of Australia from Bureau of Meteorology
- Australian Solar Institute (ASI)
- Sunburnt land has energy in store. The AustralianThe AustralianThe Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
. 3 September 2007. - Brumby planning to plug Victoria into the sun. The AgeThe AgeThe Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
. 17 June 2008.