Page 2783 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 17 September 2014
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strong leadership role to help ACT residents tackle climate change. Almost all the respondents, 93 per cent, indicated their support of the ACT government’s plan to demonstrate and promote new energy technologies such as renewable energy technology. And 87 per cent of respondents were supportive of the government’s plan to invest in large-scale renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy.
The ACT held Australia’s first auction for a solar feed-in tariff entitlement. It consisted of two streams: a fast-track stream concluded in September 2012 and a regular stream concluded in August 2013.
Royalla solar farm, at 20 megawatts, is the largest photovoltaic power station in Australia, producing approximately 38,000 megawatt hours of zero emission renewable energy each year. It has approximately 83,000 fixed photovoltaic modules. Fotowatio Renewable Ventures is a Spanish-based company specialising in the complete management of solar generation assets. It began construction of the Royalla solar farm in October last year and completed it in August. It commenced full generation on 21 August.
Zhenfa is a China-based company that specialises in photovoltaic system designs, supply of materials, contracting and project finance. Its Mugga Lane solar park is due to be completed in 2015. This is a 13-megawatt solar farm including half a megawatt of panels attached to ground-mounted tracking units. The use of single-axis trackers will demonstrate this innovative technology, which increases electricity output by tracking the sun over the course of the day. Zhenfa’s DA was approved on 3 September 2014. The site is presently a designated government horse holding paddock, and government agencies are working with the ACT Equestrian Association to relocate the horses to alternative suitable paddocks.
An independent review of the solar auction found that it was a very competitive process, giving the ACT government high quality proposals to select from, and resulted in relatively low feed-in tariff rates, providing value for money.
In May 2013 the government released feed-in tariff entitlements to be granted directly to community solar projects at a price of up to $200 per megawatt hour. Proposals must be more than 200 kilowatts and no more than one megawatt and must be located in the ACT. If worthwhile proposals are received, a second release under the act may be considered.
While community solar will not contribute a large amount of renewable capacity, it will demonstrate and establish a different business model for delivering large-scale renewable energy through direct community financing and ownership, an opportunity for that overwhelming community support that I talked about before to be demonstrated in some practical action through people’s involvement in community solar. Proposals for community solar may be made up to May 2015.
The government will commence an EOI process for the provision of next generation solar later this year. There is substantial national and international industry interest in this process from potential project proponents. Following the announcement, the government has been contacted by more than 30—more than 30—local, national and international technology providers.
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