Australia’s Largest Solar Farm has Officially Opened
Canberra residents are enjoying clean, green energy thanks to the official opening of Australia’s largest solar farm.
Providing enough electricity to power 4,500 homes, the Royolla Solar Farm is the first in the ACT to be connected to the national energy grid and a large step on their path to generating 90 per cent of their energy needs from renewable sources by 2020.
At over 20 megawatts the solar plant utilises more than 83,000 solar panels and is expected to generate 37,000 megawatt hours annually for the next twenty years.
“Over its lifetime the farm will save over half a million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Environment Minister Simon Corbell.
Following the farm’s opening, a community meeting was held in nearby Queanbeyan were Corbell addressed a large solar constituency concerned about the federal government’s plans for renewable energy.
Corbell allayed the crowd’s concerns, assuring them that Canberra was doing its part for sustainable energy investment.
“This is a real milestone event for Australia and while the federal Government goes backwards, the ACT and the city of Canberra are showing how we can make the shift to a renewable energy future,” Environment Minister Corbell said.
Although the 90% renewable energy target could cost the average Canberrian household as much as $4 per week near by the end of the scheme, some of that expense will be dampened by energy efficiency measures and the allure of cheaper, sustainable electricity after 2020.
As the Territory’s first solar farm goes live, construction of another along the Monaro Highway is poised to begin. At 13 megawatts the Mugga Lane Solar Farm will compliment the Royolla Solar Farm and feature 53,000 solar modules harnessing enough solar energy to supply a further 3250 homes.
The solar plant has already been delayed due to bushfire regulations and planning to prevent glare effecting highway motorists and the vision of pilots taking off from a nearby airstrip. With the Civil Aviation Society giving the tracking array the thumbs up the farm is set for approval by planning authorities.
