Sunshine Coast Solar Farm saves $1.7m in Year 1

The Sunshine Coast Solar Farm has been live for a year, and, as the second largest solar farm in Queensland, is on track to deliver $22m in savings over the next 30 years. 

Sunshine Coast Solar Farm Savings

Sunshine Coast Solar Farm (Valdora)
Sunshine Coast Solar Farm (Valdora) (source: sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au)

Also known as the Valdora solar farm, the 15MW and $50m Sunshine Coast Solar Farm was opened last year, allowing the Sunshine Coast Council to be the first local governments in Australia to offset 100% of its energy usage from a renewable source. Sunshine Coast acting Mayor Tim Dwyer has made some comments to the Sunshine Coast Daily about its progress:

“The Sunshine Coast Solar Farm has saved council $1.7 million – more than double the amount we’d hoped for in the first year,” Cr Dwyer said.

“We have met our offset goal as well – offsetting more than 100% of council’s energy use across all our facilities and operations.

“We’ve generated more than 26,300 megawatt hours of energy in 12 months. To put that into perspective, the average Australian home uses around six megawatt hours per year.

“We’ve saved more than 20,500 tonnes in carbon emissions – the equivalent of taking about 4300 cars off the road for one year.

“Council’s solar farm project has also received three prestigious awards for boosting productivity through infrastructure, sustainability excellence and planning excellence.

“Our Council is the first local government in the country to deliver a solar farm.

“With projects like the solar farm, we are delivering on our vision to be Australia’s most sustainable region – healthy, smart, creative.”

According to the Sunshine Coast Council website, it’s also the first solar farm in Australia which operates at 1500 volts DC, allowing it to operate more efficiently. 

Mayor Mark Jamieson said farm will allow the local council to take control of its own electricity supply, helping with rising electricity costs and also providing an environmentally friendly way to run their facilities:

“All power consumed at all of council’s facilities, including our administration buildings, aquatic centres, community and performance venues, as well as holiday parks, libraries, art galleries and sporting facilities, will be offset with energy from a renewable source thanks to this nation-leading project,” Mayor Jamieson said.

 

 

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Valdora solar farm (15MW) opened today.

Some good news coming from the Sunshine Coast this afternoon – today the Sunshine Coast Council have officially opened the 15MW Valdora solar farm. Atypical in that it is the first council in Australia to run its own large scale PV solar plant – and according to RenewEconomy it has the potential to save up to $20m in electricity. The Sunshine Coast Daily have it at $22m in savings over the next 30 years. Regardless of the final figure, it’s a massive feather in the cap of the SCC and will no doubt lead to plenty more councils following suit (the council said that 15 councils around Australia have inquired about the process). Queensland solar continues to move in leaps and bounds in both the public and private sector.

About the Valdora Solar Farm

Valdora Solar Farm
Valdora Solar Farm (source: couriermail.com.au)

According to Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson the completion of the Valdora Solar Farm means that the Sunshine Coast Council will be pioneers in the renewable energy field in that they will be the first in Australia to offset all of its electricity use through renewable energy. The $50.4m project was developed at Valdora, which is west of Coolum – and will sell power generated from 57,960 solar panels as of today.

Cr Jamieson, along with Cr Stephen Robinson (Sunshine Coast Council’s Development and Innovation Portfolio Councillor) and the director of Downer Utilities (part of the Downer Group, who were responsible for building the farm), Trevor Cohen, plugged into the grid at around 11am this morning. The Valdora solar farm, located on an old sugar farm, is able to generate 15MW and will be able to fully supply the council’s extended energy needs. “All power consumed at all of council’s facilities, including our administration buildings, aquatic centres, community and performance venues, as well as holiday parks, libraries, art galleries and sporting facilities,will be offset with energy from a renewable source thanks to this nation-leading project”, according to Cr Jamieson.

The SCC have signed a retail contract with Diamond Energy. The Managing Director of Diamond Energy, Tony Sennit, was quoted as “Over the past three years, Diamond Energy has supported council’s enthusiastic staff, through planning, implementation and now operation,”

 

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