NSW largest solar farm gets government's green light   

29 December 2018
Sydney Morning Herald


A solar farm which will be the largest in NSW and be big enough power a city of almost a million people is a step closer to reality after getting the green light from planning authorities.

The state government on Friday approved the $1 billion project at Yarrabee Park, 23 kilometres from Narrandera in the Riverina, which hopes to be generating clean electricity in early 2020.


The new solar farm will produce enough energy for a city of one million people.

Reach Solar Energy's planned farm will be cover up to 2600 hectares, and have capacity to generate 900 megawatts a year - or more than half what was produced by Victoria's Hazelwood coal power plant before it was shut abruptly in 2017.

The new farm's output will dwarf the 500 megawatts produced by the nine large-scale solar farms currently operating in NSW, and will have the equivalent impact on carbon emissions as removing 540,000 cars from Australia's roads, according to Reach.


NSW energy minister Don Harwin welcomed the project's approval, and its promise of creating as many as 450 jobs during construction.

“The project will significantly increase our energy capacity while contributing to a cleaner energy future for our state – a win win," he said.

The solar farm, which could meet the electricity demands of about 315,000 homes, is shooting to start construction early next year. The farm will come online progressively, and will take from two-to-four years to be fully completed.


Reach recently built Australia's largest solar farm, Bungala, in Port Augusta in South Australia, which became fully operational last month.

Large-scale solar projects have become more viable as the costs of making solar panels has collapsed, falling about 80 per cent over the past five years according to Reach.

Six new solar farms have been commissioned in NSW this year, with capacity to produce 305 megawatts, while another seven are under construction that will produce 530 megawatts and represent $720 million worth of investment.

Almost 9000 megawatts of renewable generation and battery storage technology is expected to enter the grid over the next four years, and the Australian Energy Market Operator expects that will drive down power prices.

A report co-authored by CSIRO and the AEMO released last week found that renewables would soon be cheaper than coal, even without the impact of a carbon price.

The same report said that power storage system such as batteries or pumped hydro, and peaking gas plants, were necessary to smooth over the intermittent nature of wind and solar.

In response to the influx of investment, the NSW government has developed new guidelines to govern consultation and site selection for solar projects, which Mr Harwin said reflected the government's " strong commitment to NSW’S booming solar energy market".

The Yarrabee farm will have a lifespan of about 30 years and will connect to the grid via a new 300 kilovolt substation to be built next to the existing Wagga Wagga to Darlington Point transmission line.

When the sun is perpendicular to the solar panels most of the sunlight is absorbed.

When it deviates just ten degrees almost 100% of the sunlight is reflected away.

If its reflected back into the clouds this contributes to global warming.

Another form of Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) that is sunlight reflect back into our atmosphere causing heating.

Two types of Anthropogenic Global Warming.

1. Fossil Fuels

2. Solar Panel Reflection.





https://www.quora.com/What-percentage-of-sunlight-is-directly-reflected-by-a-sol...

Johnnie wrote on Dec 29^th, 2018 at 12:45pm:


No matter which way you cut it solar panels especially single axis rotation contribute to global warming and are a form of AGW.

instead of the sunlight going into terra firma to fertilize the ground it goes back into the atmosphere heating the planet.

This Mojave Desert solar plant kills 6,000 birds a year. Here's why that won't change any time soon

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-solar-bird-deaths-20160831-snap-st...

The Mojave Desert Solar Plant



Two types of Anthropogenic Global Warming.

1. Fossil Fuels

2. Solar Panel Reflection.

Remember 10 degrees from the perpendicular is all it takes.

Ajax wrote on Dec 29^th, 2018 at 1:31pm:

The NSW solar farm will not kill any birds, only the solar thermal power plants kill birds.

Given they all track the sun the reflection back into the atmosphere is probably less than grass.

Also, what's more important,, a few galahs or the human race.

Johnnie wrote on Dec 29^th, 2018 at 4:20pm:


Sugar tits trying to sweeten everything up.

Can't have bad words about green energy now can we.

But you do have to face reality some time.

Fact: Solar panels turn birds into streamers.

So you're going to sacrifice birds for solar power.



http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-solar-bird-deaths-20160831-snap-st...

Ajax wrote on Dec 29^th, 2018 at 7:47pm:

Nope, not one bird will be killed from the new NSW solar farm or any other solar farm, they use photovoltaic panels.
The solar thermal power plants use mirrors and they cook birds, instantly.

Ajax wrote on Dec 29^th, 2018 at 1:19pm:

That is a thermal solar plant u r showing so it’s mirrors not solar panels , the mirrors point to a point in the middle a heat salt to boiling..... and at 10 degrees so it will be 80 degrees from the perpendicular.
Your info on the birds being killed if very old as well they changed the way the mirror r shaped and birds no longer get cooked... as the New South Wales solar farm of photovoltaic panels it has nothing to do with the solar thermal systems u r quoting 

Ok lads I stand corrected no excuses.......

1. Photovoltaic cells vs mirrors

2. 10 degrees from the horizontal

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, should have done my homework better.