Credit: Sunshine Coast

25 July: A 15MW solar project has been connected to the grid by Sunshine Coast Council in Queensland, Australia, making it the first local government in Australia to offset 100% of its electricity consumption with renewables, the council claims.

The solar farm at Valdora is also claimed to be the first solar farm in Australia to operate at 1500V DC and will help to alleviate rising electricity costs.

Mayor Jamieson said: “All power consumed at all of [the] 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.

“We are the first council in Australia to build and operate a 15MW utility-scale solar farm which will deliver AU$22 million in savings, after all costs, for our ratepayers over the next 30 years.”

Diamond Energy both planned and implemented the project, with support from Downer Utilities and Energex. About 36,000 tree and shrub seedlings will also be planted around the solar farm’s boundaries.

Already 15 councils have contacted Sunshine Coast about carrying out similar projects.

In other recent news, BayWa r.e. has sold its first Australian solar project, a 20MW utility-scale plantstill under construction, to investment company Lighthouse Infrastructure.