Australia is ideally placed to make the most of large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power as one of the countries that enjoys the most sunshine in the world.Solar PV converts the sun’s energy into direct current electricity. It involves the use of solar cells which are packed behind glass to form the modules commonly seen on the rooftops of residential premises. Solar PV has proven popular because it is reasonably easy to install on common structures such as houses, warehouses and parking lots. Besides the panels themselves the other main component is the inverter which converts the energy from the panel from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) which is generally used by local networks.Solar thermal uses the sun’s energy to produce heat which is then used to drive a conventional steam turbine to produce electricity. Various types of solar thermal technologies are used across the world including concentrating solar power which uses an array of mirrors or lenses to project a concentrated amount of sunlight onto a central location such as a tower.In 2015, 14.6 per cent of Australia’s electricity generation was sourced from renewable energy. Of this renewable energy, 17 per cent was from solar energy. Household and commercial solar systems less than 100kW in size generated the overwhelming majority (95 per cent) of this solar energy. Solar PV systems have proven so popular with Australian households that by the end of 2015 over 1.5 million small-scale systems had been installed1.

Over the same period, large scale solar generation accounted for around 3.5 per cent of renewable energy, or 206 GWh. This is starting to change in Australia with a number of new large-scale solar systems being built in 2015 and more now under construction. In 2015, the cumulative installed capacity of large-scale solar generation was four times higher than in 2014.In recent years, solar technology has improved and the cost of solar panels has come down significantly. These changes help to make large-scale solar projects like Origin’s Darling Downs more competitive with other renewable energy sources.

0

50

100

150

200

250

1.2

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

INST

ALL

ED C

AP

AC

ITY

(MW

)

LARGE SCALE SOLAR CUMULATIVE INSTALLED CAPACITY (MW)

2009 4

2010 4

2011 6

2012 26

2013 29

2014 53

2015 216

YEAR CAPACITY(MW)

FACT SHEETLARGE-SCALE SOLAR

Solar energy currently comprises two main types of technology – solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal. This technology can be used on a small scale, such as systems on residential rooftops, and on a larger scale with the difference being the volume of electricity able to be generated from these systems.

LARGE-SCALE SOLAR | AUGUST 2016

(1) Clean Energy Council 2015 Clean Energy Australia Report

Source: Clean Energy Council 2015, Clean Energy Australia Report 2015

Large-scale solar cumulative installed capacity (MW)

ORIGIN AND LARGE-SCALE SOLAROrigin is committed to meeting our obligation under the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET). With the continued fall in the cost of solar technology we view large-scale solar as providing an exciting opportunity in Australia, particularly in areas of high solar irradiation such as northern NSW and Queensland. We can achieve this through various options including building projects directly, underwriting projects through power purchase agreements (PPAs), or by purchasing certificates on market.

Large-Scale Solar PPAsPPAs are agreements between the producer of a resource and the buyer of a resource to buy or sell portions of the power generation by the producer. Origin has recently signed two PPAs with Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) for 100 per cent of the output and 100 per cent of the Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from two large-scale solar projects; the 56 MW Moree Solar Farm in northern New South Wales and the 100 MW Clare Solar farm in northern Queensland. When complete, these two projects are expected to produce around 400 GWh of electricity annually.Both sites will use single-axis tracking technology, which means that the panels are able to track the path of the sun over the course of the day, resulting in more energy being generated over a longer period of the day than if they were fixed.

Darling Downs Solar FarmOrigin Energy is developing the Darling Downs Solar Farm, located approximately 45 km from the town of Dalby in south-western Queensland. The project is situated next to Origin’s Darling Downs combined cycle gas fired power station and close to the Braemar substation, a regional high voltage transmission hub. This project has been shortlisted by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) for funding through its large scale PV competitive round.The site is an ideal location for a solar development given its high quality solar resource, proximity to existing electrical infrastructure, visual shielding provided by surrounding site vegetation and minimal environmental impacts likely during construction due to historic site uses.With a potential generating capacity of approximately 105MW2, the Darling Downs Solar Farm will be one of the largest PV projects in Australia and will produce enough electricity each year to power up to 32,0003 homes. The project will take approximately one year to construct, involving the building of access tracks, electrical substations and installation of approximately 400,000 solar panels on mounting structures across the site. The project is being designed to produce electricity for up to 30 years.

FACT SHEETLARGE-SCALE SOLAR

LARGE-SCALE SOLAR | AUGUST 2016

AboveFRV’s 56 MW Moree Solar Farm in northern NSW

(2) AC-peak (plant capacity at the National Electricity Grid connection point)

(3) Based on preliminary plant yield estimates and an average daily household electricity usage of 19kWh