5MW Solar Farm In Coal Country Nears Prime Time

Work will soon be completed on a 5MW solar farm in Lovedale, near Cessnock in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley.

13,350 solar panels make up the ground-mounted facility situated on property owned by cosmetic surgeon and hotel investor, Dr. Jerry Schwartz (pictured above). Dr Schwartz also owns Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, situated adjacent to the site.

The development application for the project was approved in December last year and work commenced in February 2019. It’s expected the solar farm will start generating power at the end of next month.

The energy produced by the solar farm will effectively have the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, Hunter Valley Conference & Events Centre and Sydney Brewery, all located on the Lovedale site, running on 100% renewables. Surplus electricity will eventually be earmarked for contributing to powering Dr Schwartz’s other hotels across New South Wales.

“It is particularly important to showcase renewable energy in the heart of a region still known for its coal mining,” said Dr. Schwartz.

Other Schwartz Solar Energy Projects

This isn’t the first time Dr. Schwartz has dabbled in solar power, but it’s his biggest project to date.

Solar panels (99.58 kW system) were installed on the roof of the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley a few years ago; some of which were laid out to spell the word “Lovedale”.

A 96.39 kW solar power system was installed on the rooftop of the Mercure Sydney in 2018, which is expected to generate 146 MWh of clean energy annually. Other Schwartz Family Group destinations with solar energy systems installed on-site include Fairmont Resort (100kW), Leura Golf Club (30kW) and Rydges Sydney Central (94.83kW). Electric vehicle charging stations are also installed at some Schwartz properties.

Sustainability is a passion for Dr. Schwartz. He helped launch the World Green Council earlier this year – a body that accredits hotels for their team’s green credentials.

“You can spend a fortune on solar panels and LED lighting – and these are all good – but if your staff are well trained that can make a huge impact on a daily basis,” he said.

As well as its coal industry, the Hunter Valley is also wine county and tourism is playing an increasingly important part of its economy and in job creation.

The Australia Institute says coal’s contribution to the overall Hunter Region’s economy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and only 5% of jobs are associated with the little black rock.

“Tourism is the sustainable industry of the future for the Hunter Valley, and to make the hotel, convention centre and brewery 100% renewable is an important initiative,” stated Dr. Schwartz.