Check Out A Solar Farm In October

Image: Edify Energy

If you’ve always wanted to take a look around a solar farm, towards the end of October may offer you an opportunity to do so.

Clean Energy Open Day on Sunday 27 October will see public accessed permitted to 16 wind and solar farms across Australia.

“Both wind and solar farms run using fascinating and sophisticated technology, and Clean Energy Open Day is a great opportunity to learn more about clean energy from the knowledgeable staff at wind and solar farms, meeting other people in the local community or just having a fun day out with the family,” said Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane Thornton.

The areas where PV facilities will be open:

Broken Hill (NSW)

Situated around 5 km southwest of the Broken Hill township, Broken Hill Solar Plant is a 53MW facility producing enough electricity to meet the equivalent energy requirements of approximately 22,000 average households.

Dubbo (NSW)

The Dubbo Solar Hub is a 29MW PV facility comprising approximately 90,000 solar panels installed on 55 hectares at a site to the east of Dubbo (56,160 panels), and on 30 hectares to the north of Narromine. The Dubbo component of the project is the facility that will be open.

Gullen Range  (NSW)

30 km north west of Goulburn, the Gullen Solar Farm project is a 10MW solar farm that was co-located with the 165.5MW Gullen Range Wind Farm.  The 42,000 solar panels that make up Gullen first generated electricity in 2017.

Swan Hill (VIC)

The 19MW Swan Hill project in Victoria’s north-west was officially opened last year. Its 50,000 panels were expected to generate 37,700 MWh of clean electricity in the first year.

Childers (QLD)

60km south of Bundaberg’s CBD and 15km south-east from the township of Childers, the Childers Solar Farm is a 75MW facility. NOTE: While the release linked to above lists this as an event, elsewhere on the CEC web site indicates it is not going ahead due to recent nearby bushfire activity. 

Collinsville (QLD)

Daydream (180 MW), Hayman (60MW), Hamilton (69MW – pictured above) and Whitsunday (69MW) solar farms are all located a few kilometres north of Collinsville in North Queensland.

Oakey (QLD)

An 80MW solar PV project approximately 6.5km from the township of Oakey (which is west of Toowoomba).

In addition to gazing at solar panels and other equipment, some sites will be offering sausage sizzles, stuff for the kids to do and other activities.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any solar farms participating in other states, but you can take a look at wind farms in Tasmania and South Australia (VIC and NSW too).

Bookings are essential for some of the sites, and there’s a waiting list for a couple of events – further information regarding each of the wind and solar farms open on the day and booking details can be found here.