Solar power in Australia

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Solar power is not yet a significant source of large scale electricity generation in Australia, despite the country having a reputation for a hot dry and sunny climate that might make it ideal for utilisation. This is mainly due to the higher cost per kW than other power sources because of the cost of solar panels. However, costs are coming down, mainly due to promising research by Professor Martin Green, the engineering breakthoughs of Professor Andrew Blakers, and production initiatives of companies such as Origin Energy and Solar Systems (company), and BP Solar.

A major 154MW PV Solar power station in Victoria is planned and will cost $420 million. It will be the biggest and most efficient solar photovoltaic power station in the world. The power station will have the capability to concentrate the sun by 500 times onto the solar cells for ultra high power output. The Victorian power station will generate clean electricity directly from the sun to meet the annual needs of over 45,000 homes with zero greenhouse gas emissions.[1]

The list of solar power projects below is not complete as there are many more sites that have solar power or hybrid solar/wind systems to generate their own power needs.

1 Projects and status by state
2 Major solar power companies
- 2.1 Solar Systems
- 2.2 BP Solar
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Projects and status by state

State	Project/Location	Coordinates	Capacity	Status	Council	Company	Notes
Victoria	Mildura/Swan Hill, (See Solar power station in Victoria)		154MW	preparation stage	Mildura/Swan Hill	Solar Systems	concentrator photovoltaic
NSW	Buronga		50MW	proposal	Wentworth	Enviromission	solar tower technology
NSW	Dubbo	148.62 -32.25	50kW	commissioned 1998		Country Energy	Photovoltaic
NSW	Homebush	151.07 -33.85	10kW	commissioned 1996		Energy Australia	Photovoltaic
NSW	Leichardt	151.13 -33.865	3kW	commissioned 2000		Leichardt Council	Photovoltaic
NSW	Little Bay	151.18 -33.87	4kW	commissioned 1994		University of New South Wales	Photovoltaic
NSW	Lord Howe Island	159.080 -31.550	10kW	commissioned 1997		SEDA	Photovoltaic
NSW	Newcastle Foreshore	151.770 -32.930	6kW	commissioned 1996		Energy Australia	Photovoltaic
NSW	Pine Bluff	148.560 -33.570	6kW	commissioned 2002		Trinity Grammar School	Photovoltaic
NSW	Queanbeyan	149.230 -35.350	50kw	commissioned 1999		Country Energy	Photovoltaic
NSW	Singleton	151.177 -32.591	400kW	commissioned 1998		Energy Australia	Photovoltaic
NSW	Sydney	151.210 -33.870	7kW	commissioned 1997		SEDA	Photovoltaic
NSW	Sydney Superdome	151.170 -33.870	70kW	commissioned 1999		Energy Australia	Photovoltaic
NSW	White Cliffs Solar Power Station, New South Wales		25kWe 45kWe	Constructed 1981, upgraded 1996, decommissioned 2004		White Cliffs	Originally steam piston then photovoltaic
VIC	Brunswick	144.980 -37.780	20kW			Citipower	Photovoltaic
VIC	Fosterville	144.486 -36.785	24kW			Solar Systems Pty Ltd	Photovoltaic
VIC	Queen Victoria Market	144.960 -37.807	200kW	commissioned 2003		Melbourne City Council	Photovoltaic
QLD	Caboolture	152.940 -27.160	5kW	commissioned 2000		Stanwell Corporation	Photovoltaic
QLD	Tewantin (PO)	153.038 -26.393	5kW	commissioned 2001		Australian Postal Corporation	Photovoltaic
SA	Wilpena Pound	138.580 -31.570	100kW	commenced 1998		AGL	Photovoltaic
WA	Carnarvon	113.717 -24.900	15kW	commissioned 2005		Alexander Fullarton	Photovoltaic
WA	Kalbarri		20kW	commissioned 1995		Verve Energy	grid-connected tracking system
WA	Noranda	115.890 -31.880	3kW	commissioned 2001		Noranda Primary School	Photovoltaic
NT	Bulman	134.330 -13.660	56kW	commissioned 2002		NT PowerWater	Photovoltaic
NT	Hermannsburg	132.767 -23.933	192kW	commissioned 2005		Solar Systems	Photovoltaic
NT	Kings Canyon	131.570 -24.250	241kW	commissioned 2003		NT PowerWater	Photovoltaic
NT	Lajamanu	130.633 -18.338	288kW	commissioned 2005		Solar Systems	Photovoltaic
NT	Yuendumu	131.797 -22.258	192kW	commissioned 2005		Solar Systems	Photovoltaic

[edit] Major solar power companies

[edit] Solar Systems

Solar Systems (company) is a world leader in high concentration solar photovoltaic applications, and the company is preparing to build the world's largest photovoltaic Solar power station in Victoria, Australia. [2] This project will use innovative concentrator dish technology.

Solar Systems has already completed construction of three concentrator dish power stations in the Northern Territory, which together generate 720kW and 1,555,000 kWh per year. This represents a saving of 420,000 litres of diesel fuel and 1550 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. [3]

In 2003 Solar Systems completed construction of the first concentrator dish power station at Umuwa in South Australia.[4]

[edit] BP Solar

BP has been involved in solar power since 1973 and its subsidiary, BP Solar, is now one of the world's largest solar power companies with production facilities in the United States, Spain, India and Australia.[5]