University of Queensland and First Solar start work on $40m research facility
The University of Queensland and First Solar have started construction on a 40,000-panel solar photovoltaic research facility, the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere
The University of Queensland and First Solar have started construction on a 40,000-panel solar photovoltaic research facility, the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
The facility will cover around 10 hectares at the Universities Gatton campus and will have a 3.3 megawatt (MW) capcity when complete.
It will act as a research centre for large-scale solar projects and will generate enough electricity to power 30 per cent of the campus.
It will also host a megawatt-hour-scale battery storage research station to investigate the value of short and medium-term energy storage of large-scale PV, its impact on the quality of power supply and any resulting economic benefits.
University of Queensland vice-chancellor and president Professor Peter Høj said: “The researchers using this facility will provide new insights on integrating large-scale renewable power plants with conventional electricity grids. These researchers are some of the best in the business, and their teamwork with an innovative global company such as First Solar will ensure optimal returns on a substantial Australian government investment in renewable energy research and development, with excellent implications for society and the environment.”
First Solar will supply and install around 40,000 advanced thin-film photovoltaic panels for the Gatton PV Pilot Plant and will provide engineering, procurement and construction expertise.
Jack Curtis, First Solar regional manager for Asia Pacific, said: “Our collaboration with UQ will result in advanced local solar generation technologies that will strengthen the solar industry’s position within Australia’s energy mix. The Gatton research facility will evidence the value that private and public sector research collaboration can bring to the renewable energy sector.”
The project has been funded through a AUS$40.7 million grant by the Education Infrastructure Fund to University of Queensland and the University of New South Wales.