Mini solar farms to reduce emissions

Council has awarded Solgen Energy Pty Ltd the $3 million contract to build mini solar farms at five of its Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTP).

Ground-mounted solar power systems with a proposed 1.78MW capacity are to be installed across the Northern, Southern, Marlin Coast, Edmonton and Gordonvale WWTP.

It is estimated the project will reduce Council’s total electricity use by 8 per cent and total emissions by up to 6 per cent.

This will assist Council to meet its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent compared to 2007/2008 levels.

As part of the proposal, crushed concrete produced by Council will be used as a “rock mulch” at the sites, which would reduce on-going maintenance and reflect additional solar radiation.

As the panels to be used can produce additional power from solar radiation reflected on their underside, it is anticipated approximately 10 per cent additional energy output could be produced compared to other traditional systems of the same nominal power rating.

It is expected the ground mounted solar arrays will be completed by September 2020.