Construction of Risen Energy’s 100MW AC Yarranlea Solar Farm was completed in August and the facility has entered the commission and compliance phase.
The compliance phase will continue for several months and include compliance testing with the Australian Energy Marketing Organisation.
General Manager Risen Energy, Eric Lee, said Risen Energy are currently in the continuous testing phase which is dependent on the network service provider and network operators, and will be commercially operational in early 2020.
“Part of the commissioning is considering network constraints and we are working with Ergon Energy to maximise power output while minimising impacts to the network,” Mr Lee said.
The solar farm and associated substation infrastructure have been successfully energised using the local distribution network to allow compliance and functional tests to be undertaken. The Australian made 33/110kV transformer that will connect the solar farm to the transmission network, is also in the final stages of commissioning by Wilson Transformer Company.
The Yarranlea Solar Farm is located near Pittsworth, about 50km west of Toowoomba on the Darling Downs. The solar farm is approximately 250ha in area and consists of over 360,000 Risen solar panels mounted on a single axis tracking system. The farm will generate and deliver clean, renewable electricity to power up to 32,000 homes.
The Yarranlea Solar Farm is connected to the power grid using the existing Ergon Energy infrastructure, located close to the farm site. This allows transmission of power into the Middle Ridge Bulk Supply Substation, ultimately supplying green power to homes, businesses and industries in the Toowoomba and Darling Downs area.
The completed facility has a projected life of 30 years. At the end of the facility’s useful operating life, all physical infrastructure will be removed, and the land returned to its former agricultural use.
The Yarranlea Solar Farm will contribute to the green footprint of the state in support of the Queensland Government’s Green Policy. Risen Energy, as the owner of the Yarranlea Solar farm, has worked within the Queensland Government’s Solar Farm Guidelines which provide a practical guidance for communities, landowners and project proponents.
“Risen Energy has progressed the project from detailed engineering design, through construction, commissioning and ultimately the operation of the solar farm. We used our latest PV panel technology to supply power to the grid. Ultimately, integrated battery storage will be incorporated in the solar farm to provide continuous power during periods of peak demand,” Mr Lee said.
