Published in the Southcoast Register on 8 July 2021 by Liam Cormican.
A soon-to-be-constructed eight thousand panel Shoalhaven solar farm will provide power to local and Sydney businesses.
Co-developed by Repower Shoalhaven and the Melbourne based energy retailer Flow Power, the three megawatt alternating current solar farm would be able to output enough electricity to power the equivalent of 12,000 homes a year.
Upon completion, Shoalhaven will receive 80 per cent of its power output wit the rest going to the City of Sydney local government area.
The project is located on Nowra Hill Road, off BTU Road, on land leased from Shoalhaven City Council for 30 years. Capital cost is approximately $5million.
Orders for the long delivery items, panels and inverter, have been placed. Site works are scheduled to commence in July, with operation to commence in November/December 2021.
Repower Shoalhaven develops community solar projects for business and individuals to participate in.
Flow Power is jointly owned by Australian founders and a Canadian pension fund and supplies renewable energy electricity to commercial, public authority and industrial sectors. Some organisations it supplies renewable energy to are the Sydney Opera House, Westpac and the Cities of Sydney, Adelaide & Newcastle.
“While Flow Power is a private company, the organisation is participating in the [solar farm] project to support Repower Shoalhaven’s ambitions to realise the community-based project and deliver on the benefits to the community, local businesses and community investors,” Flow Power said in statement.
“Flow Power has contributed significant resources in supporting the project to date and will continue to do so through construction and operation. This is driven by a corporate social responsibility undertaking to support the community outcomes driven by Repower Shoalhaven.”
Repower will launch a capital raising campaign with the aim of raising a maximum of $500,000 from Repower Shoalhaven members to partially fund the construction. Flow Power are providing the balance of the construction funding. A meeting to brief members is to be held on July 21.