VEPLA – Future of
Renewables in Victoria
Solar Energy Projects, 30th April 2012
Shane Melotte, Element Projects
Overview
 Current policy settings/incentives for solar projects
 Project development for large scale solar
 What’s next for solar in Victoria
Ref: www.altstore.com
Solar Resource
Source: www.sustainability.vic.gov.au
Vic Solar Resource and Infrastructure
National Renewable Energy Target
and State Feed in Tariff (FiT)
Australian Installed PV Capacity Grid connected <100kW)
Source: CEC Review of Australian Solar PV Industry 2011
ACT Reverse Auction FiT
 Total Capacity of 40MW in Round 1
 Project Size 2MW - 20MW
 Closing date for prequalification bids 10 April 2012
 49 proposal were received
 Significant local and international interest
 Complicated land tenure, grid constraints and biodiversity
 Short list released 5th June 2012
Grant Funding Fed + State
 Solar Systems Bridgewater Test Facility and Mildura Plant –
Stage 1 (2MW) to be completed 2012
 TRUenergy Mallee Solar Park – 180MW Thin Film Project – Resubmissions being considered – Vic $100m still on the table.
Photos: Courtesy of Solar Systems
Grant Funding State Only
 Verve Energy Project - Greenough River, WA
 10 MW Solar Thin Film
 $50M build and 80 hectares cleared land
 WA Government providing A$20 million including A$10 million
from the WA Royalties for Regions program
Source:greenoughsolarfarm.com.au
Off Grid / Behind the Meter
Ref: CEC Review of Australian Solar PV Industry 2011
Demonstration / Leadership
Projects
Ballarat and Bendigo Community
Solar Parks (Solar Cities program)
NEXTDC (Data Centres)
Other notable projects
 Sunpower/NT Power and Water Uterne 1MW Solar Park,
Alice Springs, NT – Solar PV Tracking (Solar Cities Initiative)
 University of Queensland 1.22 MW QLD, Solar PV roof
mounted (State grant funding assistance)
 CS Energy’s 44MW Kogan Creek Solar Boost Project, QLD –
Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector technology
 Wizard Power Whyalla Project, (Project Development), SASolar Thermal Dish
alicesolarcity.com.au/uterne-solar-power-station
kogansolarboost.com.au
Project Development
 No specific planning policy solar in Victoria
 Clause 54.42 of VPPs – Renewable Energy Facility
 Relatively land intensive
 Generally flat cleared land – approx. 2 – 8 Ha per MW
 Proximity to the grid critical and grid integration a challenge
 Generally positive community feedback to projects
 Logistics and labor force
 Get the numbers to work
Project Barriers
 Technology Cost
 Insufficient Grid Infrastructure
 Lack of detailed solar data
 Availability of Skilled Workforce
 Uncertainty in the Energy Market – Policy uncertainty
 Land Acquisition
 Grid Connection/integration
 Power Purchase Agreement
Ref: CEC large scale solar PV roadmap 2011
The Future
Increasing Global investment
Source: www.ren21.net
2011 = $251 Billion
Levelised Cost of Energy For PV
Source: Professor Emanual Sachs: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Source: Solar Power: Darkest before dawn, McKinsey & Company April 2012
What's next for Victoria - General
 Victoria should consider its preparedness for the impacts of
emerging technologies such as solar and energy storage
ensuring maximum local benefit.
 TRUenergy Mallee Solar Park?
 Leverage the funding and finance opportunities coming out of
Federal Government Clean Energy Plan
 Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC)
 Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
 Clean Technology Investment Program
 Funding sources outside of the Clean Energy Future plan.
What's next for Victoria - General
 Residential market will continue to consolidate and benefit
from reducing technology costs.
 Tailored commercial scale projects. These may be off grid,
behind the meter or where innovative finance options can be
provided.
 Larger projects to emerge towards 2020.
 Balance of System opportunities.
Opportunities - Planning
 Consider policy requiring buildings to either integrate solar or
be ‘solar ready’ (orientation and structure).
 Consider policy that requires new development such as
subdivisions to investigate and integrate renewables into the
design.
 Consider policy that preserves optimal locations for solar
projects over the long term.