By Luke Voogt
The largest solar farm on an Australian university campus, according to Deakin University, officially opened at Waurn Ponds on Tuesday.
Deakin described the $23 million industrial-scale microgrid as a “significant boost” to its goal to be carbon neutral – producing zero net carbon dioxide emissions – by 2025.
The system features 23,000 panels in the solar farm and an additional 833 panels on campus rooftops, including student residences.
Deakin vice chancellor Iain Martin likened the pursuit of global carbon neutrality to NASA’s Apollo program, as he turned on the grid alongside national renewable energy advisor Dr Alan Finkel.
“Australia is in a strong position to benefit from moving rapidly in this endeavour,” Professor Martin said.
“At Deakin, we believe we have a duty to use our capabilities and assets to demonstrate both ambition and leadership on the issue of renewables.”
“We want to be a working example – a living lab – of how a large organisation can lead through its actions and fundamentally change its ways of doing.
“This includes the complete, systemic integration of sustainability across all our activities.
“However, to achieve a sustainable energy future in Australia, it will require a long-term, cross-sector, collective effort.
“We require a bi-partisan political commitment over the next few decades; the political and community leadership required will be significant.”
The system will greatly decrease the university’s carbon emissions while providing a platform for industry-relevant research, according to Deakin Energy director Adrian Panow
“Ultimately, the microgrid will supply more than half of the campus’s energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12,000 tonnes each year,” Dr Panow said.
“The research focus incorporated into the design of the infrastructure builds on consultation with universities around the world, including Princeton and the University of California at San Diego.”
Built in partnership with AusNet Services and Mondo Power, the microgrid comprises of a 7-megawatt solar energy farm and 2-megawatt-hour central battery storage system on 14.5 hectares.
The system also features a 0.25 megawatt distributed rooftop solar generation and storage system, and a dedicated research area in Deakin’s Centre for Advanced Design Engineering Training.
