Source: AAP, screenshot, Facebook
WHAT WAS CLAIMED: A news report shows damage caused by hail and wind at a Queensland solar farm.
OUR VERDICT: False. The news report is fake and the 2018 image depicts a solar farm in Puerto Rico.
The 2018 image shows a solar facility in Puerto Rico, which has been edited to look like a recent news report using a graphics template.
The claim about damage to a solar farm appeared a Facebook post after wet and windy weather thrashed parts of Queensland earlier in January.
“Shared – Where is that idiot (Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris) Bowen? Whoever thought it was a good idea to build a solar farm in far North Queensland,” the caption said.
“Oh yes, it was clueless politicians, who most likely spent millions on feasibility studies, to confirm the suitability of this location.
“The locals could have told them from experience, that it was a stupid idea, especially with the wild weather North QLD experiences during their wet season.
“Now what are they going to do with those toxic Chinese panels?”
The post featured an image of what appears to be a screengrab from a TV news report with the headline: “BREAKING NEWS NORTHERN QLD SOLAR SMASHED”.
The report includes an image of a severely damaged solar panel facility. It features the Nine News logo in the top left corner.
However, the image is not from Queensland or Nine News.
A reverse image search revealed the photo shows a damaged solar facility on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico.
Forbes.com published the image in May 2018 after Hurricane Maria struck the US territory the previous year.
The news graphics are fake and resemble those used on breakyourownnews.com, a fake news generator.
The earliest instance of the fake screengrab AAP FactCheck found on social media was in an X post.
AAP FactCheck could find no credible reports of solar farms being damaged by recent inclement weather in Queensland.
The verdict: False – The claim is inaccurate.
Source: AAP
AAP FactCheck is an accredited member of the International Fact-Checking Network.
The lengthy delays at what would have been the country's biggest wind farm have forced…
The public remains largely in the dark about the full cost of the giant Snowy…
Amandine Denis-Ryan from IEEFA on what can be done about Australia's unique and unhealthy dependence…
For maximum readings, September came in as Australia's third warmest. For minimums, last month narrowly…
Diesel fuel tax credits earned over 10 years nearly equate the price of a huge…
Updated: The biggest wind farm to reach financial close in Australia in the last two…