The City of Sydney will soon host what is being billed as the biggest solar farm in any central business district in the Southern Hemisphere, with plans to install a roughly 2 megawatt (MW) array at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Darling Harbour.
The ICC Sydney this week revealed plans to decommission its 10-year old existing rooftop solar system and replace it an “urban solar farm” spanning more than 18,400 square metres across the rooftops of its Convention Centre, Exhibition Centre, and Entertainment Centre.
The origina, relatively small 520 kilowatt (kW) commercial solar array, installed in 2016, used heavier panels than much of the facility’s sprawling rooftops could accommodate.
But with lighter and more efficient solar panels now more readily available – and affordable – around 4,500 new modules will be installed, totalling around 2 megawatts (MW), capable of generating 2.6 gigawatt-hours (GWh) each year – enough to power 300 to 400 average Australian homes.
Combined with renewable energy procurement contracts already in place, ICC Sydney aims to be powered by 100 per cent electricity once the solar expansion is complete.
As for the Canadian Solar panels that are being removed from the ICC, around 150 of these are headed for a second life helping to power the Kindly Animal Sanctuary near Armidale.
The decommissioning of the old system is being led by the aptly named Second Life Solar which, as well as donating usable panels to the animal sanctuary, will individually assess every other major component removed from the site, to determine its highest-value next use.
Panels suitable for continued service are professionally tested and electrically certified for reuse, while panels and materials that have reached the end of their useful life are directed through accredited recycling partners to recover valuable resources including aluminium, glass and copper.
In this case, Kindly Animal Sanctuary has been selected as the recipient of all usable panels, to help reduce its reliance on an expensive diesel generator to provide electricity.
“For a charity like ours, energy is one of our biggest operating costs, particularly during winter when we need to keep vulnerable animals warm,” the sanctuary’s Naomi Hooper said in a statement.
“These donated solar panels will help reduce our reliance on gas, diesel generation and wood, lower our running costs and allow us to direct more of our resources towards caring for rescued animals.
“It’s wonderful to know these panels will continue making a difference long after leaving their original home.”
Fr the ICC Sydney, CEO Adam Mather-Brown says the huge new solar system further strengthens the organisation’s position as one of the world’s leading sustainable convention, exhibition and entertainment centres.
“This investment represents another important milestone in ICC Sydney’s sustainability journey and reflects our commitment to leading environmental performance across the global convention and exhibition sector,” Mather-Brown said this week.
“The expanded solar network will allow us to generate significant renewable energy on-site while supporting our clients’ sustainability goals and helping reduce the carbon footprint of events hosted at ICC Sydney.”
News of ICC Sydney’s plans was welcomed by clean energy proponents. Non-profit Solar Citizens praised the decision, calling for more CBD solar farms that can also share excess solar power with their residential neighbours.
The NSW minister for planning and public spaces, Paul Scully, said the new solar installation provided a great example of how to unlock renewable energy generation capacity in urban areas.
“Coming to one of the most environmentally friendly convention centres in the world is a big selling point,” Scully said.
“Hosting the largest solar farm of any CBD in the Southern Hemisphere will help the ICC to reduce emissions and energy costs while also strengthening Sydney’s competitiveness in attracting major international conventions and events.”
“Maximising solar installations on large commercial and public roofs is absolutely the direction all public and private enterprises should embrace,” said Heidi Lee Douglas, Solar Citizens CEO.
“We encourage all commercial and public enterprises to make use of the expanded rebate covering solar installations up to 1 megawatt under the Federal Government’s Small-Scale Renewable Energy Scheme – available from 1 October this year.
“We look forward to the Minns Government taking the next step to the ICC truly becoming an urban ‘solar farm’ and creating a pathway to share the excess solar power they generate during the day with neighbouring apartments and renters – effectively creating an ‘Urban Renewable Energy Zone’.”
To join more than 29,000 others and get the latest clean energy news delivered straight to your inbox, for free, click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter.
