Left over PV panels and battery storage help solar farm builders dump diesel

A solar and battery storage system using “left over” PV modules has been installed at the site of a solar farm being built in Victoria, to slash the use of diesel in the construction of the large-scale project.

Enel Green Power Australia along with contractor Beon Energy Solutions are developing the 93MW Girgarre solar farm west of Shepparton in the north of Victoria, having kicked off construction in September of last year.

The companies say the site originally ran on generators that used almost 6,000 litres of diesel a month to power several office spaces, toilet blocks, and break and meeting rooms.

They expect the rooftop solar and battery based hybrid power station to reduce on-site consumption of the costly and polluting fossil fuel by a sizeable 88 per cent.

Repurposing leftover panels for the task is particularly inspired. Beon says that for jobs like Girgarre it orders extra solar panels to ensure there is enough supply to combat any breakage or faulty units and there are often panels left over. This is a way to put them to good use.

Solar panel reuse is considered to be one of the key tools to address Australia’s looming PV waste problem, with many modules discarded well before the end of their working lives.

Some experts have argued Australia is wasting a massive opportunity to re-use second-hand solar panels, both as a way to prevent them from going to landfill and as a major market opportunity.

But there are also barriers – not least the regulatory barriers around getting second-hand panels certified for re-use, to ensure they are safe and do, indeed, still work to a satisfactory level.

For developers of large-scale solar projects, however, where the contractors include experienced and qualified electricians – and likely have an inside line on good sources of used panels – it seems like a no-brainer.

Chris Barry, Enel Green Power Australia’s head of health, safety and environment says the initiative forms an integral component of the company’s sustainable construction model, which is used across all its construction sites.

“Our objective is to collaborate closely with our contractors … [to] not only amplify the beneficial impacts of each renewable power plant but also proactively address any adverse effects of construction activities,” Barry said.

Beon’s head of renewables Andy McCutcheon says the switch is expected to save 133 tonnes of CO2 emissions over the life of the project.

“We look for ways to be more efficient, reduce our carbon footprint and add benefits to the community,” McCutcheon said.

“By making this change, we are keeping emissions as low as possible during construction of this solar farm.”