Solar photovoltaics 09: A 220kw solar power station for the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands
Renewable Energy Commercialisation in Australia, Australian Greenhouse Office, 2003
NOTE: The status of these projects will have changed since the time of publication, and project contacts may also have changed.
Solar Systems Pty Ltd is constructing a power station that concentrates solar energy for conversion to electricity for use in the remote Anangu Pitjantjatjara lands.
Despite the acceptance of solar power as a technically viable form of electricity generation, efficient and cost-effective production is still a major challenge facing the industry. Although the amount of solar energy available is very high, it is a dilute energy source, which makes it difficult to harvest efficiently. An ingenious method has been developed to concentrate the energy before conversion.
With the assistance of a $1 million grant under the Renewable Energy Commercialisation Program, the Pitjantjatjara Council Inc. and the South Australian Division of State Aboriginal Affairs are building a unique solar power station for the Anangu Pitjantjatjara lands. Located in the north-west corner of South Australia, these lands cover an area in excess of 100,000 square kilometres and are home to approximately 2,500 people.
As the lead grantee, the Pitjantjatjara Council Projects Department has contracted a Melbourne-based company, Solar Systems Pty Ltd, to construct the power station, which consists of ten CS500 dishes connected to a mini-grid servicing a number of communities.
The CS500 dish employs Solar Systems' high-concentration photovoltaic (PV) technology, using mirrored parabolic collectors to concentrate the sun approximately 500 times onto the highly efficient PV receivers. Each dish has approximately 130 square metres of curved mirrors and its own control system and inverter. It tracks the sun on both azimuth and elevation axes, and is capable of operating independently from the rest of the power station. The dual axes allow the dish to track the sun from sunrise to sunset, maximising the output of the system.
Although each dish is currently rated at 22kW, a unique feature of the CS500 is that it can be upgraded to produce more electricity simply by replacing the receiver as higher-efficiency PV modules are developed. This allows for significant increases in power output for only a fraction of the original cost.
In deciding on the Solar Systems CS500, Pitjantjatjara Council Projects and its partners focused on five key areas:
- efficiency-minimising the cost per kWh
- upgradability-ensuring the ability to retrofit efficiency enhancements without rendering the original investment obsolete
- reliability-designed with remote locations in mind, without single points of failure and with a 'module swap' maintenance regime, the CS500 meets all key requirements
- the ability to work with Solar Systems in further developing the product and installation process in remote areas, helping to increase our skills base and decrease the cost of future installations, and
- the modular nature of the CS500, which allows for future power stations to be sized up or down to suit the distinctive needs of the community.
The power station is specifically designed for operation in remote locations and uses high levels of redundancy and automatic fail-safe procedures. This is especially important for areas where highly technical staff may not be readily available. The design includes an on-site control room however, there is also the facility to fully monitor and operate the station from a distance. This is vital when working in very remote areas where travel can be measured in days rather than hours, and helps ensure any problems can be quickly identified and the correct solution obtained prior to attending the site.
It is anticipated that the power station will reduce diesel consumption by more than 160,000 litres each year, resulting in significant financial savings and reductions in greenhouse emissions. Pitjantjatjara Council Projects and its partners also think that the skills they develop through this project will improve their overall ability to serve their clients.
For more information please contact
David Holland
Solar Systems Pty Ltd
6 Luton lane
Hawthorn VIC 3122
Tel (03) 9819 9544
Fax (03) 9819 9063
Email info@solarsystems.com.au
Internet www.solarsystems.com.au
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