Australia’s largest concentrated photovoltaic solar plant opens

Solar Systems officially opened its 1.5 MW Mildura Solar Demonstration Facility today.

The solar CPV plant provides enough electricity to power up to 500 homes while removing 4200 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year. It is now connected to the national grid and is producing power under a power purchase agreement signed with Diamond Energy in 2012.

Solar Systems, a leader in utility-scale solar power technology, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Silex Systems.

“The official opening of the Mildura Solar Demonstration Facility is a seminal milestone for Australian clean energy and an outstanding showcase of Australian innovation,” Silex Managing Director and CEO Michael Goldsworthy commented.

“It is expected to demonstrate the economic feasibility of the company’s ‘Dense Array’ CPV dish technology for utility-scale solar power generation at a time when governments around the world are considering solutions for a zero-emissions energy future.

“We anticipate investment in CPV solar will continue to rise as its feasibility as a cost-effective clean energy solution becomes entrenched.”

The facility is a demonstration plant designed to establish, over extended operational periods, that Solar Systems’ Dense Array CPV dish technology can produce electricity reliably and cost-effectively.

The facility will be expanded to 100 MW, featuring 2000 dishes and providing peak power output sufficient for up to 40,000 homes. Once the expansion is complete, the 100 MW Mildura Solar Facility will be the largest solar plant in Australia and one of the largest solar CPV plants in the world.