The New England Solar project, a 720MW initiative developed by ACEN Australia, has achieved its peak generating capacity of 400MW and now serves as a grazing area for over 2,000 merino sheep.
Spanning 2,000 hectares of cleared grazing land leased from local landholders, this project will supply clean renewable energy to approximately 300,000 homes. The completion of the first 400MW phase has positioned it as one of Australia’s largest operating solar PV generators.
Approximately one million solar panels have been installed across 1,200 hectares of the Stage 1 project site. The practice of coexisting sheep and solar farms, known as solar grazing, has demonstrated through various trials that solar panels enhance local conditions by providing shade and moisture, leading to improved pasture.
Robyn Doyle, the Workplace Health and Safety Adviser at New England Solar, is responsible for overseeing the introduction of sheep to the solar farm site. Ms Doyle, who grew up on a large sheep farm in western New South Wales, is delighted to combine her new career on the solar farm with her previous experience in sheep farming.
She stated, “The panels offer shade from the hot sun and rain for the sheep and protection from aerial predators for their young lambs. It just seems like a really good match – the sheep stay protected and well fed, and they help reduce vegetation and fire risks on site.”
The sheep have access to drinking water from natural dams on part of the site, while in other areas, pipes deliver water from bores on neighbouring farms. Ewes have even given birth to young lambs under solar panels on at least two occasions.
Plans are in place to introduce additional sheep from other landholders, potentially increasing the solar grazing group to more than 6,000 sheep in total.
David Pollington, Managing Director of ACEN Australia, noted that the New England Solar project is now supplying clean renewable energy to the National Electricity Market and praised the local community, businesses, and First Nations partners for their support throughout the project’s development.
He said, “It’s a great sight to see agriculture co-existing with renewable energy in such a positive way. The project will provide enough clean renewable energy to power around 300,000 homes, but it’s also providing a really productive space where sheep can graze, protected from the harsh elements, particularly during hot conditions.”
The New England Solar project is being developed in two phases by ACEN Australia, with Stage 1 construction commencing in 2021. The second stage, New England Solar Stage 2, includes a 320MW solar development and a 200MW two-hour battery storage system that will supply on-demand energy to 175,000 homes. Stage 2 construction is scheduled to commence in 2024.