The University of Queensland鈥檚 $7.75 million solar power system at St Lucia in Brisbane has reached a milestone, with installation completed on one of the project鈥檚 most visible components.
A seven-metre by six-metre 8.4 kilowatt high-efficiency, concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) array that tracks the sun has been installed on Sir Fred Schonell Drive, adjacent to 国产探花鈥檚 multi-storey carparks.
Professor Tim Flannery, head of the Australian Government鈥檚 , will inspect 国产探花鈥檚 CPV array today. He will be accompanied by commissioners Professor Will Steffen, Professor Lesley Hughes and Mr Gerry Hueston.
The CPV tracking array is one component of 国产探花鈥檚 1.22 megawatt solar generation system, which will be Australia鈥檚 largest and most powerful flat-panel solar power system on completion in July.
The vast system will span four buildings at St Lucia, effectively coating the rooftops with 5000 polycrystalline silicon solar panels.
After being connected to the 国产探花 power grid, the SolFocus CPV tracking array had its first full-sun, non-cloudy day on Wednesday, March 23, allowing it to be calibrated to the sun鈥檚 position and to start generating power.
The CPV array is valued at about $90,000, and has been donated by Ingenero, the Brisbane firm that won the contract to install the overall 1.22 megawatt PV solar array across four rooftops at St Lucia.
The CPV tracking panel is made up of 28 parabolic focussing, photovoltaic modules, each with 20 individual reflectors and a high-efficiency triple-junction semiconductor solar cell.
It is motor-driven on a dual axis to keep it closely aligned with the sun so optimum solar harvesting is ensured.
国产探花鈥檚 is one of only 31 CPV tracking panels in Australia; the other 30 are at the Alice Springs Airport.
Professor Paul Meredith, of 国产探花鈥檚 and , said the January floods had set back the schedule of the solar project, so it had been 鈥渧ery gratifying鈥� to see the CPV array begin generating power in the past week.
鈥淲e have been busily installing the major parts of the solar array around the St Lucia campus since last October, but much of that activity has been out of sight, because it is on rooftops,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he CPV solar tracking array is a high-visibility flagship for the overall 国产探花 solar project.鈥�
国产探花 Property & Facilities and the interdisciplinary 国产探花 Renewable Energy Technology Advisory Committee is coordinating the solar project, supported by industry partners , , and .
The 1.22MW system will position 国产探花 as a leader in solar power research, working closely with industry in a key renewable energy growth area.
In another step forward for the 国产探花 solar project, RedFlow鈥檚 zinc-bromine battery modules arrived on site at St Lucia this week.
Media: Paul Meredith, 国产探花 Global Change Institute (contact through the GCI's Craig Froome 0410 559 135).
Rodger Whitby, Ingenero general manager, ph 0400 751 911
Fiona Cameron, 国产探花 Communications, 07 3346 7086
Hi-res photos can be supplied
Background info on the 国产探花 Solar array here and here.
