Nearly 12,000 solar panels to be installed
The nation’s largest crowd funded PV project, Orange Community Renewable Energy Park (OCREP), is expected to be operational this year. Solar panels are anticipated to arrive by July, after work started in late 2024 on the site at 643 Mitchell Highway, Orange NSW.
Partially owned by shareholders from the 2800 postcode region, the park is a 5 MW solar installation with 11,676 solar panels, 10 MWh battery storage technology and solar tracking mechanisms.
The first payouts to investors will approximately be six months after commissioning.
Central West NSW Renewable Energy Co-operative Chair and Electrify 28000 member, Granton Smith provided the following update on the park.
Stakeholder/community engagement plans approved by Council
The Construction Environmental Management Plan (covering dust suppression, noise mitigation, stakeholder/community engagement, complaints register, etc.) has been approved by Orange City Council, while the Waste Management and Decommissioning Plan is still being reviewed and pending approval.
The detailed design for the solar farm’s connection into the electricity grid has been completed by the Accredited Service Provider, and is now under review by Essential Energy, pending response to finalise and verify the connection design.
“The electricity generated by the park is fed into the national grid, with excess power used to recharge a battery for later use or sold when electricity prices peak. By supporting this initiative, [shareholders] have contributed to reducing carbon emissions for the entire lifespan of the park.”
Preparation in play this month
Preparation of the Construction Certificate is now underway and will be ready for issuance this month. Final discussions are underway with Transport for NSW and all roadworks are expected to be finished next month.
Hardware has arrived and is in storage, with 80% of engineering complete. Work on the digital remote monitoring system is also underway.
“[The park] is great for our communities, there’s no doubt that decommissioning older coal power plants will help to improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions. NSW is positioning itself as a leader in renewable energy, attracting investment and creating new industries.
Our co-op’s commitment to clean energy is contributing to a global effort to combat climate change. We’re doing our bit.”
Background
The Energy Democracy Central West NSW Renewable Energy Co-operative successfully reached the community fundraising goal of $1.35 million to secure ownership of the park. The project also benefited from a $3.5m grant from the New South Wales Government’s Regional Community Energy Fund in 2020. The program was designed to assist local communities to participate in innovative and dispatchable renewable energy.
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