AGL’s commercial solar arm has completed the installation of a 5.99 MW solar array and a 2.3 MW / 4.5 MWh battery energy storage system that will help power operations at the Kerarbury almond farm near Griffith in northern New South Wales (NSW).
The grid-connected system, which includes 10,250 solar panels mounted on a single-axis tracking system, is expected to produce up to 14,000 MWh of clean energy annually.
AGL general manager for commercial and industrial customers, Ryan Warburton, said the solar and storage facility will help transition away from reliance grid electricity and slash operating costs at the 2,530-hectare orchard owned by Rural Funds Group and operated by ofi, the world’s largest grower of almonds.
“They’ll achieve high renewable energy penetration of nearly 83%, from the over 10,000 solar panels and battery,” he said, adding that “the energy park highlights how renewables can provide greater energy certainty for primary industries and enable customers to actively participate in the transition to renewable energy.”
Warburton said the energy produced by this project will also be connected to AGL’s Virtual Power Plant (VPP), allowing any excess power produced at the farm to be accessed by other customers across Australia.
AGL currently manages 296 MW of commercial solar and decentralised assets like battery energy storage systems and said its VPP “provides a large bank of controllable energy that can help to stabilise the electricity grid and further support a transition to a cleaner energy future.”
Warburton said the Kerarbury solar and storage solution is the third major system built by AGL for almond industry clients.
“AGL has been working with leading agribusinesses from almond farms like Kerarbury or Caddell, to vineyards and other farming operations for many years,” he said, adding that each system is designed and built to meet the specific needs of each farm.
“We work with them to transition away from reliance on diesel or grid electricity, to electrify through renewable sources like solar and battery storage, with cost-effective solutions.”
AGL will operate and maintain the Kerarbury system under a 20-year partnership. The project is physically complete and commissioned, with final network approvals pending before it begins full operation.
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