Exploring Australian Solar Farms: Insights and Observations

Recently, Charlie Beatson and Barry Redelinghuys embarked on a road trip visiting various solar farms across Australia, delving into the realm of renewable energy and gaining valuable insights. Their trip took them through Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales, where they had the opportunity to witness the scale of these solar installations and interact with key industry players.

This article presents a comprehensive overview of their experiences, highlighting their observations and the contributions we aim to make in this burgeoning sector.

Exploring the Solar Farms

The itinerary was carefully planned to cover a diverse range of solar farms.

On the Monday, they visited the Glenrowan Solar Farm, Watters Electrical Solar Farm, and the Wunghnu Solar Farm in Victoria.

The journey continued Tuesday with a visit to the Manum Solar Farm and the Tailem Bend 1 and 2 Solar Farms in South Australia.

Finally, on Wednesday, the team explored the Wollar SF, Stubbo SF, Wellington 1 and 2 Solar Farms in New South Wales.

Key Industry Players

During their trip, the team had the privilege of meeting with several prominent organisations and companies.

Among those were Watters, GRS, PSD, PCL, SEPD, Sterling & Wilson, and 5B. These meetings provided them with valuable insights into the operational aspects of solar farms.

Objectives of the Journey

The team undertook this trip with two primary objectives in mind.

Firstly, they aimed to gather feedback on the performance of Identimark’s time-saving products and assess the actual time saved during on-site operations.

Secondly, they sought to identify common challenges faced during the installation phase of projects, as well as issues arising in the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) phase, particularly those leading to premature failures.

Observations and Experiences

The experiences at the solar farms left them in absolute awe of the sheer magnitude of these sites.

The farms in New South Wales, in particular, featured perimeter fences spanning over 20 kilometres, emphasising the scale of the installations.

They also noted the challenges associated with sourcing labour in certain locations, leading to a growing focus on optimising workflows and reducing the dependency on a large workforce.

From an O&M perspective, Charlie and Barry identified several core challenges.

Poor installation practices often resulted in cable damage, which could lead to fire hazards, arc flashes, and the malfunctioning of entire rows of solar panels.

Additionally, the presence of birds and rodents posed a threat to the infrastructure.

They also observed an increasing emphasis on sustainability, including the need for effective recycling of solar panels and other waste materials.

Contributions and Solutions

Armed with these newfound insights, the Identimark team is determined to contribute to the solar farm industry by providing innovative solutions.

We have gained fresh ideas on how to support on-site construction teams, particularly in expediting cable management and labelling processes.

Additionally, we aim to assist O&M contractors by offering better cable protection and management products, as well as replacement labelling for faded or damaged signage.

Conclusion

This trip provided us with an even deeper first-hand understanding of the challenges and opportunities within this dynamic industry.

The scale and complexity of these sites showcased the immense potential of renewable energy. We aspire to continue to play a pivotal role in supporting the growth and sustainability of solar farms, ultimately contributing to a cleaner and greener future.

About Identimark

Identimark is a leading provider of signage, cable management and cable labeling solutions that are durable and reliable. Our products are designed to meet the needs of large scale infrastructure projects in the energy sector.