Sun Farms - Solar Power
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If you are seeing this message, you made need to upgrade your Flash plugin, or turn on Java Script in your browser, or upgrade your browser itself (Internet Explorer, Firefox) so you can view our videos.It is a tough life in the Australian outback farm; the last 10 years have been the hottest ever. There is an ongoing battle for survival and preservation of cattle and crops in a worsening drought. Yet some Australian farms have an easier time with little maintenance or water needed to operate them. These modern day farms are Sun farms.
Sun farms require no water, no feed, no pesticides; and they give back lots of
free time. Sun farmers like Adrian have plenty of time to spend with their
family and on hobbies which are powered by clean renewable energy. He can look
at a cloudless day with eager anticipation rather than dismay. With his solar
farm he has worked out that in 20 years, his sun farm will have made him
$1million.Crucially, it isn't just the lifestyle and economic benefits that Adrian enjoys. It is also the satisfaction of knowing he is saving tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year. Ninety percent of the electricity generated in Australia is generated from burning fossil fuels like coal or natural gases. These emit hazardous greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming.
The solar panels Adrian uses to capture solar energy will last over 50 years and produce no toxic waste or carbon emissions as an operational by-product. The panels are tolerant to heat and dust. The panels on Adrian's farm are made up of Kaneka thin film solar panels. Each panel is one square metre and each sub-frame holds about 15 panels. These mounting frames are galvanised steel with stainless steel fasteners, designed to stay sturdy and strong for years.
Unlike other solar farms, these panels are fixed and do not track the sun. The biggest advantage of fixed solar panels is that they have no moving parts, which means there is little-to-no maintenance. The only maintenance required is keeping the panels clear of debris. A good rain will clean your panels; otherwise, you can give it a wipe or hose down. Also it is generally cheaper to install more fixed solar panels than to install less tracking solar panels.
Seasonal adjustment is recommended with your panels. This is where you change the angle of the solar panels according to the seasonal time. Notably, in winter the position of the sun is lower in the sky than in summer.
To maximize your buyback it is recommended that you install the biggest solar system you can afford. The more solar power you generate, the better your investment and the better it is for the environment. With a grid connected solar system, the electricity is used firstly to power the home and then the surplus is fed back into the main grid. The utilities company will buy this surplus, so it earns you money.
TIP: Don't leave appliances on that you are not using during the day and your energy won't go into powering things like your TV being on standby and will instead be earning you money.
A typical solar sun system can be installed within a week. A wireless solar power display is also generally provided; it enables farmers to continually monitor their solar production. The inverter will show the farmers what the system is producing at that point, what has been produced up to that time, and overall production. It also means that errors can be spotted easily and fixed.
Australia has an almost limitless source of solar energy. Indeed, Professor Ian Lowe from the Australian Conservation Foundation mentions that in Australia the amount of solar energy that hits us alone in one summer day is about half the total global annual energy demand. In other words, the amount of solar energy that Australia gets in one summer's day could power the whole world for half a year.
To learn more about solar power visit DEUS (PDF)
To learn about Australia's Renewable Remote Power Generation Program visit the Australian Governments Renewable Energy page.
