eli5 Why is there no giant solar farm in Australia?

821 views

My cursory Google says that it’s not impossible. So why?

EDIT: Answer seems to be that (politics aside) practically it’s cost prohibitive and the tech can’t transfer the energy over the distance required.

In: 609

29 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Australia has a high level of solar irradiance, which means it receives a lot of sunlight, making it well-suited for solar energy. As a result, solar energy has been increasingly utilized in the country in recent years.

There are several large solar farms in Australia, including the Moree Solar Farm, which has a capacity of 240 MW and is located in New South Wales. The Royalla Solar Farm is a 20 MW solar farm located in the Australian Capital Territory, and the Solar Choice Bulli Creek Solar Farm is a 10 MW solar farm located in Queensland.

In addition to these large solar farms, there are also many smaller-scale solar projects in Australia, including rooftop solar panels on homes and businesses. As of 2021, around 15% of Australia’s electricity was generated from solar power.
Despite the growth in solar energy, Australia still relies on a mix of energy sources, including coal, natural gas, and hydroelectric power. The country has abundant reserves of coal and natural gas, and these sources have traditionally been used to generate electricity.

Hydroelectric power is also an important source of electricity in Australia, particularly in the eastern states.

The development of large-scale renewable energy projects, such as giant solar farms, can be challenging due to a variety of factors, including financing, regulatory issues, and environmental impacts. For example, large solar farms can take up a lot of land and may require the construction of new transmission infrastructure. Additionally, there can be issues with obtaining necessary permits and approvals, and there may be concerns about the environmental impacts of the project. These challenges can make it difficult to develop giant solar farms in Australia.

From ChatGPT

You are viewing 1 out of 29 answers, click here to view all answers.