Almost 6000 solar panels to help power Flinders University

One of Adelaide’s largest solar arrays will soon provide one-fifth of the electricity needed to power Flinders University’s Bedford Park campus, setting the scene for the introduction of autonomous campus shuttles run on renewable energy.

Set to be switched on in October, the project will be one of the first deliverables in Flinders’ updated sustainability plan, currently being developed in consultation with the university community and scheduled to be released next year. The draft sustainability plan positions Flinders to achieve zero net emissions from electricity by 2020.

According to Flinders University Vice-President (Corporate Services) Mark Gregory, the university’s main campus has a large number of people and uses a significant amount of resources. With this in mind, 5817 solar panels have now been installed at the campus, demonstrating its commitment to renewable energy and complementing its reputation for research into clean energy technologies.

“We’ve built a massive solar array of 4136 panels over an existing car park to create a solar carport, plus installed a further 1681 panels across six rooftops, that collectively will generate 20% of the university’s electricity needs,” said Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling.

“The solar carport will include a charging dock for recharging planned autonomous shuttles that will ferry people across campus from the future Flinders Rail station. We’ve made provision for charging points for plug-in electric vehicles, to encourage their use on campus by providing access to free solar energy.”

The 1.8 MW system is one of South Australia’s largest solar arrays to date, generating an estimated 2700 MWh per annum — or 19.3% of Flinders’ core campus electricity. Costing $4.89 million, it is expected to pay for itself within seven years and will continue to generate energy for the rest of its expected life of 25 years.

“While we are improving our operational costs, we’re also providing an opportunity for our researchers to test ‘real world’ deployment of renewable energy technologies on our localised electricity grid at Bedford Park, as we create a more robust system with flexible forms of supply,” Professor Stirling said.

“There will also be many opportunities for this project to be used in our teaching and learning to expose students to the latest in renewable energy technology, engineering, civil and transport system development.

“Ultimately, we want to create campus environments that enable students and staff to experience the technology of the future — and partner with industry, government and the community to maximise the benefits to all.”