Feasibility Study for Medium Scale Solar PV Farms within Brisbane City Council

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This report investigates the feasibility of setting up the solar PV farms within Brisbane city. The role of federal, state and local authorities towards the success of this project is looked into by considering the policies and measures that the authorities have in place with regards to renewable energy development and exploitation. The potential stakeholders of this project are also identified and ways in which the project will impact them both during its construction and its operation identified. Suggestions are also given on how their support may be secured. Conclusions are then made from the findings of the report. While renewable energy sources are expected to be the fastest growing, fossil fuels will still contribute to about 75% of the world energy consumption all through to 2040 (EIA, 2017).

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This rise has brought about such environmental hazards as greenhouse emissions which have in turn resulted in global warming; a phenomenon that threatens not only natural diversity but also jeopardizes human health (Yu &Halog, 2015). This is especially the case with non-renewable sources of energy such as natural gas, coaland petroleum whose combustion has been known to contribute significantly to the greenhouse emissions (Perera, 2017). With the effects of global warming already being felt in most parts of the world and being projected to worsen in the near future if no measures are taken, there has been a lot of advocacy on the need to shift towards clean/renewable sources of energy such as wind, water and solar among others in a bid to minimize the impacts of global warming (Yu &Halog, 2015).

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Solar energy is arguably one of the most efficient forms of renewable energy, seeing as itisavailable in abundance in nature and is therefore reliable and most importantly, it is a clean energy source (IEA, 2011). Solar photovoltaic entails the direct use of solar energy in the production of energy. The technology has been exploited for a long time in different parts of Europe and has therefore been proven to be reliable and efficient (Yu &Halog, 2015). As such, the photovoltaic technology would be a sustainable option for Brisbane in its energy transition from non-renewable energy sources to clean energy. This report looks into the options for developing medium-scale commercial solar PV farms within the area of Brisbane City Council by looking into the federal, state and local energy policies and regulations that apply to this project while also considering the various stakeholders and how the project might impact them as well as ways in which their support can be secured.

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Figure: World energy consumption by energy source (1990-2040) Source: https://www. The scheme saw some reforms in 2015, the majority of which were aimed at providing certainty to the industry while also encouraging further investments in renewable energy and improving the market conditions for the same. The scheme was amended to: 1. Restore biomass from natural forest wood wastes to eligibility as a renewable energy source, while also reinstating the safeguards that had been in place before the eligibility was removed in 2011. Remove the biennial RET scheme reviews requirement and replace them with a regular status update through the Clean Energy Regulator in order to give more certainty to the industry while also guaranteeing transparency to the consumers. Ensure the competitiveness of Australian industries and to protect Australian jobs by increasing the assistance accorded to all emission-intensive trade-exposed industries to 100% RET costs exemption.

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This is achieved through the legislation of the demand for Small-scale Technology Certificates. SRES‘s eligibility is limited to the household or small-scale installations only and has a target of 4000 gigawatt hours annually (Parliament of Australia, 2010). Effectiveness of the RET Data from the Department of the Environment and Energy shows that there has been a notable increase in the generation of all the forms of renewable electricity since the introduction of the RET, and while this may not be attributed entirely to the program, it is an indicator that the program has been considerably successful in its operations (DEE, 2017). Electricity generation from renewable resources except hydro power has significantly increased over the years (DEE, 2017). The fluctuation in hydro power has been as a result of the mid-2000s decrease in rainfall.

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A large part of the program’s budget has been committed to such projects as solar photo-voltaic stations, solar thermal integration, geothermal projects, wave energy projects, biofuelprojects, and energy hybridization and storage projects. As is provided for in the Australian Renewable Energy Agency Act of 2011, the program has the following roles (ARENA Act, 2011): 1. Provision of financial assistance for research on renewable energy technologies, development of renewable energy technologies and storage and sharing of knowledge and information on renewable energy technologies 2. Entering into agreements for purposes of the provision of financial assistance for the above 3. Collection, analysis, interpretation,and dissemination of knowledge and information on renewable energy projects and technologies 4. The NEPP is involved in energy policy and regulates transport fuels, gas and electricity.

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Some of its approaches include implementing energy market reforms to encourage innovation and competition in the energy industry while also promoting consumer choice and implementing energy efficiency measures that aim for better energy use in vehicles, buildings and equipment (DEE, 2018b). The Australian government is keen on promoting the development and exploitation of renewable energy. Through its various programs such as RET, NEG, NEPP, ARENA,and CEFC, the government provides funding and guidance to entities dealing in renewable energy generation. As such, the solar PV farms project would obtain funding from the government, which would aid in putting up the farms. Queensland’s planning system is governed by the State Planning Policy which represents the interests if the state as pertain to land use planning and development.

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The result of the promotion of these interests through the development and plan making decisions of the local and state governments is a more sustainable Queensland (Department of Infrastructure, 2017). Through the Queensland Renewable Energy Plan, the state is building on the policies and strategies employed by the Australian government to develop renewable energy. Some of the initiatives that the state is involved in include: 1. The Queensland Renewable Energy Fund of $50 million that facilitates the development and exploitation of renewable energy technologies 2. Clean, Green, Sustainable 2017-2031 highlights the sustainability plans of Brisbane City while also outlining the commitments and future targets that the city has towards achieving a greener, cleaner and more sustainable city. The main themes of Brisbane. Clean, Green, Sustainable 2017-2031 include biodiversity, cleaner air, sustainable City Shape, parks, low carbon, green transport, urban forests, waste and resource recovery and a Water Smart City (Brisbane City Council, 2018a) Brisbane has a continuous improvement program that identifies, assesses, and delivers projects that reduce its energy use and associated carbon emissions.

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Its commitment towards sustainable use has seen the city achieve a carbon neutral status (Brisbane City Council, 2018c). The city council is taking several actions aimed at reducing its emissions in compliance with the carbon neutrality commitment. More importantly, the success of this project would bring the city closer to attaining its goal seeing as it would increase the supply of electricity within the city thereby helping to meet the demand for the same while also reducing reliance on non-renewable energy sources for electricity generation. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT Along with legal, technical and planning compliance, the input of stakeholders is very important for the success of any project. Some of the potential key stakeholders of the solar PV farms project include: • Local residents of the Brisbane City Council: establishment of solar farms may take up a lot of land belonging to the local people.

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The local residents risk being displaced and should, therefore, be assured that they will be fully compensated. During the construction of the solar PV farms, the local community could benefit from employment on the project sites. • Project Developers and providers of solar energy technologies: they are responsible for making available the solar systems required for the project and also overseeing the entire project, from the evaluation of project viability to selection and acquisition of site, negotiation of contracts, and selection of contractors and actual development of the project. CONCLUSION In light of the analysis conducted, it is evident that the establishment of solar PV farms in Brisbane would be a great step towards achieving energy sustainability while also reducing the emission of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuel for electricity.

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Here are some of the key findings from the study: • There is need to shift towards renewable sources of energy such as water, wind, geothermal and solar energy among others in order to minimize the emission of greenhouse gases because the effects of global warming are already being felt and are expected to get worse in the future if no action is taken now. • Australia relies heavily on fossil fuels for energy production and this has resulted in the underdevelopment of renewable energy sources. Additionally, there has also been an increase in energy consumption in the country over the years,and this means that there is a lot of potential for renewable energy projects seeing as the area is currently underexploited.

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One of the most significant steps involves energy efficiency through the reduction of electricity consumption and generation of renewable energy. In light of this, the council would be willing and ready to support projects such as the solar PV farms because they share in the city’s vision of reducing emissions and attaining energy efficiency through renewable energy generation. References Australian Renewable Energy Agency Act of 2011 Australian Renewable Energy Agency ARENA (2018). Welcome to ARENA, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. https://arena. Brisbane City Council (2018a). Brisbane. Clean, Green, Sustainable 2017-2031. https://www. brisbane. au/environment-waste/be-clean-green-brisbane/brisbane-clean-green-sustainable-2017-2031. Accessed September 26, 2018 Brisbane City Council (2018c). Carbon Neutral Council. https://www. brisbane. Clean Energy Finance Corporation. https://www. finance. gov. au/investment-funds/clean-energy-finance-corporation/ Accessed September 26, 2018.

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