NSW solar farms shine as wind dominates in western Australia

In March, solar farms in New South Wales dominated the top spots in Australia’s solar facility output rankings, with 15 out of the top 20 facilities located in the state. The list, compiled by energy analyst David Dixon at Rystad, highlighted Iberdrola’s Avonlie solar farm as the best performer, achieving a capacity factor of 32.3 per cent. Following closely were Sun Energy’s Merredin solar farm in Western Australia and Metka’s Corowa solar farm in NSW.

Notable entries on the list included the newly commissioned Tailem Bend 2 solar farm from South Australia, Blue Grass from Queensland, and Victoria’s Gannawarra and Glenrowan West solar farms. Capacity factors of these facilities can be influenced by various factors such as weather conditions, sunshine levels, wholesale prices, and network constraints. Some solar farms may choose to shut down when wholesale prices drop below a certain threshold.

Wind Farm Performance

On the wind energy front, Western Australia dominated the top 20 list with six of the top seven wind farms, including an impressive 60 per cent capacity factor from Alinta and Ratch Energy’s Yandin wind farm. The newly connected Flat Rocks wind farm also showcased strong performance. While Yandin achieved a record 60 per cent capacity factor in a single month, other wind farms like Kiata, Cullerin Range, Woodlawn, Walkaway, Badgingarra, and Moreton’s Lane have surpassed this figure in the past.

Queensland excelled in wind energy output, with Kennedy, Coopers Gap, and the new Dulacca wind farms securing spots in the top 10. South Australia had seven entries in the top 20, while NSW had two (Sapphire and White Rock), Tasmania one (Woolworth), and Victoria none in the top 20.

Record Utility Scale Solar PV and Wind Output

Dixon reported that the combined output of all Australian utility-scale solar PV and wind assets reached 4,102 GWh in March, marking a 17 per cent increase from the previous year. New monthly records for utility solar generation were set in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia, primarily driven by improved asset performance rather than an increase in the number of solar farms.

Similarly, new monthly records for utility wind generation were achieved in Western Australia, Queensland, and South Australia, attributed to the energising of new wind capacity over the past 12 months. Notable contributors to this milestone included Octopus Energy’s Dulacca in Queensland and Enel Green Power’s Flat Rocks wind farm in Western Australia.

At a state level, New South Wales led the pack in electricity generation, producing 1,160 GWh, with 670 GWh from utility PV and 490 GWh from wind sources.