In May this year, the Grong Grong Solar Farm advanced its commissioning process and commenced partial generation and supply into the local Essential Energy 11kV distribution grid.
The solar farm construction and commissioning process includes many steps, managed by our Albury-based EPC contractor Watters Electrical. This included installation of High Voltage electrical infrastructure on the solar farm, local grid shutdown to connect the solar farm to the local distribution grid, then several stages of testing and reporting.
Grid outage and the solar farm connection was performed in mid-April. Commissioning phases include testing increasing levels of solar generation and export to the grid, while monitoring the solar system and local grid for any ill effects. There is also testing of various solar farm protection systems, to ensure the solar farm can be controlled as and when needed to comply with our connection agreement.
In early May, a second round of commissioning saw greater outputs tested. Then in mid-May a third round of testing was done at maximum power outputs (subject to solar irradiance at the time).
This generation and export to the grid was viewable via the SCADA monitoring portal. The screenshot below of a graph from the portal shows daily cumulative generation for the month of May.
Since this third round of commissioning, Grong Grong Solar Farm has been approved to generate at its maximum output until another round of commissioning later in 2024 where we will seek final approval.
As the sun is lower from May until September, the solar farm does not generate at full capacity of 1,480 kW AC. Therefore, the next round of commissioning is planned for October or later when the sun is higher and 1,480 kW of generation is expected.
The graph below shows 7 days of generation in late September.
There are some zero and lower generation levels due to some very negative prices and also cloudy weather. On the final day of the 7 days, a very sunny day, the generation is nearing 1,400kW.
The Grong Grong Solar Farm team, our contractor Watters Electrical and Essential Energy are now preparing documents for the next, and hopefully final stage of commissioning in the coming weeks.
Completion of commissioning will see the solar farm moved from the construction phase into the operations phase. This will see Watters Electrical work completing and the commencement of service provision by an Operations and Maintenance (“O&M”) contractor.
We will keep you updated as commissioning progresses.