Grong Grong Solar Farm is ready to offer Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with suitably aligned Corporates and Retailers. This is an exciting opportunity for energy buyers to obtain energy price certainty, renewable energy certificates and the social benefits of partnering with Australia’s first crowd equity funded solar farm that is hosting Australia’s first large scale solar garden, the Haystacks Solar Garden.
The project has recently signed a connection agreement with Essential Energy and secured planning approval with Narrandera Shire Council, which means the project is ready for construction. The project is currently at finance stage and is expecting to commence construction in late 2022 with commissioning in the first half of 2023.
Grong Grong Solar Farm is a 1.5 MW (AC) / 1.7MW (DC) Solar Farm and is developed as battery-ready with both the grid connection and planning approval referencing battery, intended to be 2,000 kWh battery. The project is open to a variety of Power Purchase Agreement deal structures, including bundled energy and LGCs, LGC only, energy only, sleeved PPAs and equity investment.
Grong Grong Solar Farm has been developed by Komo Energy, and is supported by a grant from the NSW Government Regional Community Energy Fund. The solar farm is hosting the Haystacks Solar Garden, where up to 333 Cooperative members can purchase a 3kW solar garden plot and enjoy onbill credits via electricity retailer, Energy Locals. Community Power Agency and Pingala partnered with Komo Energy and Grong Grong Solar Farm to setup and manage the solar garden in an Australian first.
“A Power Purchase Agreement with Grong Grong Solar Farm is an excellent opportunity for large energy and LGC buyers to get competitive and certain pricing for the next 7-10 years” says Grong Grong Solar Farm and Komo Energy Director Gerald Arends. “Normally PPAs that support new projects are the realm of very large buyers contracting with large solar or wind farms. This is an opportunity for medium-scale buyers with ambition to address climate change to achieve additionality with their PPA. The PPA will be with Grong Grong Solar Farm as the owner of the solar farm, but will provide significant indirect benefits to our partners at the Haystacks Solar Garden.”
Haystacks Solar Garden Co-op Chairperson Kristy Walters added “A PPA with a suitably aligned buyer would bring additional certainty for the hundreds of Haystacks Solar Gardeners who are seeking to reduce their energy bills and many of whom simply do not have access to solar. We know many corporates and retailers are recognising the environmental and financial benefits from renewable energy. Through supporting Australia’s first large-scale solar garden they can catalyse change in the solar and community energy sector as well. If ever there was an opportunity for a corporate or retailer to effect change in the energy sector through their purchasing decision – this is it!”
Komo Energy will be managing the PPA process on behalf of Grong Grong Solar Farm. The draft timeline is as follows:
Interested parties should email sophia@komoenergy.com.au to receive a draft of the confidentiality agreement.
Disclaimer
This project is proudly funded by the NSW Government under the Regional Community Energy Fund. The views expressed herein are those of Grong Grong Solar Farm only and not representative of any other agency or government entity.