CSIRO’s Mayfield West solar field, near Newcastle, was tuned-up for Earth Hour this week.
The field’s mirrors, which are normally directed at a 30-metre-tall solar tower, were adjusted to reflect the Earth Hour’s ”60+” symbol at sunrise on Tuesday.
The solar field, which was opened last year, is at the spearhead of Australia’s clean energy research program.
The field includes 450 mirrors and the solar tower. The field’s mirrors beam sunlight at the tower, where compressed air heats to 1000 degrees and expands through a 200-kilowatt turbine to generate electricity.
A computer program calibrates the mirrors to beam sunlight accurately, which cuts down on the cost of building individually aiming mirrors.
The CSIRO is also involved in a world-first electricity generation network with the potential to revolutionise supply grid technology which has been successfully trialled in Lake Macquarie, NSW.
The virtual power station comprises 20 solar photovoltaic and wind power generators across the city that combine to provide a stable electricity supply.
The network’s combined efficiency overcomes the problems with supply variability that can affect individual renewable energy generators.
Those connected to the grid also have the option of selling their power to the network at a peak rate during periods of high demand.
”We showed that during the trial that small-scale solar systems can actually benefit the electricity grid and possibly earn a home owner a significant amount of money,” CSIRO theme leader for Local Energy Systems Glenn Platt said.
”The popularity of solar is going to grow and grow. If we are smart then these solar systems can make a dramatic improvement to the grid,” Dr Platt said.
Lake Macquarie Council’s sustainability manager Alice Howe said the council participated in the trial to help meet its target of a 3 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
”We believe this technology could help encourage households to install solar electricity systems by improving the economic return of solar systems and shortening the payback period,” Dr Howe said.
”Solar panels help make households energy independent and less affected by increasing energy prices so there are many advantages.”
Dr Platt said the Lake Macquarie trial would be recreated on a larger scale.
