The University of Queensland is bringing a big project to the Warwick area. The development of their Solar Farm at Sladevale, Map 14 H3 is just 4 km east of the Caltex Truck Stop.

Just like the Big W Distribution Centre in East St provides transport and warehousing to SE Queensland, the solar farm will provide services, in this case electricity, across southern Queensland with gridding to northern NSW. These projects bring outside income and wealth to Warwick and district.

The UQ Solar Farm will provide jobs during its construction and for decades to come with its operation.

This is not a wind farm, with their associated noise and bird issues. Solar cells are static; they don’t have moving parts. But… they need to be cleaned and their connections need to be maintained. And, weeds need to be hoed so they do not overshadow the cells during lower sun parts of the day. These are long-term jobs for Warwick locals.



The artist’s impression above and on our front cover, shows how surrounding tree lines can both protect the cells from wind, as any farmer knows, and provide a pleasant visual experience.

While global warming is a major factor in promoting the solar farm, the more practical issues are often the very important side benefits. I was in Delhi India for a month in 1980. The air was fairly clean. In January 2019, I was speaking with a doctor who had moved from Delhi to Caloundra. He said the pollution now in Delhi is bad. My brother, Tony, a migration agent for 35 years, finds many people really move to Australia for the clean air; much more than for the good incomes.

UQ Project



The $125,000,000 UQ project will total around 64 MW of AC power and 78 MW of DC power. About 30% of the project site of 154 hectares will be covered by solar modules. The balance of land is for spacing between the rows of panels, 16 inverter stations, access roads, screening vegetation several small buildings including a site office and a visitor centre.

Interestingly 30% of 154 ha is 46 ha. With 10,000 sq m per ha (ie 100m x 100m) this 46 ha is 460,000 sq m of solar panels. Most solar panels on people’s homes convert about 14% of the sun’s eneregy falling on them into electricity. However, a project like this will have better siting and management and should reach a desired conversion of about 22%. As about 1 kw falls each hour on each sq m in the peak of the day, the across the day is about 500 watts per 10 hour day, meaning about 5,000 watts. With a 22% conversion this is 1,100 watts per day from each sq metre of solar cells, or 110 watts per hour.

However, even this 46 ha has solar panel frames and spaces, reducing the effective solar cell to sun area.

These panels are really called Photovoltaics which basically means “light-electricity”. As silicon is usually the basic semi-conductors, these modules are often called silicon cells. (Silicon valley is a nick name for the Californian towns producing computers.) While the definition of a watt is quite complex relating to joules, newtons and movement through one metre and acceleration, let us take an easy description. The fluorescent tube in your office uses about 40 watts of power every hour!!

The university’s figures state the power is the equivalent of about 27,000 homes, with about 160,000 MWh per annum.

Of course, with this power being fed into the state-wide-power-grid, what the university is aiming to do is to compensate for their use of electricity in all their campuses.

Terrain Solar, of PO Box 1113 Manly NSW 2095, had commenced the project with their expertise in site selection, land agreements, development approval and connection agreements. Then the university purchased the project in mid November 2018 ready to start the construction in early 2019, with completion expected in 2020.

A loan from the Queensland Treasury Corporation will fund most of the $125m project, with a large proportion of what would have been spend on electricity being used to pay back this capital and pay for the operating costs of the solar farm.

About one hundred persons, mainly recruited from the Warwick region, will be involved in the construction phase. Lendlease is the lead contractor. About six operation and maintenance positions, both skilled and unskilled, will operate the centre.

Within the Warwick and Stanthorpe district UQ will provide some scholarships, and establish a visitor information centre for the solar farm. UQ will provide some electric vehicle chargers, which are up to some twenty faster than a regular electricity home power point. These will open some opportunities for electric vehicles in the region.
The University solar farm will connect to the Ergon Energy network.

The farm will have agistment of stock following the university’s Gatton Solar Research facility which has sheep. The project will integrate with engineering and electrical courses at the university, with many a field visit benefitting Sladevale.

The Warwick Solar Farm will be the flagship for UQ and Qld renewable energy. Many dignitaries will visit, along with local school groups from Stanthorpe, Toowoomba and Warwick districts.


Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Aidan Byrne and SDRC Mayor Tracy Dobie at the signing the Memorandum of Understanding on 14th June 2018.

Your own private power



In 2015, I wrote a 25 page document for consideration by the Liberal National Party about electricity prices. This paper requested that electricity consumers only pay by a cents per kw and not have to pay any supply or line or meter reading charges.

Effects of high daily supply charges on energy consumers:

The ‘average’ household pays 43c a kwh.

While the power bill says the power is 24.453c per kw, which is $1,370.10 for the 5,603 kw, the day charge at 128.018c adds $467.27c, making $1837.37, or effectively 32.7926 c per kw. This appears to be a slight drop. But the boffins know:

Add again our annual amoritization of $578 divided by the 5603 kWh to get 10.31c, 9.8c to get 43.1026c. This appears to be a .2c drop, and indeed the higher users of power will have a slight drop.

The ‘frugal’ household pays 96c per kwh

But if an economical house only uses 1,460 kWh per year (4 kWh per day), what is their effective charge per kw? Their bill shows 1460 kWh at 24.453c for $357.01, then the same day charge at 128.018c adds $467.27c, making $824.28, or effectively 56.45c per kw.

Add again our annual amoritization of $578 divided by the 1,460 kWh to get 39.56c, added to the already high 56.45c is 96.01c. This is a massively high power bill per kw.

A 190 watt solar cell effectively, say 90 watts for 12 hours, generates about 1,080 watts per day. At 45c a kw, this is 48.6c for the day’s power, or $177.39 for the year’s power (365 days). At 10% annual amortization, this pays for a $1770 solar cell including installation. This is competitive with coal power, which is ‘grid’ delivered to the house, if this grid power is charged at its true cost per kw, which in 2016, was at about 43c.

People wanting to ‘go solar’ should also seriously consider spending a bit more on batteries, and going completely off grid. This avoids ‘supply’ charges and meter reading charges.

See the Map of Queensland in this Pocket Book for information about how place solar cells, at the right angles, on your roof, or in your garden.

These are my recommendations for government policy on electricity:
In order to
 a) promote the protection of the environment through reduced greenhouse gases
 b) reduce the level of legislated interference in free liberal-national-persons’ lives
 c) allow some economic freedom of choice regarding power
 d) fulfil the aspirations of liberal-national persons to have greater choice within their own hands and within their own abilities

we recommend:
 a) that electricity generated by companies using the ‘grid’ to supply that power be charged on a per kilowatt basis, without any separate daily supply charge nor separate meter reading charges
 b) that electricity companies not be permitted to force land developers to pay for the installation of power lines on land estates, as this part of the grid is but just a part of their supply issue to sell their power; electricity companies themselves are to pay for the installation of lines and apparatus upto the home’s meter-box point
 c) that electricity companies not be permitted to force individual lot owners to pay for the installation of power lines upto the house meter box, as this part of the grid is but just a part of their supply issue to sell their power
 d) that electricity companies never be permitted to charge a fee, daily or otherwise, or supply or otherwise, to a lot where the power lines might pass or might have accessibility, or may not pass and may never have accessibility, where the owner of the lot specifically has no desire to have grid power connected to his lot.
 e) that government will not pass spurious laws, like smoke-detector-must-be-connected-to-grid-power, to try to enforce compulsory grid connection.
 f) that government promote the concept of solar cell power, and wind power, and power storage, by both homes and by businesses and by factories, by ensuring that power-generation-licence fees do not apply to medium scale solar projects (0.1 megawatt to 30 megawatt annual production), and that there is not dis-competition rules placed in the way of solar cell power and wind power being sold direct to home and business owners outside of established ‘grid’.
 g) that government ensures that these benefits are also available to owners of lots with strata titled developments by preventing body corporate committees from denying solar cell use, or mitigating their effectiveness by spurious ‘rules’ about solar deflection or by preventing true north orientation at the correct angles (the correct angle is the line of latitude plus 11.25° being half the tropic of Cancer)
 h) government ensures that local government does not introduce by-laws which effectively negate or reduce citizens ability to use solar or wind power.
 i) assist, where feasible, the development, and deployment, of battery storage systems suitable for homes and businesses.

Projects across the state


The University Project is great for the state, and a major first for the education.

There are other projects in Queensland.

This is a list of the electricity generating facilities, current, under construction, and proposed. Some are as small as 0.5 MW, but the really large single generators are still coal like Gladstone at 1,680 MgW. The solar, and similar, have caught up in efficiencies, and will gradually replace some of the coal plants, especially the older coal facilities. Coal, at 8,128 MgW is at 53% of the 15,157 MgW currently being generated.

But at some 47% of capacity, alternatives are making real strides for electrical power for a better environment. (Vehicles are the next main target for emissions reduction. This is where my motions on electric powered bicycles, and cars, are so important.)

This means alternative plants have come a long way; especially with 1,388 Mg/hr in construction stage and 19,122 MgW/hr in the planning stage. These figures do not include home rooftop solar cells, which is probably around 600 MgW in Queensland. (This must be a very long term planning stage for the 19,122 MgW/h, as this is more than twice what coal is currently producing.)

These are MgW-hours of energy produced. That means the system at that property can produce, under the best conditions, this about of megawatts per hour. A megawatt is one thousand Kw; or One MgW is 1,000,000 watts. A fluorescent tube in your office uses about 40 watts per hour. So, if a plant can produce 1MgW each hour, then it will power 25,000 fluorescent tube during that hour.

Realistically, nearly all the solar plants operate at about one-quarter capacity given the hours of sunshine and efficiencies, so about 6,000 fluoro tubes. As solar and wind depend on the vagaries of weather, solar and wind need a storage system like batteries; or, they ‘store’ in the grid, which simply means coal systems power down to compensate for an active solar day. Coal stations also have low generating periods and peak generating periods, but can, over an hour or so, turn down and up their generation by limiting or increasing coal on the fire. Gas powered plants and hydro plants, with water in dams, can turn electricity generation up and down on a few minutes notice.

Kind regards,
Gerry Clarke, B.PED,
Owner of Pocket Books.

Electricity Generation in Queensland
Using information from the State Government’s Power Plant Map.
Current Name Type Capacity (MW)
Suncoast Gold Macadamias Agricultural Waste 1.5
Agricultural Waste Total: 1.5 MgW
Bingera Sugar Mill Bagasse 5
Farleigh Mill Bagasse 13
Inkerman Mill Bagasse 13
Invicta Bagasse 50
Isis Central Sugar Mill Bagasse 25
Kalamia Mill Bagasse 9
Macknade Mill Bagasse 8
Marian Mill Bagasse 18
Maryborough Sugar Factory Bagasse 7.5
Millaquin Sugar Mill Bagasse 5
Mossman Mill Bagasse 11
Mulgrave Mill Bagasse 9
Pioneer Bagasse 69
Plane Creek Mill Bagasse 4
Proserpine Sugar Mill Bagasse 17
Racecourse Bagasse 48.5
South Johnstone Sugar Mill Bagasse 20
Tableland Sugar Mill Bagasse 7
Tully Sugar Mill Bagasse 21.4
Victoria Mill Bagasse 24
Bagasse Total: 394 MgW
Callide B Coal 700
Callide C Coal 840
Gladstone Coal 1,680
Kogan Creek Coal 744
Millmerran Coal 852
Stanwell Coal 1,446.9
Tarong Coal 1,415
Tarong North Coal 450
Coal total: 8,128 MgW
Gympie Coffee Manufacturing Coffee grounds & sawdust 16
Coffee grounds total 16 MgW
Thursday Island Diesel 9.55
Weipa Diesel 36
Diesel total: 46 MgW
Ballera Gas 9.95
Barcaldine Gas Station Gas 37
Braemar Gas 504
Braemar 2 Gas 519
Cannington Gas 35
Condamine Gas 144
Daandine Gas 33
Darling Downs Gas 643
Diamantina Gas 270
Leichhardt Gas 65
Mackay Gas 32
Mica Creek Gas 367.9
Mt Stuart Gas 423
Oakey Gas 282
Phosphate Hill Gas 41.35
Reedy Creek Gas 60
Roma Gas 80
Swanbank E Gas 385
Townsville (Yabulu) Gas 242
Xstrata Gas 65
Yarwun Gas 154
Gas total: 4,432 MgW
Fairview Gas Field Gas/diesel 45.6
Roma Gas Field Gas/diesel 34.6
Gas / Diesel total: 80 MgW
Barron Gorge Hydro 60
Kareeya Hydro 88
Koombooloomba Hydro 7.3
Paradise Dam Mini Hydro Hydro 2.79
Somerset Dam Q Hydro 4
Tinaroo Hydro Hydro 1.6
Wivenhoe small Hydro Hydro 4.7
Hydro total: 168 MgW
Browns Plains LFG Power Plant Landfill Gas 2
Rochedale LFG Landfill Gas 4
Roghan Road LFG Landfill Gas 1
Stapylton LFG Landfill Gas 2
Suntown Landfill Power Station Landfill Gas 2
Swanbank Landfill Gas 7
Ti Tree LFG Willowbank - QLD Landfill Gas 3
Whitwood Road LFG Landfill Gas 1
Landfill Gas total: 22 MgW
Bromelton Bioenergy Plant Organic wet-waste 1.26
Organic wet-waste: 1.26 MgW
Mount St John Sewage 5
Oxley Creek Cogeneration Plant Sewage 1.03
Sewerage total: 6 MgW
Baking Board Solar Farm Solar 19.9
Barcaldine Remote Cmnity Solar 20
Clare Solar Farm Solar 100
Collinsville Solar Power Station Solar 42.5
Darling Downs Solar Farm Solar 110
Daydream Solar Farm Solar 150
Dunblane Solar Farm Solar 11
Emerald Solar Park Solar 68
Gatton Solar esearch Facility Solar 3.275
Hamilton Solar Farm Solar 57.5
Hughenden Solar Farm Solar 18
Kidston Solar Project (Stage 1) Solar 50
Lakeland Solar Farm Solar 10.8
Longreach Solar Farm Solar 15
Normanton Solar Farm Solar 5
Ross River Solar Farm Solar 135
Sun Metals Solar Farm Solar 124
Sunshine Coast Solar Farm Solar 15
University of Queensland Solar 1.22
Weipa Solar Farm Solar 1.7
Whitsunday Solar Farm Solar 57.5
Solar total: 1,000 MgW
Wivenhoe Storage 500
Storage total: 500 MgW
German Creek Waste Coal Mine Gas 45
Moranbah North Waste Coal Mine Gas 63.86
Waste Coal Mine Gas 109 MgW
Mt Emerald Wind Farm Wind 180
Thursday Island Wind 0.5
Windy Hill Wind 12
Gladstone A&B Wood Waste 10
Rocky Point Sugar Mill Wood Waste 30
Stapylton Wood Waste 4.8
Wind total: 237 MgW
Total (rounded up) 103 15,157 mgw/hr

Under Construction:
Name Type Capacity (MW)
Tableland Sugar Mill Bagasse 24
Bagasse total: 24 MgW
Brigalow Solar Farm Solar 34.5
Childers Solar Farm Solar 120
Clermont (Phase 1) Solar 75
Haughton Solar Farm (Stage 1) Solar 100
Hayman Solar Farm Solar 50
Kennedy Energy Park Solar 15
Lilyvale Solar Farm Solar 100
Middlemount Sun Farm Solar 28
Oakey Solar Farm (Stage 1) Solar 25
Oakey Solar Farm (Stage 2) Solar 55
Rugby Run Solar Farm Stage 1 Solar 65
Susan River Solar Farm Solar 100
Yarranlea Solar Farm Solar 100
Solar total: 867 KwW
Coopers Gap Wind Farm Wind 453
Kennedy Energy Park Wind 43.5
Wind total: 496 MgW
Total (rounded up) 16 1,388 Mg/hr

Proposed:
Name Type Capacity (MW)
Burdekin Hydro Hydro 50
Hydro total: 50 MgW
Swanbank Waste-to-energy Landfill Waste 50
Landfill Waste total: 50 MgW
Aldoga Solar Farm Solar 265
Aramara Solar Farm Solar 140
Baralaba Solar Farm Solar 92
Barcaldine Remote Solar (Stage 2) Solar 40
Barrunggam Solar Farm Solar 140
Beelbee Solar Farm Solar 150
Big Kennedy Solar 600
Blackwater Solar Farm Solar 150
Blair Athol Solar Farm Solar 60
Bluewater Solar Farm Solar 102
Bluff Solar Farm Solar 100
Bouldercombe Solar Farm Solar 200
Bowen Solar Farm Solar 30
Broadlea Solar Farm Solar 100
Bulli Creek Solar 2,000
Bundaberg Solar Farm Solar 92
Bundaberg Solar Farm (Denzo) Solar 58
Burdekin Solar Farm Solar 140
Cameby Solar Farm Solar 148
Cape York Solar Storage Solar 55
Chewko Solar Farm Solar 75
Childers Solar Farm (DDN) Solar 42
Chinchilla Solar Farm Solar 100
Clare Solar Farm Stage 2 Solar 36
Clarke Creek Solar Farm Solar 350
Clarke Creek Wind and Solar Farm Solar 400
Clermont (Phase 2) Solar 75
Cloncurry Solar Farm Solar 30
Collinsville North Solar Project Solar 100
Columboola Solar Farm Solar 310
Comet Solar Farm Solar 235
Crinum Creek Solar Farm Solar Solar 100
Dalby Solar Farm Solar 30
Dalby Solar Farm Solar 20
Delga Solar Farm Solar 250
Desailly Renewable Energy Park Solar 1,000
Dingo Solar Farm Solar 85
Dysart Solar Energy Farm Solar 100
Dysart Solar Farm Solar 130
Gladstone Abattoir Solar Farm Solar 78
Gold Coast Solar Farm Solar 38
Gregory Solar Farm Solar 215
Gumlu Solar Farm Solar 60
Harlin Solar Farm Solar 1,500
Haughton Solar Farm (stage 2) Solar 400
Kelsey Creek Solar Farm Solar 50
Kidston Solar Project (Phase 2) Solar 270
Kingaroy Solar Farm Solar 40
Koberinga Solar Farm Solar 55
Lower Wonga Solar Farm (Stage 1) Solar 350
Lower Wonga Solar Farm (Stage 3) Solar 800
Majors Creek Solar Project Solar 400
Mareeba Solar Farm Solar 60
Mirani Solar Farm Solar 60
Moura Solar Farm Solar 110
Munna Creek Solar Farm Solar 120
Paget Solar Farm Solar 20
Raglan Solar Farm Solar 350
Rodds Bay Solar Farm Solar 250
Rolleston Solar Farm Solar 90
Rollingstone Solar Farm Solar 110
Rugby Run Solar Farm Stage 2 Solar 105
Teebar Creek Solar Project Solar 52.5
Tieri Solar Farm Solar 77
Wandoan South Solar Project Solar 1,000
Warwick Solar Farm Solar 64
Weipa Solar Farm Solar 5
Western Downs Green power Hub Solar 390
Western Downs Solar Farm Solar 250
Solar total: 15,554 MgW
Freedom Energy One Solar thermal 250
Solar thermal total: 250 MgW
Kidston Pumped Storage Project Storage 250
Lower Wonga Solar Farm (Stage 2) Storage 1,000
Storage total: 1,250 MgW
Archer Point Wind Farm Wind 120
Big Kennedy Wind 600
Clarke Creek Wind and Solar Farm Wind 800
Forsayth Wind Farm Wind 75
High Road Wind Farm Wind 34
Kaban Green Power Hub Wind 130
Kidston Wind Farm Wind 150
Lakeland Wind Farm Wind 100
Rabbit Ridge Wind Farm Wind 13.6
Wind total: 2,022 MgW
Total (rounded up) 83 19,122 MW/hr
These figures are really approximations.