A solar power project in Australia’s largest grape growing region is giving struggling vignerons a sunny alternative.
An electrical services company in South Australia’s Riverland is looking to build dozens of community-owned solar farms and sell the energy on Australia’s volatile spot market. The Riverland is about 250 kilometers (km) east of the South Australian capital Adelaide and stretches for 120 km along the banks of Australia’s biggest river, the Murray. Renmark–based Yates Electrical Services began its Red Mud project this year and has been running a 180-kW test site for about three months.
The project ultimately aims to work with landowners to set up 100-kW to 200-kW solar farms and sell the energy to the national electricity grid through the spot market.