Dear Team members,
Solar Farms with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are only fake electricity generators. What they claim to produce and what they are actually able to produce (because of lack of fuel) are two totally different things and this makes it IMPOSSIBLE for a Solar Farm BESS Project to be to provide the reliable, low cost, base load electricity, 24/7 that Australia needs.
There are two proposals to build Solar Farms with BESS systems.
The first is the Middlebrook Solar Farm and BESS (MSF) at Loomberah in the New England region of northern NSW. 22kms South of Tamworth. https://middlebrooksolarfarm.com.au/
The Middlebrook Solar Farm (MSF) states it will have 750,000 Solar Panels with a generating capacity of 320 MWh. However, as the fuel for the Middlebrook Solar Farm is Sunshine on a good day it will have only six hours of viable fuel (10am to 4pm) and three hours of less viable fuel (8.30am to 10am and 4pm to 5.30pm) a total of nine hours. For the remaining fifteen hours of the day, the Middlebrook Solar Farm’s fuel tank will be empty and the Middlebrook Solar Farm will produce zero electricity. Even for the nine viable hours of Sunshine, that could be lost if the day was foggy, overcast, cloudy or raining, leaving a day with no electricity being produced.
The MSF has a generating capacity of 320MWh. If it was able to generate for a full 24 hours, it would generate 7,680MWh, powering so many 00,000 homes for 24 hours.
But the fact is as the MSF’s 320MWh only has fuel available for a maximum 9 hours a day, it is only able to generate 2,880MWh and is only able to power 00,000 homes for 9 hours a day (at best, usually much less). Leaving the 00,000 homes with the need to find power from an alternative source for 15 hours. Hugely inefficient and uneconomic. Any wonder, why our electricity prices are so high?
As for the BESS component. Adding batteries to the mix only makes the situation worse and only increases the cost to the consumer. Batteries do not make electricity only store it, if there is an excess, which is highly unlikely, with zero electricity produced for such a long time. Batteries release less electricity than they take in, and once discharged are useless until they can be recharged.
As well the Middlebrook Solar Farm-BESS robs the surrounding town of the finance created by the agricultural produce that is lost when the land is covered in solar panels, which will continue for 100 years or more, if the area is not decommissioned and returned to its original state. The decommissioning because of the cost involved is highly unlikely to ever happen!
A further concern is that the Middlebrook Solar Farm contains so much electrification. It will create an extreme fire hazard to surrounding areas, particularly on a Total Fire Ban Day with the temperature at 43dC and a NW wind blowing at 50km/hr. Being so tightly packed together it would almost be impossible to contain a fire started within the Solar Farm perimeter.
For the above reasons the Middlebrook Solar Farm and BESS Project should be strongly opposed as being highly inefficient and uneconomic, creating an environmental disaster to be disposed of. You can lodge your objection here https://pp.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/middlebrook-solar-farm Your submission can just be a sentence saying that you object to the establishment of this Middlebrook Solar Farm and BESS which will only produce an uneconomic amount of electricity, contributing to higher prices to consumers, Submissions close on the 3/8/2023. Please make your submission today.
The second proposal is the Sundown Solar Farm and BESS which is a 360 MW (solar farm) + 150 MW (battery) solar project to be located approximately 30km east of Inverell in the New England Tablelands region of NSW.
The Sundown Solar Farm – BESS has the same problems as the Middlebrook Solar Farm. It has a generating capacity of 360MWh. If it was able to generate for a full 24 hours, it would generate 8,640MWh, powering so many 150,000 homes for 24 hours. https://sundownsolarfarm.com.au/
But the fact is as the Sundown Solar Farm’s 360MWh only has fuel available for a maximum 9 hours a day, it is only able to generate 3,240MWh and is only able to power 150,000 homes for 9 hours a day (at best, usually much less). Leaving the 150,000 homes with the need to find power from an alternative source for 15 hours. Hugely inefficient and uneconomic.
As well the Sundown Solar Farm-BESS robs the surrounding town and city of Inverell of the finance created by the agricultural produce that is lost when the land is covered in solar panels. This will continue for 100 years or more, if the area is not decommissioned and returned to its original state. Which because of the cost involved is highly unlikely.
A further concern is that the Sundown Solar Farm contains so much electrification. It will create an extreme fire hazard to surrounding areas, particularly on a Total Fire Ban Day with the temperature at 43dC and a NW wind blowing at 50km/hr. Being so tightly packed together it would almost be impossible to contain a fire started within a Solar Farm perimeter.
For the above reasons the Sundown Solar Farm and BESS Project should be strongly opposed as being highly inefficient and uneconomic, creating an environmental disaster to be disposed of. You can lodge your objection here https://pp.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/sundown-solar-farm
Even a sentence saying that you object to the establishment of the Sundown Solar Farm and BESS which will only produce an uneconomic amount of electricity, contributing to higher prices to consumers, Submissions close on the 3/8/2023. Please make your submission today.
Please promote our petition https://www.change.org/p/blackouts-will-be-devastating-they-must-be-avoided-at-all-costs I would value it if you are able to donate $20 or $50 Change.org and also promote it on Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp or Email.
KEEP INFORMED BY DAILY MONITORING THE AEMO DATA DASHBOARD. And alert your friends to watch the AEMO dashboard, the more know what's happening the better.
Particularly at 7pm and 7am (Or a time that suits you?) watch (and record) the mix of coal, gas hydro, batteries, solar and wind generation and the prices per MWh for each State on the AEMO dashboard.
We are up to 1,861 signatures, let’s increase it by many more, everyone’s future depends on it. Continue to spread the word, to all family, friends, anyone you meet, particularly discuss it with shop and business owners. Ask the question, “How do you plan to cope when the blackouts come? Caused by this senseless transition to RUINABLES.