Solar farm powers up at Lyrup

Adelaide Advertiser
Saturday 6/12/2008 Page: 46

ALMOST 500 solar panels on top of a cliff next to the Murray River are proof of the Riverland's resilience and ability to adapt in the drought. The Pike River Woolshed Sun Farm, at Lyrup, is Australia's first privately owned solar energy station and is the brainchild of Andrew Caire, a local teacher and owner of the Pike River Woolshed bed and breakfast. Thanks to the region's 300-plus days of sunshine a year, Mr Caire's 500sq m sun farm generates enough electricity to power eight homes.

Mr Caire said the $300,000 project would also earn about $35,000 a year because excess power was sold to the national grid. The State Government's feed-in tariff pays the owners of solar panel systems double the cost of electricity for power fed into the grid. Mr Caire said the main reason the sun farm was installed was to power the eco-tourism accommodation on the property. "We wanted to give people a great view, to have fun and explore the local environment while providing no carbon footprint," he said.

Mr Caire first considered installing solar panels in November last year and the sun farm was constructed in three weeks in October. Solar Shop Australia national sales manager Peter Castle said the sun farm would reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 88 tonnes. "The Riverland may have a shortage of water but there's no shortage of sunshine," he said. "In 10 years' time I'd like to see rows and rows of solar panels alongside the rows and rows of vines and trees." Local MP and State Water Security Minister Karlene Maywald said the project was an example of what could be achieved in the Riverland despite the drought. She said 34 per cent of solar panels connected to the electricity grid in Australia were in SA.