UNSW to be 100 Solar Powered From 2019

UNSW believes it is the first university worldwide to go fully energy carbon neutral with 100% of its needs supplied by solar photovoltaics.

In a first in the world university sector, UNSW has reached an agreement with Maoneng Australia and Origin Energy to have 100 percent of its energy needs met by solar photovoltaics.

The 15-year solar supply agreement with Maoneng is the first of its kind in Australia – bringing together a retailer, developer and corporate – and will allow UNSW to achieve its goal of carbon neutrality on energy use by 2020.

UNSW believes it is the first university worldwide to go fully energy carbon neutral with 100% of its needs supplied by solar photovoltaics (PV).

“This landmark initiative is an exciting step towards realising UNSW’s goal of carbon neutrality on energy use by 2020 and reflects our commitment to making a positive global impact,” said UNSW President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Jacobs.

The agreement, which was signed on 14 December 2017, will see UNSW purchase up to 124,000 MWh of renewable energy per annum from Maoneng’s Sunraysia Solar Farm near Balranald in south-western NSW, meeting UNSW’s annual energy requirement starting in 2019.

The UNSW solar deal includes 13 main electricity accounts across the main Kensington campus and also a few smaller campuses around Sydney. Origin Energy will handle the supply of power.

“By collaborating with Origin and UNSW and maintaining an open dialogue, we have created a corporate PPA template that we believe not only works for UNSW, but can be replicated and tailored to fulfil the specific needs of each customer,” Maoneng’s Project Finance Director, Kevin Chen, said.

The University of Melbourne in late 2017 announced its part in a consortium of large energy users that will buy renewable energy from a wind farm to be built in western Victoria.

Source: UNSW Newsroom