Roseworthy Solar Farm

An integrated solar system, battery storage and microgrid is delivering 42% of the Roseworthy campus's energy needs.

This project has reduced the University’s peak electricity demand, reduced energy costs and increased the resilience of supply to Roseworthy campus. There are opportunities to utilise the solar farm and battery storage systems for research and teaching related to energy management strategies, grid segregation, low-cost fault detection systems, system resilience, and cybersecurity.

This is the largest solar project in the University's history and was a key strategy under the Campus Sustainability Plan (2017-2020). The project now continues to support the university's net zero emissions from directly controlled operations sustainability goal, as part of the Sustainability Strategy 2030- Here for Good.

Project overview

Location: Roseworthy Campus
Cost: $7 million, including a $780,000 grant from the SA Renewable Technology Fund
Completed: July 2021

Features

1.2MW farm with 3,200 solar panels
420/1200kWh hybrid battery battery – combination of Tesla lithium-ion batteries and UniEnergy Technologies (UET) Vanadium flow batteries
Digital twin microgrid controller