A solar farm near Hume in the ACT. Photo: Lannon Harley/ANU
A solar farm near Hume in the ACT. Photo: Lannon Harley/ANU - A new tool developed by researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) shows the best locations around Australia that could be used to build new wind or solar farms. The ANU 'heat maps' project is aimed at farmers and landholders, who the researchers say are a crucial piece of the puzzle to help accelerate Australia's solar and wind uptake and help the nation meet its renewable energy targets. The researchers say the area between Goulburn and Lithgow in New South Wales is especially suitable for new clean energy sites because it is well serviced by transmission lines and has good wind and solar resources. Tasmania has plenty of potential for new wind farms along the north coast and on the King and Flinders islands. "In Victoria, the Yallourn district is attractive because of good wind potential and strong existing transmission into Melbourne, plus there's a need to replace local coal industry jobs. There's also extensive wind potential west of Melbourne," Professor Andrew Blakers, from the ANU College of Engineering, Computing and Cybernetics, said. "South Australia has excellent wind and solar potential to the east of the St Vincent and Spencer gulfs, while Queensland's best wind and solar sites follow the coastal transmission lines north from Brisbane in areas such as Rockhampton and Mackay. "Perth, on the other hand, has an abundance of suitable solar and wind sites close to transmission lines that run from the north and the south of the city." ANU PhD researcher Cheng Cheng, who was also involved in the study, said the project aims to empower landowners to approach developers directly and negotiate with them to build solar or wind farms on their property.
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