Ashurst has advised the Sunshine Coast Council (Council) on the grid connection and offtake arrangements for its 15MW utility scale solar farm, the Sunshine Coast Solar Farm, which has made the Council the first local government in Australia to offset 100% of its electricity consumption with energy from a renewable source.

The A$50.4 million facility, located at Valdora, is the second largest solar farm in Queensland and the sixth largest Australia wide. It will generate 15,000 kilowatts of electricity, which will go into the Energex network, and is the first in Australia to operate at 1,500 volts DC.
 
The power generated by the Sunshine Coast Solar Farm will be used to offset all the power from the Council's facilities. This includes its administration buildings, aquatic centres, libraries, art galleries and sporting facilities.

Over one year the project will generate enough power for the equivalent of 5,000 homes, and is set to deliver $22 million in savings, after costs, to the council's ratepayers over the next 30 years.

Ashurst lead counsel Teresa Scott (Utilities) said: "It was a pleasure to work with Council on this innovative project, and be part of Council's vision of making the Sunshine Coast Australia's most sustainable region. Many large users talk about their commitment to using renewable energy sources, Council have just set a new standard."
 
The project follows Ashurst advising Edify Energy Pty Ltd on the completion of Australia's largest single solar project financing in March 2017.

The Ashurst team was led by partner Paul Newman, and included counsel Teresa Scott and lawyer Julia Goncalves (Utilities).