Mr Thornton said 20 projects were actively under construction, would soon start or had already been completed in the Sunshine State during 2018, and the flow-on benefits were helping regional communities in solar hotspots such as North Queensland and the Darling Downs.
“Across the country, projects which are under construction, completed or have secured financial commitment add up to $5 billion in investment, with Queensland investments contributing more than half – 52 per cent, or $2.6 billion” Mr Thornton said. “All up, large-scale solar activity in the state adds up to almost 2670 direct jobs and 1400 MW of new clean energy. The technology in the solar industry is forever evolving and maturing, and events like the Large-scale Solar Industry Forum allow industry professionals across all levels to network and discuss issues and celebrate achievements for the industry.”
Mr Thornton added that the dramatically falling cost of large-scale solar power this decade had sparked a huge amount of interest in the sector from construction companies and major financiers and that large-scale solar has gone from an emerging technology in Australia at the beginning of the decade to a genuinely game-changing form of power that is cheaper than new coal or gas. Along with the national Renewable Energy Target, support from the Queensland Government, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation has helped to make this one of the lowest-cost options Australia has for electricity today
The current boom in activity is something that will be a key topic of discussion at the Large-scale Solar Industry Forum today. The sold-out event brings together 450 solar technical professionals from across the country to learn from experts in the field.
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