Spark Renewables

Bomen Solar Farm fully operational, opens to school visit

30 June 2021

Fully operational

Construction of the Bomen Solar Farm was completed in mid 2020 and since then over 193,000 MWh of electricity has been generated (as at the end of May), more than enough to power all households in Wagga Wagga during the same period! The clean energy produced has also saved over 156,000 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions)*.

Construction was completed on budget and within the expected timeframe, despite the challenges created by COVID-19. This was due to the hard work and dedication by all involved, including Beon Energy Solutions (Bomen Solar Farm’s lead contractor) and the team of employees and subcontractors engaged to deliver the project.

Construction of the solar farm created many jobs in the community, with locals comprising 78% of the 157 employees in the mechanical team. Additionally, positive steps were taken to engage members of groups typically underrepresented in the industry, including First Nations people (39 employees) and women (11 employees).

Beon has been recognised for its consistent efforts in employment initiatives, having been shortlisted multiple times for community engagement awards for a range of innovative programs, including its “Women in Solar” pilot program which was run at Bomen Solar Farm.

This local and inclusive approach is demonstrative of the priority that Bomen Solar Farm has consistently placed on contributing meaningfully to the Wagga Wagga community.

* CO₂ displaced is calculated using the National Greenhouse Accounts Factors.

Establishment of $1m community fund to be spent over the next 10 years

Bomen Solar Farm will continue to support the local community via a variety of initiatives. In conjunction with Westpac (who purchases around thirty percent of the electricity generated by the solar farm), Bomen Solar Farm has set up a $1 million Community Fund, with the funds to be deployed over the next decade to programmes that will deliver a diverse range of benefits within the community – assisting school students, promoting biodiversity and greening, contributing to the local fire brigade, and assisting with the living expenses of those living with a disability. Some of the initiatives are set out below:

Mount Austin High School – $500,000 over ten years

The most significant funding initiative from the Community Fund is the establishment of a long-term partnership with Mount Austin High School in Wagga Wagga, with funding of $500,000 being granted to support two important programs at the school over a ten-year period . The ‘Transition Program’ and the ‘Girls @ the Centre’ program, both run from the school, support students’ engagement with school. The ‘Girls @ the Centre’ program will receive $25,000 each year for 10 years.

This program provides a supportive environment for girls to address barriers to school attendance and to engage with their studies. The program was developed four years ago by Mount Austin High School, in partnership with The Smith Family, and has demonstrated success in delivering real rewards within the student community and beyond.

The ‘Transition Program’ will also receive $25,000 each year for 10 years, matched by funding from the school. This program, which will support 52 students this year, was developed by the Mount Austin High to give year 12 students the skills and tools needed to successfully transition from school into the next stage of their lives with meaning and purpose.

Wagga Wagga City Council – $350,000 over ten years

Bomen Solar Farm has finalised a $350,000, multi-year funding agreement with the Wagga Wagga City Council to promote biodiversity and revegetation in the local area. The funding has two components: $250,000 towards a Council-led planting program that will see revegetation of 58 hectares of local land with around 51,000 plants, all endemic species (including eucalypts and acacias). The area to be planted includes a significant parcel of land off East Bomen Road, which has been donated by Council to the program.

In addition, $100,000 has been granted to support a community-led planting program in the Eunony Valley. For this initiative, applications for funding will be called for, then assessed against selection criteria by a Grants Panel comprising members of the local community, Council and Bomen Solar Farm. It is intended that the projects to be supported with this funding will be selected before the end of the year.

Save The Date: Wagga Wagga City Council is holding its annual tree planting day on Sunday, 1 August to coincide with National Tree Day – Australia’s largest community tree-planting and nature care event. Everyone is welcome to attend and representatives from Bomen Solar Farm will be there with sleeves rolled up ready to get their hands dirty for the cause. Look out for Council’s publicity on the event. For more information visit the Wagga Wagga City Council website here. We hope to see you there!

Support for the Eunony Bushfire Brigade – $50,000

The Bomen Solar Farm acknowledges the enormous contribution that local volunteer fire services make to the community. In support of this, we have committed $50,000 to the Eunony Bushfire Brigade, a brigade within the Riverina Zone of the NSW Rural Fire Service, under a funding agreement with Bomen Solar Farm.

$25,000 of this amount went towards an extension to the Brigade’s fire shed to accommodate an additional vehicle. The balance will be granted in $5,000 parcels each year for five years from 2022 and will cover operational expenses incurred by the Brigade.

Solar support for Abbeyfield Kooringal – $10,000

Bomen Solar Farm granted $10,000 to Abbeyfield Australia to support the installation of solar panels at Abbeyfield’s Kooringal facility. The facility consists of six units providing secure and affordable housing for residents living with an intellectual disability, giving them the opportunity to live independently. Since installation, the six solar systems have generated more electricity than is consumed by the residents during the day. Earnings from excess daytime solar generation helps pay for night-time electricity use. Climate Rescue of Wagga (CROW) played a key coordination role for Abbeyfield Kooringal to deliver the project.

“This is a great initiative, that has received strong support from Spark Renewables, Westpac and CORENA, and will have long-standing benefits for a deserving local facility,” CROW Chair William Adlong said. Spark Renewables embraced the partnership with Abbeyfield Kooringal to showcase the benefit that solar power can bring to the community.

Bomen Solar Farm hosts its first school tour

Bomen Solar Farm recently hosted a group of 38 year 10 students from three local high schools as part of a Careers Exploration Day organised by the Association of Independent Schools. This tour was an opportunity to showcase the solar farm, giving students an understanding of how it generates electricity and of the variety of roles that exist in the renewable energy industry to deliver and support a solar farm through all stages of development – from inception through to the delivery of an operational project. Bomen Solar Farm values the opportunity to share knowledge with interested members of the community and plans to make the site available for further tours in the months ahead.

Sheep trial on Bomen has commenced

Sheep trial brings the baa to Bomen

Bomen Solar Farm has committed to explore opportunities to use the solar farm land for agricultural purposes, so that the land can bring benefit in generating renewable energy while also supporting other land uses.

A sheep-grazing trial with a local livestock owner began in February 2021. This trial aims to support sustainable sheep grazing on site in the longer term. The trial began with 70 sheep and is progressing well.

In conducting this trial, Bomen Solar Farm hopes to replicate the success experienced at other solar farms in NSW where sheep grazing has created a win-win. The land is used to generate renewable energy as well as for agriculture, and the sheep grazing assists the solar farm with its ground cover management.

Glare study finalised

Bomen Solar Farm engaged SLR Consulting to conduct a study to assess potential reflective glare and glint arising from the solar PV panels within the solar farm. The study has helped identify operational modes that have the potential to cause reflections at neighbouring dwellings at different times of the day and year.

The results are being used to optimise the solar farm tracking system and manage power outages and maintenance procedures to ensure that any potential glare is avoided as far as possible. We appreciate the feedback from neighbours and their engagement in working with us on this matter. A comprehensive report with the conclusions of the study can be found here.

Please feel free to contact us at info@bomensolarfarm.com.au if you would like to discuss the report in more detail.

Download Newsletter #6, June 2021

Bomen Solar Farm commits $500,000 to long-term partnership with Mount Austin High School in Wagga Wagga

31 March 2021

Spark Infrastructure’s Bomen Solar Farm, in partnership with Westpac, is excited to have commenced a long-term partnership with Mount Austin High School in Wagga Wagga with grant funding of $500,000 to support two important programs at the school over a decade.

The ‘Transition Program’ and ‘Girls @ the Centre’ program, both run from the school, support students’ engagement with school, not only encouraging them to remain in and complete high school, but also equipping them with the skills they need to successfully embark on their chosen endeavours after finishing school. This year, all 44 final year students (boys and girls) are involved in the Transition Program and 60 girls from years 7-12 are participating in the ‘Girls @ the Centre’ program.

Supporting these programs forms a key part of the broader $1 million community funding program which Bomen Solar Farm has committed to over the next ten years (in partnership with Westpac). Located near Wagga Wagga in NSW, Bomen Solar Farm is committed to contributing positively to the community. Improving the social, educational and employment outcomes for students at Mount Austin High School was identified as a way in which the Bomen Solar Farm could bring significant benefit to the local community.

The ‘Girls @ the Centre’ program, which will receive a $25,000 annual donation from Bomen Solar Farm Community Fund each year for 10 years, supports female students to stay in school and complete Year 12, and provides opportunities to enhance students’ career options. The program was developed four years ago by Mount Austin High School, in partnership with The Smith Family. It has delivered real benefits within the student community, engaging girls with coaches and providing a supportive environment for girls to address barriers to school attendance and to engage with their studies.

The ‘Transition Program’ will benefit from a $25,000 annual donation from Bomen Solar Farm each year for 10 years. This Program was conceptualised by Mount Austin High School, which identified that the best way to assist students graduating was not by supporting one or two students to go to university, but rather by supporting as many students as possible to transition from school into the wider society.

The School found that for many of its students, making the transition into tertiary education or employment is not straightforward, and students benefitted from ongoing support. The donation by Bomen Solar Farm, which is matched by funds from the School, allows important resources to be devoted to helping students to achieve success in their post-school lives.

Principal of Mount Austin High School, Michelle Waugh, explained: “Graduating Year 12 is an accomplishment and is significant for students and families. It is the culmination of years of schooling. At MAHS we want to ensure that each student has a known destination and is supported to achieve beyond the school. The Transition Program will ensure that each student has a transition plan for after school and is supported to reach their goals beyond school. With this funding and support, MAHS will be able to undertake intensive transition planning based on individual need – for some students this may be guidance in the development of necessary documents for enrolment in University, for others it may be employment certificates and skills such as White Card training, for others still it may be support for licenses. Our first cohort to be part of the program are our HSC students 2021.”

Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga, Councillor Greg Conkey OAM congratulated everyone involved in creating the two programs which support the education and transition into post-school life for young students.

“Navigating the period between leaving high school and entering wider society can be challenging, and Mount Austin High School’s Transition Program is a great way to help students stay connected and feel supported on that journey,” Cr Conkey said.

“Likewise, the ‘Girls @ the Centre’ program is a crucial step towards helping our community’s young women access the education they deserve and support them in preparing for successful and rewarding careers.”

Independent Member for Wagga Wagga, Dr Joe McGirr, has welcomed the announcement of the long-term partnership with Mount Austin High School.

“These two programs are providing significant opportunities for Mount Austin High School students and I thank Spark Infrastructure’s Bomen Solar Farm for making the commitment to being involved in these important programs,” Dr McGirr said.

Anthony Marriner, Head of Renewables at Spark Infrastructure said: “We are delighted to have finalised this donation to two very important programs at Mount Austin High School. We have one of the largest solar farm community funds in Australia and are pleased to be giving back to the local community.”

Download the full media release: Bomen Solar Farm commits $500,000 to long-term partnership with Mt Austin High School

Bomen Solar Farm: First of 310,000 solar panels installed during “golden row” ceremony

23 August 2019

Highlights:
▪ ‘Golden Row’ ceremony marks commencement of installation of 310,000 bi-facial solar panels at Wagga Wagga’s Bomen Solar Farm
▪ Construction scheduled to complete in March 2020 with the Solar Farm expected to be fully operational by second quarter of 2020
▪ Bomen Solar Farm will generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 36,000 homes annually
▪ During construction up to 250 workers will be employed, the majority from Wagga Wagga and the region

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Spark Infrastructure today celebrated the installation of the first of 310,000 bi-facial solar panels at a ‘Golden Row’ ceremony held at Wagga Wagga’s Bomen Solar Farm.

At the ceremony, Bomen’s owner Spark Infrastructure was joined in installing the first row of panels by Westpac and Flow Power (generation off-takers), Jinko (solar panel supplier) and Wagga Wagga City Council.

Engineering and Construction Contractor for the Farm, Beon Energy Solutions (Beon), will install 310,000 bi-facial panels which are designed to maximise the amount of energy captured and ultimately distributed to the grid by the Farm. Early works have already commenced at the Farm, however, the ‘Golden Row’ marks the beginning of full scale construction.

Spark Infrastructure Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Rick Francis, said: “Spark Infrastructure is delighted to be in Wagga Wagga with our key stakeholders in the project to celebrate the official launch of construction at Bomen Solar Farm.

“Spark Infrastructure and Beon are excited to be working with Westpac, Jinko and Flow Power, to deliver a major piece of renewable energy infrastructure to Wagga Wagga. We are proud to be working with the Wagga Wagga community to create jobs during and after the project’s construction. We are especially proud alongside Westpac to be supporting the local community through a $1 million community fund dedicated to providing local scholarships, youth and biodiversity programs across the region,” Mr Francis added.

Beon General Manger, Glen Thomson said: “Today’s installation is a major milestone for the Bomen Solar Farm development and the Wagga Wagga region. Construction will begin in earnest on Monday now that the first row of solar panels has been installed. And within a few weeks we will have a team of up to 250 on site, the majority of whom will be local. We are also pleased to be training a number of local apprentices during construction. This training will set them up to work in the growing solar sector across the Riverina and the nation,” Mr Thomson said.

Spark Infrastructure and Beon confirmed that the 120-megawatt capacity Farm will complete construction in March 2020 with Bomen expected to be fully operational by the second quarter of 2020.

Mr Francis said: “We are strongly supportive of the need to reduce carbon emissions and the drive towards more renewable energy, with Bomen Solar Farm being our flagship investment in renewables. When fully operational, Bomen will produce enough clean energy to power 36,000 homes per year.” Spark Infrastructure acquired the Farm in April 2019.

This significant project for the region is supported by its strong grid location and proximity to TransGrid’s Wagga North substation.

Read the full announcement: First panels installed during ‘golden row’ ceremony