Queensland university notches up a first in renewable energy

Large 200 000-panel solar farm will create significant financial and energy savings. Equivalent to decreasing coal usage by 60 000 tonnes.

The University of Queensland (UQ) has become the first major university in the world to offset all of its electricity use with clean, renewable energy.

This follows the launch of the university’s 200 000-panel solar farm recently.

According to Global Citizen, an international non-profit that fights poverty and campaigns for global climate action, the solar farm is situated close to the Queensland town of Warwick and will generate around 160 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity a year.

Enough electricity to power 25 000 homes

This is enough to power over 25 000 households and decrease coal usage by at least 60 000 tonnes.

Global Action quotes the university’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Peter Høj, as saying that organisations, businesses and universities need to step up if the world is to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius and Australia is to achieve its Paris agreement targets.

Høj hopes UQ’s achievement will inspire others and prove that transitioning to renewable energy is feasible.

Transition to renewables done at scale

“The Warwick Solar farm is first and foremost an act of leadership that demonstrates that a transition to renewables can be done at [a] scale that’s practicable and makes economic sense,” Høj said in an article published on the Queensland University website.

Source : australiantimes