SUNTOP solar farm created using bifacial technology
New South Wales / Australia
Lead contractors: Bouygues Bâtiment International, Bouygues Construction Australia and Bouygues Energies & Services
Client: Canadian Solar
This solar farm project is part of Australia’s energy transition programme, the latest in a series of solar projects already carried out in the country by the teams at Bouygues Construction, such as Parkes, Griffith and Coleambally in 2018 – the biggest solar farm in New South Wales. Located to the west of the state, a huge 450-hectare site will be home in around a year to 440,000 solar panels using cutting edge “bifacial” technology. The modules, spread out over 450 hectares (equivalent to 643 soccer pitches) will have capacity of 190 MWp (150 MWac).
“An industrial approach is key to the performance of complex major solar farm projects. Meanwhile, innovations such as floating PV, agrivoltaic and awning systems mean that these renewable energies can be rolled out in the heart of local areas without taking up additional space. These immediately available solutions will be able to produce cheap energy and give access to the fuel of tomorrow: green hydrogen. This forms part of a virtuous circle from solar power to hydrogen.”
Pierre Vanstoflegatte
Managing Director Energy & Services, Bouygues Construction
Key figures
440,000
solar panels
190 MWp
of capacity
400
employees working on the project
Further information
Did you know?
Bifacial solar panels
With bifacial solar panels, electricity can be generated on both faces of the solar module, which increases the total quantity of energy produced. They also convert the sun’s rays reflected by the ground into energy when it is captured by their back face.
Solar panels
Commissioning of France’s second floating photovoltaic power plant
Bouygues Energies & Services has installed 8,000 solar panels on the Saint-Maurice-la-Clouère artificial lake in west central France, in a 7-hectare disused quarry. The 2.87 MWp plant will be able to produce the equivalent annual electricity consumption of 700 households (excluding heating).
Of note
500 GW of solar capacity already installed worldwide
equal to 2.1% of the world’s electricity consumption. In France: 9 GW installed producing the equivalent of 2.6% of electricity consumed. Solar power is experiencing very strong growth in Australia thanks to one of the highest levels of sunshine in the world and a support policy initiated in 2001.
