FEARSOME fogs are no barrier to operating a solar farm on the outskirts of Bathurst, according to a company that is hoping to do so.
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Elgin Energy's Glanmire Solar Farm moved to the assessment stage recently when the company released its response to submissions received about the project.
The almost 170-page document provides answers to various criticisms about the 158-hectare solar farm proposal, including the change in land use for the site and impact on district views.
One of the criticisms is that "solar irradiance has not been properly considered" as a factor in the selection of the site and regular days of heavy fogs mean Glanmire is a poor choice of location.
"Higher solar irradiance can be found at many locations in Australia ... however, solar irradiance is not the key factor in site selection for solar farm development," the response from Elgin says.
"For this reason, viable solar farms are constructed in areas (including Melbourne and European countries) with much lower irradiance.
"Proximity to connecting infrastructure and capacity of the grid to accept the power generated, low relief terrain of appropriate aspect, suitable access for construction and willing landowners are the critical components in securing a site which will be viable from a construction cost and operational yield perspective.
"Secondly, a location where environmental and social impacts can be minimised effectively will ensure it is a project which is approvable and can be supported by local stakeholders.
"The Glanmire Solar Farm Project location provides suitable irradiance levels in combination with good grid capacity and access.
"This ensures the power generation will not be reduced by what the grid can accommodate and keeps construction costs low, respectively."
The Western Advocate asked the same question of renewable energy company Neoen a few years ago when it was looking to build a solar farm off Eleven Mile Drive near Eglinton.
Neoen head of development Garth Heron said at the time that the company was confident about the quality of the "solar resource" in Bathurst despite the long, gloomy winters.
"Bathurst is very suited to solar panels and you can see it in the town - you've got almost half of the rooftops covered in solar panels," he said.
"It's certainly a town with great solar potential and it's a great region of Australia for sunshine."
Elgin's response to submissions document also answers the criticism that the proposed Glanmire solar farm should be in one of the state's identified Renewable Energy Zones.
"Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) are being created to concentrate power generation, transmission, and storage in identified areas to unlock new capacity for the energy grid," Elgin's response says.
"This will mean that instead of each project building transmission lines to connect to the grid, certain locations will be prepared in advance to accept more connections.
"However, the NSW Government's revised Large Scale Solar Guidelines ... recognises that to meet state and national clean energy targets, renewable energy projects are also required outside of the REZ areas; about 70 per cent of existing solar development is outside of a REZ.
"The Glanmire Solar Farm can connect to an existing infrastructure with capacity to accept the project's generation with minimal augmentation works required.
"Its close proximity to the grid connection point on the northern site boundary and alignment with augmentation works agreed to by Essential Energy will reduce construction costs and largely reduces the requirement for new infrastructure required only for this project."
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The Glanmire Action Group - which opposes the solar farm - is critical of many aspects of the project, but two of the main concerns are the loss of agricultural land and potential insurance problems for those who will neighbour the proposed development.
The action group has also pointed to the fact that more than 90 per cent of public submissions to the project environmental impact statement were against the solar farm.
State Member for Bathurst Paul Toole, meanwhile, says the solar farm would not be a welcoming sight for those travelling into the city and it should be taken further west where it would be "more appropriate".
"I can't believe that this company is even continuing to proceed," Mr Toole said of Elgin last month.
"If they haven't got the message loud and clear, the message loud and clear from our community is: it's not wanted."
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