Sunraysia, one of the largest solar farms in Australia, is among the first projects structured with long-term offtake to an end user

NEXTracker™, a Flex company, announced it has been selected by Decmil, an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor to supply its smart solar tracker, NX Horizon™ for the Sunraysia Solar Farm. The Sunraysia Solar Farm is owned and operated by both John Laing and Maoneng Australia and managed by Maoneng Australia. This is the second NEXTracker system in its portfolio after the Mugga Lane solar park in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The Sunraysia Solar Farm will deliver power to AGL (Australia Gas and Light) Energy via a 15-year contract.

NX Horizon smart solar tracker on Australian solar farm, 2018.
NX Horizon smart solar tracker on Australian solar farm, 2018.
"NEXTracker is honored to be selected by Decmil to supply 255 megawatts of our smart solar tracker, and to one of the first projects in Australia structured with a long-term offtaker as the end-user," said Dan Shugar, NEXTracker CEO. "We also applaud AGL Energy's transition to provide more renewable energy options to its customers for cleaner and more affordable energy."

Decmil Managing Director and Group CEO, Scott Criddle, said: "Decmil is looking forward to partnering with NEXTracker on the Sunraysia Solar Farm project. They offer significant experience in delivering smart technology for the renewables sector."

The project site location was selected to embed renewable electricity generation closer to metropolitan load centers such as Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. The Sunraysia Solar Farm aims to directly contribute to meet Australia's Renewable Energy Target (RET). For large utility-scale solar and wind, the RET goal is to generate 33,000 GWh of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020, or 23.5 per cent of Australia's electricity generation.

Serving as the backbone of small to large utility-scale solar power plants around the world, NX Horizon is designed to withstand desert environments and harsh wind speeds with its completely sealed mechanical and electrical components operating at one meter above the ground. With its signature independent rows, high-slope tolerance and rapid assembly features, construction risk is minimized, and project schedules are accelerated. NX Horizon is certified to UL 2703 and UL 3703 standards, underscoring NEXTracker's commitment to safety, reliability and quality. NX Horizon can also be augmented with TrueCapture™ control software to enhance energy yield, and paired with Digital O&M™ services for real-time analytics, performance monitoring, and predictive maintenance.

To learn more, see these technical whitepapers:

TrueCapture, Optimizing Your Energy Yield
Wind Design Analysis: Designing for the Wind
The Sunraysia Solar Farm also has a contract with the University of New South Wales in Sydney as part of the University's plan to reach "carbon neutrality" on energy by 2020. At the height of construction, close to 400 people will be working and living in Balranald, contributing to significant economic growth and job opportunities to the region.

About NEXTracker
NEXTracker, a Flex company, advances the power plant of the future with smart solar trackers, energy storage systems and TrueCapture™ advanced control software that yields additional energy, optimizes performance and reduces costs for project and plant owners. As the number-one tracker supplier worldwide with over 16 GW delivered or under fulfillment, NEXTracker is globally recognized for delivering smart and connected energy systems for hundreds of projects across five continents. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, the company has offices in Australia, India, Latin America, and Europe. For more information, visit NEXTracker.com and follow the company on Twitter and LinkedIn.