Re: Gunnedah Solar Farm – Question form the Commission 1 ...€¦ · Numerous studies of glint...

Photon Energy Australia Pty Ltd | Level 2 / 55 Grafton Street | Bondi Junction NSW 2022 | Australia

10December2018

DearAlana,

Re:GunnedahSolarFarm–QuestionformtheCommission

ThankyouforyouremaildatedMonday3December2018.Weprovidethefollowingresponsestoyourquestions.

1. Provideanexplanationofhowtheheavyvehicleroutewasdetermined.Whatwastheselectioncriteriausedtodeterminetherouteandwereotherroutesconsidered?

Theheavyvehiclerouteoutlinedbelowhasbeendeterminedtobethesafestandmostappropriatetransportroute:

Ø KamilaroiHighwaytoGunnedahcarriesBDoubletrucksandallowsforlocal,regionalandnationalroadfreightmovements

Ø BlueValeRoadiswelllaidoutandcansafelyaccommodatethetruckmovements,providingahighlevelofcontrolandsafety

Ø OldBlueValeRoadandtheintersectionsfromBlueValeRoadandKelvinRoadhavebeenassessedasprovidingadequatesafetyandvisibilitybasedonGuidelines

Ø KelvinRoadisusedfortrucksandallowsforadequatestoppingandturningdistancesØ OrangeGroveisusedasit’sthepublicroadgivingaccesstotheproperty

ItisnotedthattheotheraccesstothesiteisviatheOxleyHighway(throughTamworth),thenRushesCreekRoadwhichendsaroundLakeKeepitthenontoOrangeGroveRoad.Thisrouteincludes30kmsofdirtwindingroadthatisnotsuitableforsemi-trailers.

MoredetailcanbefoundintheEISAppendixI–TrafficImpactAssessment.

2. Provideamapoftheschoolbusroutesthroughthearea.PleaserefertoFigure1.ThemaphasbeencompiledbasedondiscussionswiththebuscompanieslistedontheGunnedahShireCouncils’website.ThisincludesHopeBusServices,HawkinsCoachlinesandMillerd’sBusService.Theschoolrunisgenerallybetween0800–0830and1530-1600onschooldays.

3. Provideacross-sectionfigureshowingthelocationofVP9andthesolarfarm.ThecrosssectionshouldincludeReducedLevels(RLs).

PleaserefertoFigure2andFigure3.Figure2showstheactualgroundlevelsbasedontheinformationinthefloodmanagementplansandFigure3isusingaFigure3verticalexaggerationof1:10.

4. Providefurtherdetailsregardinghowreflectivityandpotentialimpactsassociatedwithglarewouldbeavoided.PleaserefertoTable1below.

5. Provideasubdivisionplanshowingtherequiredallotmentsasdiscussedinthebriefing19November2018.

PleaserefertoFigure4.

6. Providecosttofenceentiresiteasdiscussedinthebriefing19November2018.

Theentireestimatedlengthoffencingis5,500metres@$55/m=$302,500and4,000metresat$66/m=$264,000.Thetotalestimatedcostbeing$566,500.

7. ProvideanoverviewofcommunityconsultationundertakenpostsubmissionoftheEnvironmentalImpactStatement(EIS)includinganyconsultationundertakenthroughouttheResponsetoSubmissions(RtS)process,followingsubmissionoftheRtSandanyfurtherconsultationsincethattime.Consultation/engagementundertakenpostsubmissionoftheEISincludes:

Ø 23April2018–Sentnotificationto19communitymembersadvisingthattheEISwasaboutdueforpublicexhibition.

Ø 17May2018–communicationwithGeoffHood.SpokewithGeoffalsoonthe23May,25Mayand28Mayregardingfloodingconcernsandreviewoffloodmodellingdataandfencingconfiguration.

Ø 25May2018-PresentationtotheGunnedahShireCouncilincludingtheGunnedahMayorandCouncillors.

AftertheRtSwassubmitteditwasunderstoodtheDepartmentofPlanningandEnvironmentwerediscussingtheproposalwiththecommunity.ThisincludedasitevisitandDepartmentofPlanningandEnvironmentholdingseparatesessionswithsensitivereceivers.

Ø 26October2018–emailtoGraemeBrownregardingnextsteps.

Ø 30November2018–oneononemeetingswithRobGaltonregardingthefloodingfencingconfigurationandChrisAvardregardingvisualimpacts.

Therehasalsobeenseveralmediarequestswhichhavebeenrespondedto.

Pleasedonothesitatetocontactmeshouldyourequirefurtherclarificationtotheabovequestions.

Yourssincerely

NickGuzowskiProjectManager–GunnedahSolarFarm

Figure1–Gunnedahschoolbusroute

Figure2–CrossSectionshowingthelocationofVP9andtheproposedSolarFarm

Figure3-CrosssectionshowingthelocationofVP9andtheproposedSolarFarm–verticalexaggeration1:10

Table1:Providefurtherdetailsregardinghowreflectivityandpotentialimpactsassociatedwithglarewouldbeavoided.PotentialImpact

UpdatedResponse

Glare

Overview

TheSolarPVmodulesproposedtobeinstalledatGunnedaharedesignedtoabsorbthelightratherthanreflectit.Thisisverydifferenttoconcentratedthermalsolarpowerwhichusesmirrorstoreflectthesuntoonepointconcentratingthesunlight.InadditionitisnotedtheNSWGovernmentDiscussionPaper:PlanningforRenewableEnergyGeneration–SolarEnergy(April2010)states:‘Thepotentialforglareassociatedwithnon-concentratingPVsystemswhichdonotinvolvemirrorsorlensesarerelativelylimited’.

PhotovoltaicPanelImpacts

Photovoltaic(PV)panelsaredesignedtoabsorbsolarenergy(modulesurfaceisunevenindesigntorefractlightinwardstomaximiseefficiency)inordertoproduceelectricity.Asaconsequence,thereflectancelevelsfromphotovoltaicsystemsaretypicallylowerthanthereflectancegeneratedbycommonreflectivesurfacesofbuiltenvironmentssuchasfarmsheds.ThereflectancefromPVpanelsisalsotypicallylowerthanfeaturesofnaturalenvironments,suchasbodiesofsmoothwater.Giventhetrajectoryofthesuntherewillbenoglint/glareimpactsfromthemodulestoreceiverslocatedtothenorthofthesiteandtheimpacts.Thetrajectoryofthesunthroughthenorthernhorizonmeansthereistheoreticalpotentialimpactstoreceiverstothesouthoftheproject,includingthedwellingsandtheroad.Theseimpactswillbemitigatedby:• TheimpactswouldbelessthanthatofabodyofwaterasthePVpanelsaredesignedtoabsorblight.• Theunevensurfaceofthemodulesandthepositionandsetbacksofthereceiver’sresultsinreflectedlightbecomingmorediffused

overdistanceandthenearestreceiverissetback800metrestothesoutheastofthesiteallowingadequatedistanceforthisphenomenatofurthermitigatetheimpacts.

• Thedynamicnatureoftheglint/glareimpactsoccurringduetothechangetrajectoryofthesun,thetrackingnatureofthemodulesandthevariablestaticpositionofagivenreceivermeansanyimpactswouldonlyoccurforashortperiodbeforethedynamicschangeandtheimpactsarenolongeroccurring.

• Movementofthereceiverinavehiclefurtherreducingthemomentarynatureoftheimpact.• Filteringofreflectedlightbyexistingtreesandstructures.• Existingglintandglarereceivedofexistingnearbybuildingsandwaterbodies.

PotentialImpact

UpdatedResponse

WhendrivingpastPVmodulesinrowsperpendiculartotheroad,thecolourofthepanelscouldalsochangerapidlyfromblack(whenviewedfromthesouth)tovariousshadesfrombluetowhite,lighteninginappearanceasthevehiclepassesthefacility.Therapidchangeinviewerpositionresultsinabruptchangesinangleandpatternofthepanels.Thisvisualchangewouldonlybeseeniflookingdirectlydowntherowswhentravellingpastatspeed,andwouldbemomentary.OnthisbasisitisconsideredthatanyglintorglarefromthePVpanelswillnothaveanyunreasonableimpactsonthenearbypotentialreceivers. BalanceofSystemImpactsBeyondthePVpanelstherewillbesomeinstancesofglintexperiencedbynearbyreceivers,includingtheroadanddwellings,dependingontheweatherconditions,positionofthesunandpositionofthereceptor.Thismayoccurfromfromtheothermetal/reflectivematerialthatformpartoftheprojectsbalanceofsystemincludingthefollowing:

• Steelmountingframes• ThePVpanelframesand“busbar”• Transmissionpoles• Metalcomponentswithinthesubstation,invertersandswitchingstations

AsthesolarfarmisdesignedtotrackthesunthroughoutthedaythePVpanelswillblockmostofthesunlightfromreachingthesteelmountingframes.Assuchtherewillonlybeverylimitedpotentialforglintorglareoffsteelmountingframes.Theminimalglintorglarethatmayoccurfromthesemountingframeswilltypicallybeamomentaryduetothechangenatureofthesunandtrackingnatureofthesystemandfurtherreducedforanyonemovingpasttheprojectandlesslikelytobeexperiencedtothenorthofthesiteduetothetrajectoryofthesun.Thiswouldbenoworseandlikelylessimpactfulthanthereflectedlightfromabodyofwatersuchasalakeormetalfarmbuildings.Asnotedabovethesetbacksofthereceiverswillalsoenableanyglintorglaretodiffusemitigatingitsimpact.ThePVpanelframeshaveasmallsurfaceareaandspacedoutbythePVpanels.Assuch,potentialforglintandglarefromtheseframeswillverylimitedandagainmomentarydependingonthepositionofthesunandthereceiverandchangingthroughoutthedayandasaresultofthetrackingnatureofthesystem.TheframesaremattsteelwhichalsoreducestheirpotentialAgainmitigationprovidedbythesetbacksof

PotentialImpact

UpdatedResponse

thesensitivereceiversandpartscreeningbyexistingvegetationandbuildings.Thesamecharacteristicsandimpactsalsoapplytothe“busbar”(finesilverlines)withinthefaceofthePVpanel.Thetransmissionpolesandthesubstationandinverterbuildingsareconsideredtobecommensuratewithexistinginfrastructureandbuildingswithinthiscontextgiventhescale,positioningandsetbacks.Onthisbasisanyglintandglareimpactsfromthesestructureswillnotrepresentanunreasonablechangeorincreasefromexistingconditions.Numerousstudiesofglintandglareproducedbysolarphotovoltaicsystemshavebeenperformedinthelastseveralyears,allconcludingthatphotovoltaicsystemsrepresentalowsourceofglintandglareandaless-than-significantenvironmentalimpact(e.g.,PowerEngineers2010,AARDVARCLtd.2014)andasnotedaboveintheTheNSWGovernmentDiscussionPaper:PlanningforRenewableEnergyGeneration–SolarEnergy(April2010).

Lightrefractionfromheat

A‘mirage’effect—glitteringorshimmering—canbesometimesobservedatPVfacilities.Theeffectissimilartotheshimmeringseenoverabitumenroadonahotdayandoccursbecausethesurfaceofthepanelsishotterthantheairaroundit.The‘mirage’effectcanmakethecolourabovethepanelsappearbrighterandbluer.The‘mirage’effectisnotbrightenoughtocausediscomfort,andislikelytobeonlyobservedduringcertaintimesofdayandfromcertainviewingpositions.The‘mirageeffect’maybeobservedundercertainconditionsattheGunnedahSolarFarmbutwillnothaveanyunreasonableimpacts.

Figure1:Subdivisionplan

LOT 2 - 338 haLOT 1 - 0.8 ha

LOT 3 - 462 ha

Legend:

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THIAGO COSTA

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SHANE MELLOTE

LOCATION: AUSTRALIA

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Figure2:Subdivisionplan