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:

Orange Grove RoadTransgrid 132 kV Line

Powerline EasementE1 E1

E2 E2 Carriageway Easement

Orange Grove Road

Orange Grove Road

Transgrid 132kV powerline

Transgrid 132kV powerline

LOT 3

LOT 1

SITE ACCESS

LOT 2

E1E1

E1E1

E1E1

E1

E2E2

E2E2

E2E2

E2E2

N0 100 200 300 400 500 1000m

801

841

594

554

H

G

F

E

D

C

B

A

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11

7 8 9 10 11

1 2 3 4 5 6801

841

594

554

H

G

F

E

D

C

B

A

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12

H

G

F

E

7 8 9 10

D

C

B

11 12

A

REV

. NO

.R

EVIS

ION

DES

CR

IPTI

ON

DAT

E

SHEET SIZE

DRAWING NO.

DRAWN

CHECKED

APPROVED

APPROVALS

DRAWING SCALE

PROJECT NO.

DESIGNED

GU

NN

EDAH

SO

LAR

FAR

M

SUBD

IVIS

ION

PLA

N

3 4 5 6

THIAGO COSTA

THIAGO COSTA

SHANE MELLOTE

LOCATION: AUSTRALIA

-34.476241, 142.154788

FOR DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL ONLY

AIN

ITIA

L SU

BMIS

SIO

N -

FOR

DEV

ELO

PMEN

T AP

PRO

VAL

10/1

2/20

18

Figure2:Subdivisionplan