The Ipswich businesses, including Sunny Queen and Llewellyn Motors, embracing solar power

From a major car dealership to a large egg producer, Ipswich businesses are seeing the benefits of renewable energy. A huge $80 million solar farm will soon be built in the fastest-growing city in Queensland.

Three Ipswich postcodes are among the top 25 in Australia for the number of small-scale solar power units installed, with major local businesses embracing renewables and experiencing first-hand the benefits of going green.

According to the Federal Government’s Clean Energy Regulator report for 2020, the 4300 (11,697), 4305 (10,108) and 4306 postcodes (10,099) were among the highest in the country with respective outputs of 63,552 kilowatts, 44,054 kW and 52,309 kW.

As the fastest-growing city in Queensland, former Energy Minister Anthony Lynham declared in July last year he wanted to see Ipswich become one of the state’s leading producers of solar power.

Sunny Queen’s 100kW solar system in Carole Park was installed in 2016.

Egg producer Sunny Queen is living up to its name after installing a 100kW system at its Carole Park distribution centre in 2016.

It was so well received the company also installed a similar system at its new warehouse in New South Wales, which generates about 20 per cent of the site’s power needs.

Sunny Queen marketing and innovation general manager Isabelle Dench said the system at their Carole Park site produces 135 megawatt hours a year and offsets 94 tonnes of carbon annually.

The system cost about $185,000 and it is expected to pay itself off in another two-and-a-half years.

No energy is being put back into the grid and it is only being used to power the distribution centre.

About 90 metres of solar panels were installed on the roof of an undercover employee car park.

“The business is committed to investing in sustainability and this is one step in this direction,” she said.

“Sustainability and power generation (is the focus).

“It is so important to look after our planet and the future of it.

“Sunny Queen are continuing on a journey to increase our solar footprint across our farms, offices and distribution centres.”

Just a few kilometres west, a solar-powered car park opened in the Goodna Technology Park in July last year.

Park owner and Vast Solar head of production Dr Bruce Leslie said the project took two months to build.

Vast Solar head of production Dr Bruce Leslie at their Goodna operations. Picture: Brad Fleet

The 24-space car park has 216 solar panels, that can generate up to 55 kW of power, and two electric charging stations, which are able to fully recharge a car during the day or provide a shorter 120 kilometre boost in just one hour.

“The return on investment (for the solar car park) is about four years,” he said.

“The value of the electricity it creates which is then provided to our tenants instead of buying stuff from the grid gives it a pay-off period of about four years.

“The old market was there’s a few players that produced all of the energy for everybody.

“The new market is going to be lots and lots of players producing energy in a distributed market.

“Over the next little while we need plenty of solar coming in as electric cars come in (and) hydrogen facilities come in.”

The largest privately-owned solar powered station is in Ipswich, on the rooftops of major car dealership Llewellyn Motors.

The 1232 solar panels were installed by Planet Ark Power in 2017 and is expected to reduce the business’ carbon footprint by 8400 tonnes and save more than $2 million on energy costs over the next 20 years.

That equals about 2.8 million kilometres travelled by car annually.

The system produces 322 kW and has already paid itself off within four years.

An $80 million solar farm has been approved by Ipswich City Council for Karrabin.

It is part of a wider sustainable push from Llewellyns, including recycling car parts, tyres and oil and washing vehicles using rainwater collected in tanks.

“Electricity produced from this system provides the dealership with 47 per cent of its annual load,” compliance and environmental manager David Triggs said.

“Our long term vision is to be one of the most sustainable businesses in the local community here in Ipswich.”

Energy company EIWA Queensland, which has offices in Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong, has approval to build a huge $80 million solar farm in rural Karrabin.

About 110,000 solar panels will have a generating capacity of 60MW.

Construction is expected to begin by the end of the year and the project would create about 100 jobs, with up to 10 ongoing roles once operational.

“The clean energy generated from the Karrabin Solar Farm would be capable of providing many local homes and businesses with a source of green energy and reduce reliance on fossil fuels,” EIWA Queensland Engineering Director Patrick Lau said.

“The project will generate jobs during construction and operation and provide energy costs savings to the local community.

“Solar generation is a passive form of power generation and as part of the development approximately 35 per cent of the entire site will be set aside for environmental purposes for the life of the solar farm with an additional 5000 plus native trees to be planted to enhance the native flora along the Bremer River.”

Read more stories by Lachlan McIvor here.