Energy efficiency and renewables
Source: https://about.uq.edu.au/strategy-values/sustainability/energy-efficiency-renewables Parent: https://about.uq.edu.au/strategy-values/sustainability
We're committed to reducing energy consumption on campus and investing in renewable energy infrastructure.
We're reducing our energy consumption through ongoing projects and initiatives, including our electric vehicle fast-charging stations and Queensland's largest behind-the-meter battery system.
Our state-of-the-art research solar facilities mean our solar experts can make exciting new discoveries about clean energy generation and carbon emissions reduction.
Battery project
In 2019, we installed a behind-the-meter battery system. The 1.1MW/2.15MWh Tesla Powerpack system provides multiple services to help UQ manage and reduce energy cost, including arbitrage and frequency control ancillary services (FCAS).
You can view the battery’s real-time performance on the Engineering Precinct battery dashboard.
View Engineering Precinct battery dashboard
Electric vehicle charging stations
Our electric vehicle charging stations are available at Gatton and St Lucia campuses.
Find a vehicle charging station
Solar power
We've installed solar panels on rooftops across our campuses, with multiple buildings boasting solar facilities to harness clean energy. These locations include:
- Pinjarra Hills
- Heron Island Research Station
- Moreton Bay Research Station
- Long Pocket.
We installed our first rooftop solar system in 2011. At that time, our innovative system was almost 25% larger than any other rooftop system in Australia. Since then, our rooftop solar capacity has grown significantly.
Gatton Solar Research Facility
The Gatton Solar Research Facility is the largest photovoltaic research facility in the southern hemisphere.
The 3.275 megawatt array is made up of more than 37,000 thin-film photovoltaic panels, installed over 10 hectares.
The advanced technology photovoltaic modules produce enough clean energy to power more than 1,000 average Australian homes and displace the equivalent of 5,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
The development was funded by a $40.7 million Federal Government Education Investment Fund program grant administered by the Department of Education.
Solar focus concentrating dish
Our concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) array is one of only 31 in Australia, and the only one outside Alice Springs.
Mounted on a motor driven axis, the CPV rotates almost 180 degrees to track the sun across the sky each day to concentrate solar energy and produce an electrical current.
The 8.4 kilowatt CPV uses different technology to the flat rooftop panels by following the sun and using its 28 parabolic focusing photovoltaic modules to individually reflect and concentrate the sun’s energy.
In general, the CPV array is more efficient than traditional flat panels when the sun is shining, but less efficient on overcast days.
Warwick Solar Farm
Warwick Solar Farm opened in 2020 and contains over 200,000 solar panels. Laid end to end, these solar panels would reach from Noosa to Coolangatta.
Divestment
In June 2024, the University announced it was undertaking a market review to consider the possible sale of the Warwick Solar Farm. Following this extensive assessment, the University Senate has approved the sale of the farm.
The renewable energy market has evolved significantly since the farm officially opened in 2020. These advances now offer alternative pathways for UQ to transition to renewable energy, without the operational demands of running a wholesale power generation facility.
We are proud of the farm's legacy and its role in positioning UQ as a sustainability leader. We will continue to keep the community updated throughout the divestment process.
Contact
For questions, contact pfassist@pf.uq.edu.au.