UNSW signs agreement with Maoneng and Origin Energy for Solar PPA

UNSW’s goal of attaining carbon neutrality on energy use by 2020 will be met by signing agreement with contract partners Maoneng Australia and Origin Energy for an offsite Solar PV Corporate Power Purchase agreement.

UNSW President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Jacobs stated “This landmark initiative is an exciting step towards realizing UNSW’s goal of carbon neutrality on energy use by 2020 and reflects our commitment to making a positive global impact.”

The agreement, which was signed on 14 December 2017, will see UNSW purchase up to 124,000 MWh of renewable energy per annum from Maoneng’s Sunraysia Solar Farm located near Balranald in south western NSW, meeting UNSW’s annual energy requirement starting in 2019.

A three-year retail firming contract was also signed with Origin, as the electricity retailer, to manage the intermittency of solar production. The tripartite arrangement for UNSW was supported by Norton Rose Fulbright as legal advisors who specialize in PPAs, along with energy management consulting firm, Energy Action, who provided energy market analysis and advice.

Origin’s General Manager, Business Energy, Ryan Willemsen-Bell said, “Origin is proud to be a contract partner in this agreement with UNSW and we are committed to creating innovative solutions to help our customers meet their carbon neutrality aspirations.

“At Origin we are accelerating our transition towards renewable. And our customers want to be part of that given our target to have more than 25 percent of Origin’s generation mix coming from renewable by 2020.”

Image: UNSW President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Jacobs. The 142kW array is part of the 692kW of solar PV arrays currently installed across rooftops at the UNSW Kensington campus. Source: UNSW