White Cliffs Solar Power Station - Historic Engineering Marker #89 White Cliffs, New South Wales, Australia
By Team MavEtJu on 15-Oct-15. Waypoint GA7608

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Type: Virtual
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Coordinates: S30° 51.375' E143° 5.316' (WGS 84)
  54J 699710E 6584461N (UTM)
Elevation: 153 m
Local Government Area: Central Darling

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Description

White Cliffs Solar Power Station - Historic Engineering Marker #89

The original power station was established by ANU researchers as an experimental facility with funding from the NSW State Government (Energy Authority of NSW).

Construction commenced in 1981 and the final cost totalled nearly $1.9 million. The power station comprised fourteen sun tracking parabolic dishes of 5 metres diameter (two rows of seven), each concentrating the suns rays onto a thermal absorber at its focal point to heat water to produce steam. The steam was piped back to a central heat exchanger to power a reciprocating steam engine generator that produced up to 25kW of electricity. Some of the energy was stored in batteries (to provide electricity at night) and a back-up diesel generator ensured supply during extended cloudy periods.

The electricity from the station was reticulated at low voltage (240 volts) over a limited area of the township, supplying the local hospital, school, post office and twelve homes. Because this electricity was ‘sold’ to these customers, this gives rise to the claim that White Cliffs was the “first commercial solar power station in the world”. At the time there was no grid supply to White Cliffs and electricity was otherwise generated at individual dwellings by diesel generators.

Like all experimental facilities, particula rly those with multiple mechanical systems and pumped liquids, there were many problems encountered. The thermal stress of metal components, particularly the absorbers at the focus of the dish concentrators, often resulted in leaks occurring in pipework. The auxiliaries (pumps, motor drives for the mirrors, battery chargers, lighting etc) all consumed electricity themselves, to the extent that these loads often exceeded the output of the electric generator. Hence, the diesel generator was often required to run, and its output often exceeded the consumption of the connected customers (ie it was more efficient to turn the solar system off). This situation was the result of the small size of the experimental solar station, in a larger system the auxiliaries would be a smaller fraction of the station output.

However, the facility did demonstrate the technology, and proved electricity could be generated from sunlight and supply a remote community, even if not very economically. When the grid supply was extended to White Cliffs, and replaced the need for the diesel back-up, the economics of the facility improved.

In 1997, the facility was converted to a photovoltaic system. The dishes were resurfaced with new mirror panels and the thermal absorbers were each replaced by a cluster of 16 photovoltaic cells which were more than 22% efficient in converting solar radiation directly into electricity. Water circulation was still required at the focal point to cool the photovoltaic cells and maintain their efficiency.

The new system produced up to 42kW peak output, which was fed directly into the electricity grid (which now supplied the township), removing the need for batteries and the diesel backup. New software improved the tracking of the dishes by predicting the suns position and allowed for local or remote monitoring and control.

In its last full year of operation (2003-2004) the power station generated 35,412 kWh of electricity.

Contents of the plaque:

WHITE CLIFFS SOLAR POWER STATION

This station was designed and built in 1981 by Australian National University researchers with M$1.9 funding from the NSW Government. Fourteen tracking parabolic dishes of 5 metres diameter concentrated the sun onto thermal absorbers to heat water. The steam produced powered a reciprocating engine & generator. As the electricity was sold to the community, this was arguably the Worlds first commercial solar power station. In 1997 the station was converted to a concentrating photovoltaic system and ceased generating in January 2005.

The Institution of Engineers Australia, Country Energy, 2006 - twenty fifth anniversary of construction

Note: The marker with the description of the antenna was not found on Google maps, also the location of the marker is currently not known. If you find it, please consider measuring the right location and make a copy of the marker.

When logging this virtual, please add a photo of yourself or your GPSr at the plaque.

For more information, please see this page at the Heritage Register at the Engineers Australia website: Nomination

Logs

13-Apr-22
Gates were locked and so could only shoot through the fence.
 
16-Jul-20
On an epic plain trip with Uncle Grog, Pebbles and Dino into the back and heart of NSW over 4 days to White Cliffs, Bourke and Moree. Unforgettable not least to what was going on in the rest of the world at the time. Hard to ever compare to anything and very memorable. We just loved it and found a few caches on the side including some GCA caches. Thanks to the Co for the Cache!!
 
08-Mar-18
Wow!! A first to find after nearly two and a half years since publication.

While staying at Warrawong on the Darling near Wilcannia we had a drive out to visit White Cliffs for the day....what a fascinating place Smile

When we first saw this area we thought they may be satellite dishes. Have never seen a solar power plant like this one.

Many thanks for bringing us here and teaching us a little of the local history.

Thanks for this virtual Team MavEtJu ClappingDancing
 
15-Oct-15
Published!