Winton Solar Farm

Winton Solar Farm is being built on a private 250-hectare site approximately 25km south west of Wangaratta, nearby the township of Winton in North Central Victoria.  This location was chosen due to its proximity to the existing Glenrowan substation and for the regions’ high levels of solar irradiation.

Construction commenced in early 2020 and when complete, the solar farm will produce enough clean, renewable energy to supply 52,000 homes.  Solar panels – like those seen on rooftops – have been installed on single action tracking ground-mounted structures that track the sun from East to West.

As the Electrical Contractor engaged to construct the 100-megawatt (MW) facility, Watters Electrical began electrical works in June 2020; at the peak of construction, more than 90 Watters staff were on site daily.

As a sizeable business with diverse capabilities, Watters have been able to complete the works from the ground up within the business including the:

• DC wiring/connection
• LoRa gateway to control the PV tracking system
• Fibre network system
• Weather stations (remote)
• Design, supply and installation of security/CCTV system
• HV installation

This large-scale project has seen the installation of 246,624 solar photovoltaic modules – a mixture of 405- and 410-watt PC panels; 100,000 metres of DC string cable; 77,000M of 185mm and 16,000M of 35mm AC Cabling; 14,400M of HV cable; 1,076 100KW Inverters and 540 AC boxes with power generation feeding into 18 HV power stations.

Watters Electrical committed to targets in line with the Victorian Governments Major Projects Skills Guarantee for the employment of apprentices and trainees, with more than 30 local young people engaged during the project.

Follow this link to read how the Winton Solar Farm has assisted in training the future regional workforce.

https://www.benallaensign.com.au/2020/10/06/1708375/winton-solar-farm-employs-29-apprentices