Winton North Solar Farm Completes Installation of 200,172 Solar Panels

The Winton North Solar Farm, a pioneering solar and battery hybrid initiative in Victoria, Australia, has successfully installed all its photovoltaic (PV) modules. This achievement comes just two months after the project reached its financial close.

This milestone was announced by the Melbourne division of Danish company European Energy, one of the prominent players in Australia’s large-scale renewable energy sector, via a LinkedIn post this week.

“Despite the challenges posed by a wet winter, all 200,172 solar panels are now securely in place at Winton North Solar Farm – a fantastic accomplishment by our on-site team,” the post elaborated on Tuesday. “While we still have some final work and testing to conduct, this 131-megawatt project is making swift progress, and it won’t be long before it starts delivering renewable energy to Victoria’s grid. That’s the goal we’re working towards.”

Testing Phase and Future Developments

The solar farm has moved into its testing phase, aiming for a grid connection anticipated next year. Additionally, a 100 MW/220-megawatt-hour (MWh) battery is also being developed on-site, with expectations for it to be operational by the winter of 2027.

Annual Energy Generation and Infrastructure

Once fully operational, the Winton North Solar Farm, situated roughly 22 kilometres southwest of Wangaratta, is projected to produce around 251-gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity annually. The farm will connect to the local Ausnet transmission network via a 5-kilometre line, which will be constructed in stages both above and below ground, linking it to the nearby Glenrowan Terminal Station.