Plans for a proposed solar farm six kilometres from Orange have been changed to have less panels near neighbouring properties.
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An amended development application on public exhibition at Orange City Council proposes about 2000 less solar panels on the site.
The proposed access point to the land from the Mitchell Highway has been relocated about 300 metres to the northwest of the existing Thompson Road and Mitchell Highway intersection.
The total fenced area on the property has been reduced from 11.5 hectares to 10.8 hectares.
The proposed Orange site has strong irradiation.
- Solar farm DA
The number of solar panels has been reduced from 14,337 to 12,180 and rows of solar panels have been moved away from neighbouring properties.
Meanwhile the Battery Energy Storage System and inverters have been relocated and there is provision for more perimeter landscaping.
The Orange Community Renewable Energy Park is being proposed by the Canberra and Sydney-based company ITP Development.
The DA says the site is ideal for a solar farm.
"The proposed Orange site has strong irradiation," it said.
"Australia enjoys levels of solar exposure which are much greater than global average figures. This includes areas in NSW.
"While there are other parts of NSW which do enjoy higher levels of solar exposure than the proposed site, these tend to be in remote parts of the state, where there is limited capacity on existing electricity transmission and distribution networks.
"In contrast, the proposed site is ideally located to connect into the existing distribution network and contribute to meeting local demand."
It is proposed the site will be able to store five megawatt/hour energy capacity and provide five megawatts of power to the network.
About 50 workers would be required to build the solar farm over about three months.
The site would operate unmanned with only 2-3 people needed to maintain the site every three months.
The DA states it will cost $9.8 million to build the farm.
It is planned the 12,180 solar modules would be installed in 140 rows, each row about 103 metres long and two metres wide.
"Each row of modules will rotate to track the sun across the sky from east to west each day," it said.
The DA is on exhibition until Monday September 28.
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David Fitzsimons
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
