Aussie uni seeks to sign renewable PPA

The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) wants to sign a contract for the purchase of renewable power with the aim of securing enough energy to fully offset the energy use of its newest buildings.

The university said today it has issued a request for proposals (RfP) from large-scale renewable energy projects that could see it buy electricity and large-scale generation certificates (LGCs) for a 10-15-year period. It is looking for projects of suitable scale that are already under development.

"There are a number of projects around Australia already with development approval so they're ready to break ground. They require a purchaser for the generation to be able to secure financing, so UTS can facilitate the process to allow construction of the facility," said UTS deputy vice chancellor (resources) Patrick Woods.

Together with the university's onsite and mid-scale solar projects, the move could allow UTS to meet 40-50% of its needs with renewable energy purchasing by 2019, Woods added.

Woods noted that corporate renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs) have been particularly successful in the US, adding that the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Victorian governments and Telstra have had similar success in Australia.

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