Renewable Energy Solutions
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Case Study

Goulburn
Solar Farm

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Project Size:

1.4MW Solar Farm + 4.0MWh Battery Storage

 

Key Project Stats

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Total Solar Capacity: 1.4MW

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Total Battery Capacity: 4.0MWh

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380+ Investors, with ~80% based locally 

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$3.4M raised from the community to fund the project

A 1.4MW solar farm paired with a 4.0MWh battery, developed and funded by the Goulburn community, for the community.

What started over a decade ago as a small group of residents passionate about renewable energy has grown into something far more substantial. Unlike projects typically driven by developers or government programs, this one began with local visionaries and was shaped by community ambition, steady engagement, and a long-term commitment to making it happen. From initial idea to electrification, the journey spanned more than ten years, reflecting the persistence required to bring a project like this to life.

Delivered on a constrained and unconventional site, the project was brought to life with the expertise of Smart Commercial Energy and Komo Energy. It brings together strong technical execution with a genuine community focus, showing what is possible when regional energy infrastructure is build from the ground up without losing sight of commercial and engineering realities. 

 

THE CHALLENGE

The challenge was not simply delivering a solar and battery system but turning a community-led idea into something real and buildable.  

From the outset, the site presented constraints that would test feasibility on most projects. The land was contaminated, irregularly shaped, and bordered by both a railway and a river, adding layers of complexity across design and compliance. At the same time, the project had to move through a multi-layered approvals process, where decisions from regulatory bodies were often slow and sequential, stretching timelines well beyond what anyone had initially expected. 

External factors added further pressure. The COVID pandemic disrupted supply chains and caused delays, while policy uncertainty and unexpected tax treatment on grant funding introduced additional financial challenges. Alongside this, significant capital needed to be raised from the local community, requiring ongoing trust and engagement over a development period that spanned more than a decade. 

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“For ten years there at that site was dirt, weeds and notion, and within six months it's covered in panels, inverters and wiring”

Ed Suttle

Vice President, Community Energy for Goulburn

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THE SOLUTION

Working alongside Komo Energy and Community for Goulburn, Smart brought structure and technical clarity to a highly complex project. The focus was on aligning engineering, procurement, and delivery decisions with both the realities of the site and the expectations of the community behind it. 

The system design was carefully tailored to fit the constraints of the land, while supplier selection considered not just technical capability, but alignment with the project's broader goals. An integrated solution from Trina Solar was chosen for panels, racking, and battery, helping to streamline coordination across key components.

Flexibility was critical throughout delivery. Unlike more conventional projects, this system required an adaptive approach, responding to challenges as they arose while keeping the project commercially and technically viable. By working closely with the development partner and the wider stakeholder group, progress continued even when conditions were less than straightforward.

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“It's a large system, certainly, for a community group to build and fund. The scale of the infrastructure and the costs of the infrastructure are quite high”

Kealy Day

Chief Technology Officer, Smart Commercial Energy

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THE RESULTS

The project has delivered a renewable energy asset that is both technically robust and genuinely community-backed.

It now supplies renewable energy directly into the grid, while proving that locally funded infrastructure can succeed without relying on traditional development models. One of the most notable outcomes has been the level of community involvement, with strong investor support maintained throughout the project’s long journey.

Once approvals and funding were secured, construction moved quickly, highlighting the contrast between the complexity of development and the pace of delivery on site. The end result is not just an operational system, but a clear example of what is possible, giving other regional communities the confidence to pursue similar projects.

The project was formally marked with a community ribbon cutting event, bringing together the many people who contributed to its success and celebrating what had been achieved together.

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