Powering future leaders

31 Jul 2020

This article was originally published in Contact Magazine.

Australia’s renewable energy research capacity has been boosted with the completion of the UQ Warwick Solar Farm in 2020. UQ is also investing in future leaders in this space, with students gaining valuable experience that will help Queensland reach its renewable energy targets by 2030.

When you ask Professor Tapan Saha about the pride he feels at UQ’s giant strides in renewable and sustainable energy projects, there’s a lot for him to consider.

That’s primarily because he has been a UQ staff member since 1996, and in that time has witnessed a world of positive change, particularly in the past decade.

“I’m very proud, because when you look back, even just 10 years, Queensland as a state had very little renewable activity,” Saha said.

“We’re now at a stage where UQ can produce more energy than it needs, with the 64-megawatt Warwick Solar Farm3.3-megawatt Gatton Solar Research Facility, and 2.5 megawatts from the central St Lucia campus, making us energy neutral.

“A lot of people have contributed along the way – and I think previous Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Høj AC deserves particular credit for his visionary direction. But for me to be able to say I’ve been involved since day one on many of our largest renewable projects is something I cherish.

“I’m heartened to see our students and the wider community having access to the benefits of these facilities, not only to improve their everyday lives, but to harness the research, and understand more about meeting our needs for the future.

“There’s a tremendous amount of happiness in the work we do because I know it will benefit students, consumers and ultimately the planet.”

Read more in Contact Magazine

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