Australia participated in the construction of the world’s largest solar power plant plan to combat the problem of global temperature rise, with a total investment of 500 million Australian dollars (375 million US dollars). The power plant will be built near Mildura in southern Victoria. The Australian government plans to build a solar collector worth 420 million Australian dollars in the first phase, of which 75 million Australian dollars will be funded. The purpose of the plan is to build the world’s largest 154MW photovoltaic facility, using mirrors to collect sunlight into the power plant without releasing gas. The project started in 2007 and is expected to be fully operational in 2013.

In early October 2007, Solar Systems announced that it had made two investments in Australia to build a high-tech solar facility manufacturing plant in Melbourne and build a large-scale regional R&D facility. In the first 16 years, Solar System Corporation has developed high-function solar power station technology and is setting up large-scale networked power stations. Solar System’s new photovoltaic module manufacturing plant can produce 300MW of photovoltaic modules. The company became one of the largest companies of its kind in the world. The newly built factory was put into operation in the first quarter of 2009. Solar system company photovoltaic modules can generate 1.5 times more power per square meter than traditional photovoltaic modules. This type of module was initially used in a series of power stations in Australia, including the Northwest Victorian power station, which was built at the end of 2006 with an investment of 420 million US dollars. In addition, a research and development facility with an investment of 10 million US dollars was built near Bendigo, Victoria. Its central task is to optimize and further develop the company’s technology.

Australia announced the construction of the world’s largest solar energy facility on August 15, 2008. The project is expected to be completed within three years, with an investment of 1 billion U.S. dollars in the facility. Some companies including BHPBi1iton and Rio Tinto are involved in the project, and Wor1ey Parsons is an optional construction site. The project can generate electricity for up to 300,000 households. More than 30 facilities of this type will start construction in Australia by 2020, which will make Australia the world’s leading country in solar power generation.

Australia’s largest province of New South Wales issued a tax clause to stimulate solar energy utilization on December 2, 2009. The tax will remain at 0.60 Australian dollars/(kW·h) [0.37 euros/(kw.h)] for 7 years. The tax is about 4 times the electricity bill paid by residential users, and it is applicable to all small electricity consumers (less than 160MW·h consumption per year).