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News

Celebrating five years of the Winton Solar Farm Community Grants Program

December 19, 2025

Now in its fifth year, the Winton Solar Farm Community Grants Program continues to champion local organisations turning community-focused ideas into action. As part of this year’s Grant program, five recipients will share in $30,000 of funding to deliver initiatives that strengthen connection, enhance liveability, and create lasting benefits for the Benalla region and surrounds. […]

Winton Solar Farm Community Grants Program returns in 2024

September 1, 2024

Winton Solar Farm’s Community Grants Program is returning in 2024 to support the community and make a positive contribution to the region, with applications to open next week The program is part of FRV’s commitment to social development in the communities and markets where it operates – not only through clean energy generation, but also […]

Winton Solar Farm grants program continues for another year

October 26, 2022

Winton Solar Farm’s commitment to supporting local communities is set to continue into its third consecutive year with applications for the 2022 Winton Solar Farm Community Grants Program to open next week. As well as providing renewable energy to customers, the Winton Solar Farm has a strong commitment to contribute socio-economic benefits to the local […]

Farming continues at Winton Solar Farm

May 19, 2022

Winton Solar Farm has been working closely with its site neighbours over the last few months to secure agreement for sheep grazing to continue on the site. AgriSolar is the latest development in the renewables industry, making use of land for energy production, grazing and other agriculture activities. Industry experts say that solar grazing can […]

Community initiatives are up and running

May 13, 2022

Benalla Hockey Club and Glenrowan Primary School have been hard at work upgrading sports equipment and school facilities. Both have been recipients of the recent Community Grants Program, with funding allocated to support community lead initiatives. The Benalla Hockey Club grant will fund three portable, heavy duty gazebos to protect spectators at training and Fun […]

Rooftop solar to bring down bills for local pre-school

April 29, 2022

Bernard Briggs Pre-school is expected to save around $1500 a year on electricity, thanks to some newly installed solar panels. The project was funded through the Winton Community Grants program and Benalla Sustainable Future Group’s Renewable Energy Benalla (REB) project. Benalla Sustainable Future Group are supporting community based renewable energy projects across the region. Winton […]

Winton Solar Farm to provide $35,000 in community support

October 25, 2021

Owners of the Winton Solar Farm will donate a further $35,000 to eligible community groups this October, as part of the solar farm’s annual Community Grants Program. Now in its second year, the Grants Program provides financial support to eligible local groups that promote sustainability, deliver training and community participation and promote improvements to the […]

Winton Solar Farm October Update

October 12, 2021

This month, we profile more of our community partners and their wonderful initiatives for the Winton Glenrowan region. Details of a current Electrician position are also included. Please click here to read more.

Winton Solar Farm Bushfire Mitigation Plan

September 17, 2021

In preparation for Operations, the Winton Solar Farm Asset Management team has prepared a comprehensive Bushfire Mitigation Plan.  Developed in consultation with the local CFA, this plan outlines strategies and actions to protect human life, property, cultural and natural values from fire. A copy of this plan is available here. This plan has been developed […]

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FRV Updates

Now in its fifth year, the Winton Solar Farm Community Grants Program continues to champion local organisations turning community-focused ideas into action.

As part of this year’s Grant program, five recipients will share in $30,000 of funding to deliver initiatives that strengthen connection, enhance liveability, and create lasting benefits for the Benalla region and surrounds.

The 2025 Winton Solar Farm Community Grants recipients and their funded projects are:

  • Zonta Wangaratta – for digital signage advocating against domestic violence during the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence
  • Benalla Scouts Group – to upgrade the solar system at the Benalla Scout Hall with 20 new solar panels, a new inverter, a battery system, and an upgraded switchboard
  • Wangaratta Baptist Church – to support and expand the reach of Thread Together, a clothing assistance program
  • Border Triathlon Squad – to host a series of bicycle maintenance training workshops for children and teens aged 8 – 16
  • Laceby West Rural Fire Brigade – to purchase two thermal imaging cameras for firefighters to detect and extinguish hotspots, preventing reignition.

Since launching in 2021, the Community Grants Program has grown into a valued platform for supporting local ideas, with more than $150,000 invested across 26 community projects.

From small-scale renewable energy infrastructure to sustainability initiatives and youth programs, the program has helped bring a wide range of community-led projects to life – each helping to build a stronger, more connected, and sustainable future for the Benalla region and surrounds.

FRV Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Carlo Frigerio, said the program continues to demonstrate the power of local knowledge, leadership, and collaboration.

“Seeing community-driven projects come to life is always a highlight. It’s exciting to watch them grow from local ideas to real-world outcomes that deliver meaningful, lasting benefits for the communities they support,” he said.

“The success of this year’s program is a testament to the passion and dedication of the community groups driving these initiatives. We have consistently been impressed by the calibre of applications, and the thought, care and local insight behind each project.”

While this year marks the final round of the Winton Solar Farm Grants Program, FRV Australia remains committed to supporting community growth and wellbeing through other initiatives, including through the project’s partnership with the Regent Honeyeater Project.

FRV Australia would like to thank the community for their involvement and enthusiasm this year.

For more information about the Winton Solar Farm and Community Grants Program please visit www.wintonsolarfarm.com.

 

About the Winton Solar Farm

Winton Solar Farm received Planning Approval in early 2018 and is has been built on a private 250-hectare site approximately 25km southwest of Wangaratta. This location is well suited to a solar farm, with very high levels of sunlight and proximity to the existing electricity grid.

The solar farm will also contribute to the achievement of Victoria’s renewable energy target. Following a 2018 public tender process, Winton Solar Farm was awarded a 15-year support agreement by the State Government for clean energy generated by the project. The tender was part of the Government’s Victorian Renewable Energy Target (VRET) to source 25 percent of its electricity production from renewables by 2020 increasing to 50% by 2030.

Construction of the 85-megawatt (MW) Solar Farm was completed in 2021, and the asset is now up and running. The solar farm has an operating life of around 30 years.

 

About FRV Services

FRV Australia is one of the largest solar developers, asset owners and renewable energy platforms in Australia and one of the first solar developers to enter the Australian market and the first company to deliver a project-financed large scale solar farm in Australia with the Royalla Solar Farm near Canberra operating since August 2014. The company has developed almost 800MWdc of Australian PV assets built or under construction across 9 projects for a total project investment value of over 1 billion dollars. The activities are based in Sydney and the company has a multidisciplinary team of over 40 employees. With the ambition to continue leading the global transition to a more sustainable energy future. FRV Australia has evolved from being just a developer to becoming an independent power producer.

The company is owned by Abdul Latif Jameel Energy, a world leader in the development of sustainable energy solutions (51%) and OMERS, one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pension plans (49%); the OMERS stake is managed by OMERS Infrastructure, a global leader in infrastructure investing.

For more information, please contact Eleni Sgardelis – 0435 861 682

Bernard Briggs Pre-school is expected to save around $1500 a year on electricity, thanks to some newly installed solar panels.

Benalla Hockey Club and Glenrowan Primary School have been hard at work upgrading sports equipment and school facilities. Both have been recipients of the recent Community Grants Program, with funding allocated to support community lead initiatives.

MOREE SOLAR FARM

Moree Solar Farm began operations in 2016 and was the first large-scale solar project in Australia to use a single-axis tracking system.

 

Lilyvale Solar Farm near Emerald, Queensland (100MW)

Financial close of the Lilyvale Solar Farm was achieved during September 2017 with operations expected to commence in 2018. The project will benefit from a PPA with Ergon Energy, the QLD-government owned retailer, part of the Energy Queensland group, who will purchase 100% of the electricity generated by the project.