The Desert Knowledge Australia Solar Centre is an open access platform for sharing quality data and knowledge related to solar power in the Northern Territory, Australia and beyond, with its reach exceeding 10,000 users each year across Australia, Asia-Pacific, Europe and other regions.
Our flagship initiative, the DKASC, Alice Springs, is a solar power technology demonstration facility less than 15 minutes’ drive from the centre of Alice Springs that has been operating for over 10 years and continues to grow, reflected in its ever-expanding multi-technology, longitudinal dataset. People visiting Alice Springs can freely walk through the centre and see the various installations up close. However, many people from around the world choose to download data from the installations online to study and better understand the different technologies and environmental factors.
Complementary to our solar system data are the NT-wide resource datasets of the NT Solar Resource project which, from 2019, has been providing solar and other climate data at high resolution from Class A meteorological stations in Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, and the Yulara Solar System, which is a 1.8 MW solar PV plant with sites distributed across the vicinity of Australia’s landmark Uluru (Ayers Rock).
Desert Knowledge Australia
The DKASC is an initiative of Ekistica and Desert Knowledge Australia. Desert Knowledge Australia (DKA) is a national organisation committed to building harmony, sustainability and prosperity for all Australian desert people, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal. DKA and its Intyalheme Centre for Future Energy also support the NT Solar Resource project.
Ekistica
Ekistica has been involved in the DKA Solar Centre since its inception, from site planning and development to all the installation works and its ongoing operation and maintenance today. Ekistica has also worked collaboratively in the development and ongoing operation of the NT Solar Resource project.
Centre for Appropriate Technology
The Centre for Appropriate Technology (CfAT) works to secure sustainable livelihoods for communities of Indigenous people through appropriate technology. CfAT’s collaboration with Ekistica led to the initiation and supports ongoing operation of the NT Solar Resource project.