Reflected light from a proposed new solar farm near Canberra Airport would not blind pilots of approaching or departing aircraft, and would reflect less than glass and similarly to a forest or a crop, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority says.
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Opponents of the development, Canberra Airport and Qantas, said glare was a potential safety hazard and the solar farm should not be approved on land below the approach to runway 17 at the airport.
Airport managing director Stephen Byron previously quoted a US Air Force study that showed people exposed to bright light flashes took four to 12 seconds to recover vision to read instruments.
''On what planet do we have to be to work out that this is probably not a smart idea to allow the construction of this aviation safety hazard,'' Mr Byron said.
A consultation report from Commonwealth planning agency, the National Capital Authority, shows CASA had by this stage advised the authority the solar farm, on land near Mount Majura Winery, did not appear to be an aviation hazard. Undeterred, the airport requested the advice to be reviewed.
Proponent Solar Choice commissioned glare analysis reports from CBRE and Canadian Solar, which used a range of variables, such as height and angle of the sun in the sky, vantage points and heights of the viewer.
Both reports concluded some level of glare was to be expected from the solar arrays, but the impact to vehicles or aircraft was low and unlikely to be hazardous. ''The modelling used tends to overstate the likelihood of reflective glare because it does not take into consideration the prospect that the view of the panels from many locations will be obstructed by landscape features or other panels within the array,'' the CBRE report said.
The NCA's consultation report says aircraft issues had been resolved. The authority is now waiting for information on environmental matters before making a decision on works approval. Air Services Australia said the 4MW farm, which will take three months to build on 13.8 hectares, would not affect aircraft, nor the radar installation at Majura.
Initially concerned about safety of military aircraft, the Department of Defence was later satisfied with CASA's assessment.
Canberra Airport also criticised the proposed Mount Majura Solar Farm because it was on a major transport corridor, including for a possible high-speed train.
But the NCA said a second study on a high-speed train included a refined alignment south of the farm site.
