The University of NSW will soon become fully solar powered.

UNSW has signed a solar corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) with Origin, which will see it source 100 per cent of its power from Maoneng’s Sunraysia solar farm.

Sunraysia – a planned project near Balranald in NSW -  is set to generate at least 530,000-megawatt hours of electricity each year, when it is complete.

UNSW has signed up to purchase 124,000-megawatt hours – around a quarter of Sunraysia’s total output.

The university also secured a three-year retail firming contract with Origin for additional power if solar energy generation is low.

“Over the past six months, UNSW has collaborated with our contract partners Maoneng and Origin, to develop a Solar PPA model that leads the way in renewable energy procurement and reflects our commitment to global impact outlined in our 2025 strategy,” UNSW president and vice chancellor Ian Jacobs has told Fairfax.

“It’s a highly competitive agreement financially,” he said.

“The Solar PPA arrangement will allow UNSW to secure carbon emission-free electricity supplies at a cost which is economically and environmentally attractive when compared to fossil fuel-sourced supplies.”

The agreement also includes a $10,000 annual financial scholarship for Balranald students to attend UNSW.

UNSW’s deal is part of a growing green movement among Australian universities.

Monash University has similar goals to run largely on wind power, Charles Sturt University has purchased offsets for carbon neutrality, and the University of Tasmania is planning to become carbon neutral too.