Australian forecasting service provider Proa has topped the Projects category in the pv magazine Awards 2024. In its second year, the Projects category recognises outstanding solar and storage installations globally for innovation, market impact and sustainability.
Melbourne-headquartered Proa was recognised for its work at the 10 MW Robertson Barracks and the 3.2 MW Royal Australian Air Force Darwin solar plants in the Northern Territory (NT). The company’s forecasting tools, backed by its SkyCamera system, have enabled two grid-connected plants to dispatch firm power to the electricity network in compliance with local regulations.
Regulatory changes introduced in February 2020 have posed significant challenges for new and existing NT solar projects, where technical requirements mean plants must be able to deliver a fixed power output.
Proa solved this problem by integrating a broad range of data with a digital twin of a solar plant and battery energy storage system (BESS). This allows the plants to optimize their firm capacity offer to the electricity market operator.
Expert jurors for the pv magazine Awards were impressed by the way forecasting tools have been deployed in the Territory to solve an issue affecting the PV industry globally.
Florian Mayr, a partner and head of energy storage and green hydrogen at cleantech advisory Apricum praised the NT projects for their cost efficiency, “while keeping an eye on sustainability across the board.”
“In the next phase of the energy transition, and with the increasing penetration of renewable energy into the generation mix, it’s becoming more and more important to provide this kind of dispatchable energy,” he said.
Ragna Schmidt-Haupt, a partner and board member at Everoze, said she was impressed by the way forecasting had been used to reduce the battery storage capacity required to provide firm power from the installation.
“They have been able to involve the community an incorporate multiple sustainability features in their offering. Ultimately they are providing firm power to the grid, which is one of the key issues facing the industry,” she said.
Combining solar and storage in a market-friendly manner also impressed juror Vinay Rustagi, a senior director at Crisil, an S&P Global company.
“What stands out for me is they have been able to combine solar and storage in a manner that anticipates the market’s needs. They have fine-tuned a business model in line with local dispatch regulations and have created a technological solution that meets the needs of the grid while providing a genuine, economically attractive solution to the local stakeholders,” he said.
The full list of pv magazine Awards 2024 winners is available at pv magazine Global
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