microgrid

A combined 60 MW of solar and 25 MWh of energy storage will be deployed at military sites across Australia as part of a government strategy to increase energy independence and security at the country’s Department of Defence facilities.

German industrial giant Siemens has partnered with Swinburne University of Technology to develop a future grid mapping “energy transition hub.” The project seeks to accelerate the transition to renewable energies by bringing research and industry together while also serving as a learning tool for Swinburne students.

Western Australia’s regional utility Horizon Power has installed a battery system in Exmouth on the state’s northern coast, unlocking 2 MW of solar hosting capacity. The installation is one of nine batteries being installed by the utility across the state and is arguably a more effective rendition of a “community battery.”

A surge of community battery trials in Australia is seeking to make better use of the country’s vast distributed solar resource. But the results so far have battered expectations. pv magazine Australia’s Natalie Filatoff and Bella Peacock explore the motivations, challenges, and outlook for sharing and monetising solar rooftop riches.

The federal government has opened industry consultations seeking to inform the country’s first national battery strategy with the goal of developing a globally competitive domestic battery manufacturing ecosystem in Australia.

Queensland government-owned network provider Energex will partner with Australia’s largest energy retailer Origin Energy to deploy 35 neighbourhood batteries across the city of Ipswich as part of an $10 million (USD 7.1 million) initiative designed to better manage the increasing penetration of rooftop solar PV in the region.

The benefits of microgrid technologies will be explored by the Queensland government as it seeks to improve the resilience and reliability of electricity supply for remote and regional communities with an initial $10 million (USD 6.8 million) allocated to support the development of a pipeline of microgrid projects across the state.

Australian miner Core Lithium has made the transition to lithium producer with 15,000 tonnes of unprocessed ore from its Finniss mine in the Northern Territory now heading to China where it will be converted into materials for the global renewable energy storage and electric vehicle markets.

Construction has officially commenced on Western Australia’s first pumped hydro project but the state government has indicated it won’t be the last, hinting that the 1.5 MW renewables microgrid being built at Walpole could serve as a blueprint for the roll out of similar projects both nationally and overseas.

A holiday house in New South Wales is thought to be the first residential property in Australia to make the switch to a hybrid solar and green hydrogen standalone power system with network service provider Essential Energy trialling the off-grid technology.