microgrid

With increasing numbers of resources companies turning to renewable energy to cut costs and carbon emissions, independent power producer Pacific Energy has been awarded a contract to deliver a combined 62 MW of wind and solar generation and battery energy storage to help power a gold mine in remote Western Australia.

Australian retailing major Officeworks has flicked the switch on its first behind-the-meter rooftop solar and battery energy storage system as it works towards using only renewable electricity to power operations by 2025 as part of its ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers have shown that microgrids equipped with solar-plus-storage systems can maintain an average levelised cost of energy (LCOE) below USD 0.30/kWh and limit annual public safety power shutoffs to 2% to 3% of annual energy demand.

Some of the renewable energy industry’s biggest players have donated equipment, expertise and time to provide a solar and storage solution to help preserve and protect the Great Barrier Reef, one of the world’s seven natural wonders.

Phillip Island off Victoria’s southern coast has switched on a 5 MW/10 MWh lithium-ion phosphate battery to support the island’s grid during peak tourism periods.

Queensland hydrogen battery startup Endua has installed its first 100kW standalone hydrogen power bank in south Brisbane. The news come weeks after the company raised $11.8 million (USD 7.81 million) to scale the technology.

Australia’s largest grid-connected urban microgrid has been officially commissioned with a new rooftop solar-powered system atop Swedish homewares giant Ikea’s Adelaide store already delivering more than 70% of the store’s energy needs and providing grid support for the South Australian network.

To power Australia without fossil fuels will mean using batteries to store power from solar and wind. We often think this means home batteries – or large grid-scale installations.

While Australia’s home battery market seems to have attracted most of the interest from newcomers, there has been some significant new developments in the commercial and utility-scale space. Pv magazine Australia examined the new products and companies in the commercial and utility battery storage space on display at the Smart Energy Conference.

Australia’s largest rail infrastructure project, the 1,700-kilometre Melbourne – Brisbane Inland Rail freight line, has made the switch to solar to power its signalling systems with the move expected to deliver an estimated $25 million (USD 16.93 million) in cost savings.