Energy Storage

The latest figures from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) show that solar continues to eat into the share once firmly held by coal on the back of a dramatic increase in installations over the past 12 months. The trend was backed by energy storage facilities which continued to gain foothold as providers of frequency control and ancillary services, lowering overall costs in the first quarter of 2019.

In what is being claimed to be an Australian first, Natural Solar has installed a solar PV and storage system to Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) in South Australia, with an innovative approach to providing backup power supply. Natural Solar reports that the battery systems retain 20% charge at all times to ensure backup power supply. 

The Brisbane-based solar and storage developer has placed Lyon Solar, Lyon Battery Storage and Lyon Infrastructure Investments 1 into voluntary administration after being embroiled in a court case over a wind up notice issued by one of its investors.

A grant of nearly $1 million has been announced for a 100% renewable energy project which will see the World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest reduce its reliance on diesel fuel to generate power.

Outgoing APA Group CEO Mick McCormack has pointed to a bright future for power-to-gas in Australia in an address to a Macquarie Group conference this week. The long-serving gas infrastructure head said that excess PV generation, particularly when generation is at remote sections of the grid, could be utilised to produce green hydrogen. 

The Smart Energy Council has sketched out a scenario that demonstrates that Federal Labor’s plan to provide $2000 rebates for residential battery storage units, assuming they have rooftop PV installed, will save households between 60-80% on their power bill. In all Australian states, SEC finds that battery paybacks under the subsidy will fall to 3.5–10 years. 

Federal Labor has pledged to roll out solar PV and batteries at schools across Australia and create virtual power plants supporting up to 365 MW of capacity.

The first virtual power plant to be announced since the last year’s launch of the Home Battery Scheme in South Australia is picking up the pace with the addition of Eguana Technologies’ Evolve to the list of eligible energy storage systems.

In the run-up to the May federal election, thirteen farmer and irrigator groups have come up with a list of policy requests to put a downward pressure on electricity prices and preserve the sector’s competitiveness. Among other things, the groups have called for more government support for solar PV and battery storage installed on site, and removal of barriers to connecting on-farm generation to the grid.

Following Carnegie Clean Energy’s voluntary administration, the administrators have revealed the bids its solar microgrid arm managed to attract. Meanwhile, a plan to restructure the company’s core wave power business has been approved by creditors, along with a decision to liquidate the EMC business.