Energy Management Systems

The conclusion of AEMO’s 2019 planning and forecasting consultation brings revised approaches to the 2019-20 Integrated System Plan: three new renewable energy zones reflect resource and generator interest; the forecasting of distributed energy resources has been reframed; and a fifth and critical planning scenario has emerged. 

NASA satellite data illustrates that Australian governments are sanctioning pollution from coal-fired power stations that stains Australia with some of the world’s biggest hotspots for toxic emissions. The health burden, calculated in the tens of billions of dollars, should make the cost of coal unacceptable.

Victoria’s Monash University has unveiled the nation’s largest hybrid battery storage system as part of a microgrid that will cover 100% of power needs at its biggest campus with renewable energy.

The growing share of rooftop solar had a significant impact on Australia’s main grid in the latest quarter, both in terms of reducing operational demand and emissions intensity, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) said. Looking ahead, AEMO is seeking to procure off-market emergency reserves to help protect the grid from potential summer blackouts the upcoming summer, as coal generator outages grow in frequency.

The grant recipients for the fourth phase of the Next Generation Energy Storage program have been announced. Launched in 2016, the $25 million program is supporting the roll out of up to 36 MW of smart battery storage.

Matthew Kean, NSW Government Minister for Energy and Environment opened the Clean Energy Summit 2019 this week promising to unleash private investment on the state’s transmission infrastructure, but will the mechanism, the momentum and the maths add up to the coal-retirement timeline?

Simec Zen Energy’s landmark 1 GW dispatchable renewable energy initiative has moved forward with the development approval for the 100MW/100MWh Playford Utility Battery project located near Port Augusta. The facility will provide the necessary frequency control and grid stability requirements for the 280 MW Cultana Solar Farm

After it deployed a record $1.3 billion into the clean energy sector in a 12-month period, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation said it will sharpen its focus on energy storage and other technologies to support the stability of the national grid.

The Palo Alto company says it has improved its large scale battery offering with the new product in the wake of the success of its Powerpack-driven big battery in Australia. The Megapack can be deployed at a 250 MW/1 GWh clean energy plant four times faster than a fossil fuel alternative, claimed the business in a blogpost.

The Australia Institute’s ‘National Energy Emissions Audit Electricity Update’ for July shows solar and wind generation is growing fastest in New South Wales, closely followed by Victoria; and it offers an historical twist on the country’s energy transition.