NSW launches $20m battery round, to shift hospitals and schools to solar and storage

Hot on the heels of launching his state’s Emerging Energy Program, New South Wales energy minister Don Harwin has announced government plans to buy up to 900 smart battery systems with a total of 13MW of capacity to install alongside rooftop solar on the state’s school’s and hospitals.

The battery purchasing round was announced on Friday as part of a $20 million program to maximise the use of solar power systems installed in key government buildings. Round one is targeting education and health, which account for 45 per cent of public sector electricity demand in peak periods.

Harwin said his Coalition government was also accelerating the roll-out of rooftop solar throughout the state, through its target for government buildings to generate 25,000MWh of solar a year by 2021, and 55,000MWh a year by 2024.

Read the story by Sophie Varrarth from RenewEconomy - “NSW launches $20m battery round, to shift hospitals and schools to solar and storage.”

The top solar postcodes in Victoria and NSW

Rooftop solar has been growing rapidly in Australia and while Melbourne's commuter belt is experiencing strong take-up, in NSW the greatest growth is occurring outside Sydney.

The level of rooftop solar in Australia is rising rapidly.

Australian aerial imagery company Nearmap has utilised the latest Clean Energy Regulator data to show the top five postcodes for rooftop solar energy growth in NSW and Victoria as of March.

"From the ground, it can be difficult to see the progress our country is making to reduce energy costs and our carbon footprint, but when you look at it from the air, you can observe in incredible detail the renewable energy uptake occurring across our country," Nearmap executive Shane Preston said.

"We’ve been capturing aerial images of Australia for the last 10 years, and have recently seen a dramatic change in the rooftop landscape, with many more solar panels on Aussie homes.”

Read Cole Latimer’s story from The Age - “The top solar postcodes in Victoria and NSW.”

More solar beer as Melbourne boutique brewer installs 100kW rooftop PV

An inner Melbourne craft brewery will soon be powered by rooftop solar, with the installation of just under 100kW of PV panels set for competition at the end of February.

Local business Beon Energy Solutions said on Thursday that it was installing a 96.3kW solar system at Collingwood brewery, Stomping Ground Brewing Co, that – once completed – would generate enough power to supply 20 homes, covering the small business’s sizeable energy needs.

The project was guided by the Yarra Energy Foundation (YEF), an independent Melbourne organisation that helps households, businesses, community groups and governments make the transition to solar.

Renewable powered beer is becoming an increasingly common phenomenon, both in Australia and overseas, both for major international brewers and small, local, boutique concerns.

Read the One Step Off the Grid story by Sophie Vorrath - “More solar beer as Melbourne boutique brewer installs 100kW rooftop PV.”

Australia could be 'world leader' in energy storage despite public skepticism

About 1.8 million Australians with rooftop solar could lower their bills and take control of their electricity supply by storing their own energy, but many fear a repeat of the failed home insulation scheme, a report has found.

Energy storage can help cope with fluctuations in
production from variable renewable sources such as wind farms.

The research, co-funded by the office of Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, found Australia could be a world leader in developing and exporting energy storage. However, this was being held back by a lack of effective planning, investment and incentives – partly driven by poor public knowledge of the technologies.

The report, produced by the Australian Council of Learned Academics, warned that unless storage played a greater role in the energy system, electricity costs would continue to rise and supply would become less reliable, which could severely hurt the Australian economy.

The research explored the potential of energy storage, such as home and large-scale batteries, pumped hydro and lesser-known technologies such as molten salt, compressed air and renewable hydrogen.

Read Nicole Hasham’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Australia could be 'world leader' in energy storage despite public skepticism.”

It's the Dawn of the Community Solar Farm

The Jefferson County Community Solar
 Garden, a 13 acre, 1.5 megawatt solar garden.

It’s like rooftop solar, without the rooftops.

A growing number of consumers are buying into community solar farms that allow renters and apartment dwellers to access renewable energy produced on neighbourhood plots that can be small enough to host a little league baseball game. Some are so modest they’re referred to as “solar gardens.”

Conventional solar farms such as Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s 550-megawatt Topaz plant in California can spread over hundreds or thousands of acres. They sell their electricity mainly to utilities through long-term contracts. Rooftop panels, meanwhile, are mainly available for private homes, and can only work on about 30 percent of U.S. houses. Community farms offer a middle road.

“Everyone with an interest in solar can now participate,” said Eran Mahrer, director of utilities for Tempe, Arizona-based First Solar Inc., the biggest U.S. panel maker. “That’s particularly true in high urban densities. The market’s clearly accelerating.”

Read the Bloomberg story - “It's the Dawn of the Community Solar Farm.”

Rooftop solar panels at Adelaide airport help answer energy needs

The massive 1.17MW addition to Adelaide Airport’s rooftop solar capacity has been completed and is now generating electricity, supplying just under 10 per cent of the major airport’s energy needs.

The new system, installed on the roof of airport’s short-term car park brings the airport’s total solar capacity to 1.28MW – adding to panels installed on the domestic and international terminals in 2007.

The short term multi-storey car park system – which ranks as South Australia’s largest rooftop solar install and Australia’s largest solar car park – is expected to offset 100 per cent of the car park’s electricity consumption, with excess power to be consumed within the main terminal.

Solgen Energy Group executive general manager David Naismith said Solgen worked with the unique specifications and stringent financial criteria to design a 1.17MW solar power system under a competitive bid process.

Read the One Step Off the Grid story - “Adelaide airport completes 1.17MW rooftop solar install –South Australia’s largest.”

Power from the sun and battery storage draws closer

The idea of generating power from the sun and storing it in a battery has drawn a little closer.

Supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) a $3.3 million trial of a combination of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) with battery storage is happening at a new housing development in Alkimos Beach, north of Perth in Western Australia.

ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the model being trialled included new tariff options for consumers and had the potential to be replicated in future residential developments across Australia.

A release from ARENA - “Residential rooftop solar with battery storage a step closer” – explains what is happening at Alkimos Beach.

Byron Shire wants to lead Australia on zero emissions

Reneweconomy reports that,”Byron shire aims to lead Australia on zero emissions community plan”.

It reports:” Byron Shire – in the northern rivers region of New South Wales – is aiming to become the first region in Australia to become “net zero emissions”, with a goal to reduce emissions from energy, transport, buildings, waste and land use to zero within 10 years.

“The push by Byron mayor Simon Richardson means that Byron Bay will be the first town or council in Australia to adopt the master-plan created several years ago by the think tank Beyond Zero Emissions.

“The idea is to dovetail the plan with other local initiatives, including a stream of community-based renewable energy developments, the creation of the country’s first community energy retailer, and the proliferation of rooftop solar at the household and business level,” it points out.