An innovative project coordinated by Hydro Tasmania’s energy retailer Momentum Energy is helping organisations install 39 batteries that benefit the community and unlock potential revenue streams.
The project, which has received funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), will see batteries installed at community and professional sporting clubs, a major university, retirement living, retail facilities and small-scale agricultural solar farms.
The project kicked off with the official launch by Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen MP at the Brisbane Lions Football Club, where a battery energy storage system with a capacity of 1400kWh is being developed by renewable energy company, Energy Decarb.
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The wider project will help 11 project participants including the Brisbane Lions reduce their electricity costs and unlock another income stream by connecting it to the Hydro Tasmania Virtual Power Plant (VPP), allowing excess solar PV or grid energy to be stored and sold into the National Electricity Market when needed.
“The unique opportunity for this project is to demonstrate the value of connecting batteries to the Hydro Tasmania Virtual Power Plant, or VPP. We’re excited to showcase how a VPP can help drive additional revenue from these batteries to support our project participants like the Brisbane Lions. A VPP can help make a more compelling case for investment in batteries,” said Momentum Energy Managing director Lisa Chiba.
“VPPs can also play a key role in stabilising the electricity grid as it transitions to having more renewable energy sources including intermittent power sources like solar and wind. This is because VPPs can quickly send power to the grid when it’s needed or even soak it up or store it when there’s too much available. And there are financial incentives for organisations that can provide this type of service to the electricity grid.”
Through this project, batteries will soon be installed at Collingwood Football Club, Cricket Victoria, Living Choice retirement villages at Flagstaff Hill and Fullarton, Living Choice Lifestyle Village at Mount Barker, Aston Hills Shopping Centre and Athelstone Shopping Centre.
In coming months, batteries will be installed at the University of Wollongong, Tweed Heads Bowls Club, and solar farms in the Riverland in South Australia.
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Core to this project is the VPP developed by Momentum Energy’s parent company, Hydro Tasmania. A virtual power plant is a network of energy assets grouped together to pool their power capability and respond to grid demand.
It includes energy-producing and storing assets that can export into the grid when needed, like solar PV panels and batteries, as well as energy-consuming assets that can be turned up or down in response to market demands.
“Using advanced algorithms, automation, and artificial intelligence, the Hydro Tasmania Virtual Power Plant gets individual assets to work together and enable them to respond to the demands of the market,” Chiba said.
