News & Discussion: Electricity Infrastructure

[Waewick]

it is largely unfunded, so happy to leave this one in the realms of fantasy in which is appears to be headed.

I am sorry to see such a lack of faith in the private sector. Usually it is the raving socialists who are sceptical of private sector involvement.

In fact, I must admit things are quite ideologically topsy-turvey here. We have the Liberals favouring a huge government subsidy for solar panels, while the Labor Party is facilitating the private sector to do most of the work, including retailing, installation and generation.

Without commenting on the virtues of either scheme, the fact that the ALP is proposing a much more market based policy, and the Liberals a more interventionist policy is quite surprising.

I don't have a lack of faith in the private sector, I have a lack of faith that the project being outlined can be delivered in the way and for the money that they are saying.

I hand on heart have no idea how to fix the electricity crisis we have in the state (and federally), what I do know is 15 years of policy moves hasn't helped.

[rev]

it is largely unfunded, so happy to leave this one in the realms of fantasy in which is appears to be headed.

Oh really?

An initial $2 million will be provided as a grant and a further $30 million as a loan. The government is seeking investors in the program.

Further..

The second state will see installations at a further 24,000 Housing Trust properties, and then a similar deal offered to all South Australian households over the next four years. Private households will need to pay for the installation but should see a significant (30 per cent) saving on their power bill.

[Waewick]

it is largely unfunded, so happy to leave this one in the realms of fantasy in which is appears to be headed.

Oh really?

An initial $2 million will be provided as a grant and a further $30 million as a loan. The government is seeking investors in the program.

Further..

The second state will see installations at a further 24,000 Housing Trust properties, and then a similar deal offered to all South Australian households over the next four years. Private households will need to pay for the installation but should see a significant (30 per cent) saving on their power bill.

yes, so housing trust homes will need to find the money or normal households who have normal access to solar panels they control could do it.....

so yeah, unfunded..... I do admire how you don't bold the bit about the Government looking for investors, I guess why would they if it is fully funded

[PeFe]

This really is an exciting proposal for a couple of reasons.........

The scale of a "virtual battery" is totally new, there are lots of other similar schemes around the world, but none at this scale.
This could be a "template" for other places to follow.

To have another 250 mw battery storage for those hot summer nights is a big big plus....

The social justice element of the scheme is a big winner...normally people in government housing are the last to benefit from new technology (because they can not afford it) but this scheme puts them at the forefront.......the electricity generated from Housing Trust homes wont be free for the occupants, but instead will be at a 30 % discount. The Liberals proposal gives battery subsidies for existing solar panel owners (people who probably could afford to buy their own batteries......"the rich get richer and the poor get the picture" to quote Midnight Oil)

The eventual size of the "virtual power plant" will be around 250 MW....big enough to attract to new players into retail market.
Should the search for finance be successful I am sure we will see a new retailer of electricity in South Australia, helping break the "cartel" that exists at the moment, increasing competition and putting downwards pressure on electricity prices.

The virtual power plant proposal has generated much interest around the world, when I googled it in the 36 hours after the announcement, I found news articles in such major papers like The New York Times and The Times (London)

Also Tesla would make this another "priority" project (just like the big battery was) should it reach the last and largest stage.
Also Tesla are thinking about about setting up an Australian office.......in Adelaide.

[rev]

it is largely unfunded, so happy to leave this one in the realms of fantasy in which is appears to be headed.

Oh really?

An initial $2 million will be provided as a grant and a further $30 million as a loan. The government is seeking investors in the program.

Further..

The second state will see installations at a further 24,000 Housing Trust properties, and then a similar deal offered to all South Australian households over the next four years. Private households will need to pay for the installation but should see a significant (30 per cent) saving on their power bill.

yes, so housing trust homes will need to find the money or normal households who have normal access to solar panels they control could do it.....

so yeah, unfunded..... I do admire how you don't bold the bit about the Government looking for investors, I guess why would they if it is fully funded

You're claiming there's no funding, when quite clearly there IS funding from the state government.
Don't try and play semantics with me now.

[rubberman]

There's a reason why these types of schemes can be very economic.

In a system with high peak loads, you might have major generating units needing to operate only for a few hours per year. Other than that, they are rotated in and out of service, but aren't needed. So, on a peak day, the operator needs to make enough to cover a year. Now usually, it's spread, but the real cost of a massive generation unit used a few hours a year is huge. Only people with deep pockets can enter the market.

Along comes Tesla and other battery sellers, add efficient PV, and suddenly almost anyone can offer amounts of power into the system at prices less than the cost of providing a once a year major unit. This summer, generators have been charging $10k/MWH. So, someone who can aggregate a few thousand PV panels can set up and rake in the money. The idea of the battery is that even if it only gives a few hours when it's dark or not windy, those few hours can be targeted at the times of most profit. As the supply at peak goes up, so the cost comes down.

[Goodsy]

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... el-to-heel

[PeFe]

New proposal for small solar farm and battery at Snowtown and pumped hydro storage at a quarry in the Adelaide hills.

From Renew Economy

South Australia unveils another big battery, this time with solar

The South Australia government has announced plans for another “big battery”, this time to be installed next to a new solar farm to be constructed by the listed developer Tilt Renewables.

The 44MW solar farm will be accompanied by a 21MW/26MWh battery storage system and will be built next to the big Snowtown wind farm in the state’s mid-north.

It will be the fourth confirmed battery storage installation in the state, following the already complete Tesla big battery next to the Hornsdale wind farm, the 10MW/10MWh battery to be built next to the Lincoln Gap wind farm, and the 30MW/8MWh battery being installed next to the Wattle Point wind farm.

It also adds to the pipeline of confirmed solar farms, boosting the state’s local generation in daylight hours, with the 220MW Bungala solar farm under construction, along with the 100MW Tailem Bend project, big plans by DP Energy and the Whyalla Steelworks, and several smaller projects.

Tilt Renewables also announced plans for a huge 300MW, 1350MWh pumped hydro energy storage project to be constructed in the disused Highbury quarry near Adelaide.

It, too, joins a queue of pumped hydro projects proposed at Cultana by EnergyAustralia, another in a disused iron ore mine near Whyalla by Sanjeev Gupta’s SIMEC ZEN, and other projects on the Spencer Gulf.

It also continues a flurry of pre-election announcements by the state Labor government, following its news of the world’s biggest virtual power plant, also to be built by Tesla, earlier this week.

The $90 million solar and battery storage project will receive a $7.125 million grant from the state government’s Renewable Technology Fund (also funding the VPP), and the whole will create about 200 jobs during construction.

The solar farm will connect into the grid next to the existing Snowtown Stage 1 Wind Farm substation.

Full article : http://reneweconomy.com.au/south-austra ... lar-16727/

[rhino]

From ABC online:

More battery power on the way for South Australia following Elon Musk announcement

Another big grid-scale storage battery will be installed in South Australia's mid-north in the same region as the Tesla and Neoen big battery at Jamestown.

Tilt Renewables will connect a solar and battery system to its existing wind farm near Snowtown.

It also plans to put a pumped-hydro storage project in a disused quarry at Highbury in Adelaide's north-east.

What are the plans?

The pumped hydro venture — 300 MW/1350 MWh — would be able to store enough power to exceed the output of the South Australian Government's temporary diesel-fired Adelaide power plant for up to 4.5 hours.

At Snowtown, a 44 MW solar farm and 21 MW/26 MWh battery would be financially supported by South Australian taxpayers, through a $7.1 million grant from the state renewable technology fund.

How will it compare to the Tesla battery?

The proposed battery will be about one-fifth as powerful and will have one-fifth of the storage of the Tesla and Neoen one, which is already feeding into the electricity grid.

There is also a 30 MW battery due to start operating within months aimed at improving security of power supply on Yorke Peninsula.

In the state's Riverland, the Lyon Group is involved in another solar farm and battery storage venture.

Will it reduce electricity bills?

Development approvals are still needed for the Tilt ventures, but South Australian Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis said they would help drive down power prices.

"More renewable energy means cheaper power for South Australians," he said.

"This planned new solar and battery farm in the mid-north and pumped hydro power plant in Highbury will add a huge amount of additional competition to our system."

Tilt Renewables chief executive Deion Campbell said the additional infrastructure at Snowtown would create the biggest co-located wind, solar and battery facility in Australia.

He said the evening peak in wind force and daytime peak for solar would combine to help meet electricity demand and both Tilt proposals would lead to less power price volatility.

"Storage has always been a key component of an electricity system and pumped hydro allows renewable electricity to be stored and used when required, without introducing carbon into the equation," he said.

Fallout from the Tesla virtual power plant idea continues

Meanwhile, an Australian energy company has hit out at the South Australian government over its plan to launch the world's largest virtual power plant that will see at least 50,000 homes in South Australian given solar panels and batteries.

ShineHub — a Sydney based company — claims it was the first to come up with a similar idea and that it launched an almost identical concept last year in South Australia.

"I think it's great that South Australia is moving in this direction, it's definitely what the market needs," co-founder of ShineHub Jin Kim told the ABC.

"However it was a little bit disappointing to see that the South Australian government did not make this roll-out available — or as an open tendering process for many of the Australian companies, not just ourselves — that could also deliver the exact same service or program.

"We really do hope that the South Australia government will consider a lot more Australian companies for the future plans because there are so many fantastic companies out there."

Elon Musk is 'Iron Man'

Mr Kim acknowledged the mastermind behind Tesla, Elon Musk, was leading the way in renewable energy.

But he hoped other smaller, local companies would get the opportunity to work on large-scale project in the years ahead.

"Elon Musk, when we talk about superheros, he is Iron Man, you know he has done such great things for the market itself," he said.

"They are a fantastic but they are also an international company, for me I am not the Iron Man of renewable energy in Australia... but we really had a focus of how do we get an Australian company to achieve greater heights and help the Australian communities at the same time."

Government defends approach to project

The Energy Minister, Tom Koutsantonis, argues that all businesses had an opportunity to pitch projects to the government.

"We launched a $150m Renewable Technology Fund and invited all renewables companies to pitch projects into that would benefit SA customers, grow our renewables industry and speed up tech development," he said.

"That was a competitive, independent process and this project was one of the successful applicants, along with many others, including SA companies."

Mr Koutsantonis said Tesla was not manufacturing the solar panels, but supplying the batteries for the project.

"In fact, the contract with Tesla includes a requirement that where possible the solar panels to be manufactured locally. This project alone will create 500 direct and indirect jobs in SA," he said.

[SBD]

The Riverland Solar Storage project doesn't seem to get much of a mention there. 330MW solar power and 100MW/300MWh batteries expected to begin operations late this year.

Announced by Weatherill and Koutsantonis last March: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-30/n ... nd/8400952
Received development approval in November: http://www.lyoninfrastructure.com.au/ly ... -approval/

[PeFe]

Maybe the Riverland project is still seeking finance.......I have not heard any news about this one for a long time......

[[Shuz]]

So great to hear about all these renewable energy and battery projects. Looks like we're well and truly on our way to becoming a 100% renewable energy economy, with lower prices, zero carbon emissions and a leader for the world.

[Nort]

So great to hear about all these renewable energy and battery projects. Looks like we're well and truly on our way to becoming a 100% renewable energy economy, with lower prices, zero carbon emissions and a leader for the world.

Yeah, these types of projects are something to be proud of as South Australians. It doesn't take long for the image of a place to change, and if the rate of exciting developments in SA keeps up like this we are going to see our national and international profile rising rapidly.

[Spurdo]

Update

Solar River Project (200MW + 20MWh storage)
https://www.saplanningcommission.sa.gov ... uments.pdf

Goat Hill Pumped Hydro (230-270MW)
https://www.saplanningcommission.sa.gov ... t_Hill.pdf

Hallett Gas Power Station Expansion (???MW)
https://www.saplanningcommission.sa.gov ... tation.pdf

Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park - Stage 2 (400MW + 400MWh Storage + Synchronous Condenser)
https://www.saplanningcommission.sa.gov ... Part_1.pdf
https://www.saplanningcommission.sa.gov ... Part_2.pdf
https://www.saplanningcommission.sa.gov ... Part_3.pdf
https://www.saplanningcommission.sa.gov ... Part_4.pdf

[arki]

Meanwhile, an Australian energy company has hit out at the South Australian government over its plan to launch the world's largest virtual power plant that will see at least 50,000 homes in South Australian given solar panels and batteries.

ShineHub — a Sydney based company — claims it was the first to come up with a similar idea and that it launched an almost identical concept last year in South Australia

Sorry but why should South Australia be giving business to these interstate companies over the lure of a major international innovator like Tesla? It's not like there are federal funds at play.

If you really want a piece of the pie why don't you base yourself here since we seem to be the only state interested in developing a truly sustainable energy market?