It’s all happening in Western Australia’s Kalbarri, where Australia’s largest connected microgrid is (finally) officially launched and the local high school has been chosen to join a Virtual Power Plant initiative.
Kalbarri is a coastal town around 590 kilometre north of Perth, home to around 1,560 and also attracting more than 100,000 visitors a year. It has previously relied entirely on a 150-kilometre feeder line from Geraldton for mains electricity that has been plagued with problems resulting in frequent blackouts.
Back in 2018, a 100% renewable energy-powered microgrid project was announced for Kalbarri to improve power quality, which was expected to be fully operational by 2019, then 2020.
The $15 million project, developed by Western Power in partnership with Synergy, was officially launched yesterday.
The microgrid involves a nearby 5MW wind farm and feed-in from residential rooftop solar panels in Kalbarri. More than 310 small-scale PV systems had been installed in the area by the end of last year, with a collective capacity of around 1,679 kW. This generation capacity for the microgrid is backed by a 2MW/3.5MWh battery system.
“The Kalbarri microgrid is an important step towards improving power reliability for the local community,” said WA Energy Minister Bill Johnston. “It also paves the way in delivering greater renewable energy solutions across WA, particularly in regional areas, as we move forward in achieving net zero emissions by 2050.”
Mining and Pastoral Region MLC Peter Foster said the microgrid is Australia’s most sophisticated, and will be used as a blueprint for other regional areas. The microgrid is expected to reduce blackouts in the town by 80 percent.
VPP For Kalbarri High School
Also announced yesterday by the McGowan Government was Kalbarri District High School (DHS) will be taking part in Synergy’s Schools Virtual Power Plant (VPP) project. The school will have a 40kW solar power and 180 kWh battery system installed at the end of this year.
The pilot was originally announced as part of a $66.3 million renewable energy package unveiled in July 2020 that included $4.4 million to transform ten schools in the state into Virtual Power Plants. In August last year, the program was expanded to include more schools, and with the addition of Kalbarri High School the number has reached 17. The McGowan Government has also boosted funding for the initiative to $8.8 million.
The pilot project is focusing on building the capability and technology to support a blueprint for future VPPs.
“The Schools Virtual Power Plant pilot is an important part of the McGowan Government’s Distributed Energy Resources Roadmap,” said Minister Johnston. “Virtual power plants can provide cost benefits, grid stability and reliability, and support the transition to a greener, cleaner energy future.”
The pilot will also provide some great educational opportunities for students to learn more about science, technology and the skills needed for a renewable energy future, and assist the schools in understanding and managing how they use electricity.
Related: All About Virtual Power Plants
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