GreenSync partner in community microgrid trial

GreenSync is participating in a virtual micro-grid trial that is investigating a model for shared solar photovoltaic generation and energy storage capacity in northern Melbourne.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing $112,400 support to Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd (MEFL) and Positive Charge to lead the investigation, which includes GreenSync and Jemena as project partners.

The project team will undertake a virtual trial based on historical power consumption data from medium density Melbourne suburbs to examine how a grid-connected solar PV and storage system could provide ‘behind the meter’ power needs of users. This is one of the first times that inner urban residential neighbourhoods will be investigated in this way.

In a statement released in November 2015, ARENA CEO Mr Frischknecht said ARENA is supporting projects like this one to explore the logistical, regulatory and financial challenges involved in adopting micro-grids in existing suburbs.

“Pooling solar PV generation and storage across a number of households using a neighbourhood ‘micro-grid’ could address certain challenges and allow residential customers to generate, store and use more of their own solar PV.

“Although record numbers of Australian households already have rooftop solar systems, there is a limit on how much grid-connected solar PV individual households can install and how much solar power they can generate.

“This is because our networks were designed to facilitate power flowing in one direction – from the grid to customers – and the system can run into technical problems if too much solar power is fed back into the grid at any one time.”

The trial will provide important insight into how networks can help facilitate more household grid-connected solar.

The results of the $225,800 project are due in May 2016.

Access the Moreland micro-grid fact sheet here: http://arena.gov.au/project/moreland-micro-grid-investigation/