A Victorian solar and storage microgrid project geared at helping Australian farmers to tackle energy-related “pain points” including rising power prices and unreliable supply, has won state government backing.
Minister for Energy Lily D’Ambrosio said on Wednesday that agriculture co-op Birchip Cropping Group would receive $210,000 to develop the project at its local facility in the Mallee region.
The microgrid, including 51kW of solar and 137kWh of battery storage capacity, will be developed by energy technology company SwitchDin and commercial microgrid developer Walnut Energy.
The project is the latest to win state funding from the Andrews Labor government’s Microgrid Demonstration Initiative (MDI), which supports projects that “showcase the use of energy storage in different settings and in combination with complementary technologies.”
Other recipients include Origin Energy, for its plans to establish what it says will be Victoria’s largest virtual power plant – a $20 million cloud-based platform that will tap around 5MW of the battery-stored solar power of up to 650 customers during periods of peak power demand.
And in the north-eastern Victorian town of Euroa, local collective Euroa Environment Group, won backing for a $6 million microgrid project to install 589kW of solar PV and up to 400kWh of battery storage.
According to a statement from SwitchDin, the Birchip project aims to demonstrate the value of energy resilience and self-sufficiency for rural industries.
This will include testing the “islanding” capabilities of the microgrid – in which it cuts itself off from the grid to keep power on in the event of a network outage.
“Rural industries create jobs which rely heavily on access to affordable electricity,” said SwitchDin CEO Andrew Mears in a statement on Wednesday.
“Solar and battery storage in microgrids are a cost-effective and flexible option to ensure farmers can grow and develop their businesses.
“SwitchDin ensures that microgrid systems will be smart, flexible, and integrate seamlessly with the grid – regardless of the solar or battery products used.
“We also ensure that these systems are ready for energy market opportunities,” Mears said.
BCG which describes itself as “all about assisting farmers” through innovations and new technologies, said it was excited about building a microgrid, and looking forward to engaging with others keen to explore the technology.
“Energy security and pricing for farms, especially farms with intensive poultry, is vital to their business,” the company said in a statement.
“BCG are delighted to work with the Victorian Government and the project partners in finding solutions to some of the current pain points.”
The project is set to be completed and operating by mid 2019.
Sophie is editor of One Step Off The Grid and deputy editor of its sister site, Renew Economy. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.
