The Mooroolbark Community Mini Grid, Australia’s first energy mini grid in an established community, was launched earlier this week by Victorian Energy Minister Hon. Lily D’Ambrosio MP and AusNet Services Managing Director Nino Ficca.
GreenSync, in partnership with Energy Matters, is pleased to be part of the project team, which is being led by AusNet Services, the network business responsible for distributing electricity to the Mooroolbark area.
The Mooroolbark Mini Grid Project consists of a group of 14 neighbouring houses, each with a standard connection to the electricity grid that will generate and store their own electricity, and eventually share electricity with the other houses within the mini grid.
AusNet Services is currently equipping each of the 14 houses with a solar power system and a purpose-built 10 kilowatt hour battery. GreenSync will provide the distributed energy platform for monitoring and managing energy flows within the mini grid. GreenSync’s MicroEM™ platform will enable the energy that is generated and stored locally to be shared between houses, based on the needs of individual residences, and the needs of the local grid network.
Energy Matters will provide and install the solar and battery storage systems for the project, in collaboration with EcoPower. Energy Matters has 10 years’ experience in supplying, installing and supporting solar and battery storage systems in Australia. As one of the largest national solar wholesaler and a leading solar and storage technology project developer, Energy Matters has been selected for its capacity to optimize the equipment procurement process and supply fully accredited installation services.
Key features of the trial include:
- The mini grid will service an established suburban community rather than being part of a new development – the situation in which the vast majority of Australians are seeking new energy opportunities
- Reliance on solar energy and batteries only, with no backup generators
- It will use the existing grid to interconnect customers
- The mini grid will be fully distributed – each house will have its own solar panels and batteries, rather than a large central or offsite facility. Importantly, this means the mini grid can be scaled up or replicated anywhere to meet future demand
- The mini grid community can sustain itself in the event of a network failure, and can also support the wider network, by reducing local demand or supplying power back into the grid
Over the next 12 months, a variety of configurations and objectives will be trialled, including individual homes running on and off grid, and eventually the whole trial community.
For Green Sync media enquiries, please contact Skye Holcombe Henley on 0413 504 088 / skye@GreenSync.com.au
For Energy Matters media enquiries, please contact Thuy Mai on 133 SUN (133 786) / Media@energymatters.com.au
About AusNet Services
AusNet Services is Victoria’s largest energy delivery service, owning and operating approximately $11 billion of electricity and gas distribution assets that connect into more than 1.3 million Victorian homes and businesses. Based in Melbourne, AusNet Services employs more than 2,200, including its Select Solutions and Geomatic Technologies businesses, and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: AST) and Singapore Exchange.
About Green Sync
GreenSync is a technology company that specialises in distributed energy for the Australian electricity market. Its Cloud-enabled technology platform controls, manages and dispatches distributed resources in real time. GreenSync’s vision is to lead the way for electricity grids to embrace the new genre of embedded generation, storage and internet enabled devices. Founded in 2010, GreenSync is based in Melbourne and its Asia-Pacific operations are run from an office in Singapore, established in 2015. For more information, visit www.greensync.com.au.
About Energy Matters
Energy Matters is one of Australia’s largest businesses solely dedicated to solar energy; with warehouses around the country and a staff of around 100 people. The award winning business was founded in 2006 and has since installed over 23,000 solar systems on homes, schools and commercial buildings. Energy Matters was behind the engineering provision, procurement and construction (EPC) services for Australia’s largest single solar rooftop system, Casuarina Square Shopping Centre in Darwin. Energy Matters is committed to helping Australians live in a world of energy abundance by providing quality solar systems at affordable prices. Its nationwide team of passionate and knowledgeable solar and battery storage advocates, expert installers and reputable brands are the foundation of its success. To learn more or join the thousands of Australians who have already gone solar, visit www.energymatters.com.au
