By Alistair Gray
An example of a community battery. Picture from Ergon Energy.
Groundwork is underway to install a local network battery on Energex land between Woolworths roundabout and the Bribie Police Station. The new battery is part of the state government's renewable transformation program that will see 12 network-connected batteries rolled out across Queensland. Bribie is part of this pilot renewable energy program because of its high penetration of rooftop solar panels. Already, more than 40% of Queensland homes use solar energy and this will double by 2030, with more than one million homes exporting clean energy into the grid. Solar power will significantly contribute to meeting the state government's 70% renewable target by 2032 and our transition to net zero.
The new community battery will allow solar energy generated during the day to be stored here on Bribie and then used locally in the evening, when the energy demand is high. Using a local network battery will improve our network's power security and stability, particularly with the problems of negative and reverse flows in the system. Traditionally, electricity has flowed into a home or business premises and with solar energy, excess energy is exported back into the grid when it is not needed, causing system issues. The energy providers could place extra transformers into the system to overcome these challenges, however this is expensive and has fewer benefits. Placing more batteries at residential and business premises along with other storage systems will significantly improve the ability to handle the massive growth expected in energy production with the increased take-up of solar. Other reforms required include new load control systems, tariff reform and more dynamic systems to handle renewable energy exports and network capacity issues. While the new batteries will improve the stability of our network, it is unlikely that they will lead to cheaper power at this time.
Should you require further information about the changes, please contact the Energex community management team on 1300 856 977 or email NetworkProjectEngagement@energyq.com.au.
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