Essential Energy has installed seven pole-mounted batteries across Wagga Wagga. Photo: Supplied.
Wagga has been selected as one of five regional communities in NSW for a compact energy storage trial, with pole-mounted batteries recently appearing around the city.
Essential Energy has installed seven pole-mounted batteries to learn more about how batteries can be deployed to get the most out of rooftop solar in the suburbs.
The trial with Origin Energy will see the batteries used to store excess solar energy generated during the day to be released back to the grid as needed when the sun is not shining.
Essential Energy’s Chief Operating Officer Luke Jenner said it provided the opportunity for Wagga residents to better utilise renewable energy without having to invest in an expensive home battery.
“Wagga Wagga was chosen for the trial because it’s a great location to put the batteries,” he said.
“There is an excess of solar energy throughout the day, and we can use the batteries to store that energy and then reuse it later on.
“The benefits of localised energy storage for the community are that the energy can be stored where it’s generated, adjacent to customer homes, and then it can be used by those homes in the evening without having to be transported long distances. So effectively, we can store that energy where it’s generated and where it’s used.”
It’s hoped the pole-mounted batteries will help ease the transition to renewable energy. Photo: Supplied.
The 35 batteries being trialled at five locations across NSW will be maintained by Essential Energy and delivered via Origin Energy’s Virtual Power Plant and will be open to all customers with or without solar systems.
Mr Jenner said batteries would be a key part of supporting customers and the network through the energy transition.
“Rooftop solar has transformed how the electricity network is used,” Mr Jenner said.
“There is now a two-way flow of electricity to the grid, sending and receiving.”
One of the challenges that emerged as more and more Australians invested in rooftop solar was the stress it placed on a grid that was not designed to manage a fluctuating two-way flow.
On warm, sunny days the flood of solar energy combined with low demand can overload the system.
It’s hoped a proliferation of localised batteries will help to reduce the burden on the broader grid.
“The use of batteries allows Essential Energy to manage peak demand periods and voltage on our network, especially as solar generation increases,” Mr Jenner said.
The trial will see the installation of 35 batteries on power poles in five towns in regional NSW: Armidale, Port Macquarie, Dubbo, Bathurst, and Wagga.
You can find out more about the trial through the Essential Energy website.
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