How It Works - Noosa Power

How To Reach 100% Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is cheaper and clean. It does however come with some challenges when everyone acts on their own. Working together as a community means we can overcome these challenges.

Step 1: Negotiate Bulk Purchase

The fasted way to zero net emissions is to purchase green power. It is power sourced from renewable sources. As an individual that comes with an additional cost above normal power. However, we have started discussions with various energy retailers and believe that we can negotiate a bulk-purchase of green power that is going to be cheaper than what is currently offered to individual power consumers.

Step 2: Increase Rooftop Solar in Noosa

Solar is one of the cheapest ways to produce energy, especially when it is used where (and when) it is produced. For body corporates and businesses that are renting, the contractual relations are not simple. We have found solutions that will make it possible for all suitable roofs to get solar.

Step 3: Align Consumption with Production

The national electricity grid has not been built to deal with the occasional spikes in electricity usage. It means for most of the year, it is totally over-sized. We are paying the costs for this redundancy. Renewable energy has the potential to increase the fluctuations as the production is dependant on nature. We are researching different technology solutions that automatically turn devices (e.g. hot water systems, pool pumps, air conditioners & freezers) on and off depending on the available power in the grid. We want to prove that it is possible to stabilise the grid in this way, thus paving the way for more renewable energy input.

Step 4: Use Energy Storage to Service the Grid

Battery technology is becoming cheaper. It can be economical on a larger scale when it is not just used for storing renewable energy, but also to actively service the grid. That means it can actively stabilise it too. We are exploring shared battery options where multiple commercial premises might share them.

Step 5: Share with Other Communities

We are fully focused on working locally. And we also hope to inspire other communities and share our success (and learnings along the way). Climate change is a global challenge and while working together closely in small communities is an important step to create resilience, our global community is just as important for success.

Further Thoughts & Plans

Landlord – Tenant: Reduced Risk

The risks involved in a landlord-tenant relationship are often too high when considering solar installation. That is why the commercial uptake of solar in Noosa is only 4%. By working as a larger group with multiple landlords and tenants and sharing the rewards between all participants, the individual risk profile drops substantially.

Increased Output through Quality Installation

The Noosa solar installers have started an initiative to share their best practices with each other. This includes a quality control process that all participants agree to, cross-checking installations and a shared maintenance/warranty process. What this means is certainty that the installation is based on the combined expertise of a group of solar installers, instead of individual sites and installers being left to their own devices.

Unsuitable Roof: Neighbours Share

Some roofs are shaded, face the wrong direction or too small. By working as a community, we can share power with neighbours and make it possible for everyone to participate.

Body Corporate: Shared Power

In a Body Corporate situation, we have the opportunity to install a communal solar system that shares and tracks power in real time as the individual units use it. There is no need to decide a specific split up front. The system is smart enough to never send too much to one unit, and when multiple units require power, it will split it across them. Every unit can still stay with their own electricity retailer.

Larger Batteries are Cheaper

Noosa does not have enough wind to warrant wind energy. This means our renewable energy will mainly come form solar. Larger shared batteries might play a positive role in certain commercial settings. Prices have come down substantially, especially for larger batteries that can play a role in servicing the grid. Our technical design will consider this where relevant.

Smart Grid through Demand Management

Energex is responsible for the distribution of electricity to each household. The most important component of this is to “service the grid”. That means creating a balance between the available and the consumed power. Currently, this is largely achieved through investment in oversized infrastructure at power sub-stations, so that the maximum demand can be satisfied.

On the other hand, there are many devices that don’t need to use electricity continuously (e.g. pool pumps, hot water, freezers and even air conditioning).

Rather than just using the off-peak tariffs, these devices can play an active role in turning on when there is an over-abundance of electricity and turning off when there is too little. We are working with partners who offer Demand Management solutions based on artificial intelligence.

As well as managing our devices in this way, we can make conscious efforts to do laundry, clean the pool etc. while the sun is producing the most power. By doing so, we are using less electricity during periods when it is not being produced. These elements of demand management understanding make for a more efficient use of energy. By utilising the energy as it is produced, you can avoid the cost of having to buy it back.

Of course, we still need electricity when the sun is not shining. Eventually, Noosa Power aims to install large batteries which can store the excess electricity produced by solar power during the day. This way, it can be utilised when it is needed, and does not go to waste. Household size batteries are currently still very expensive. However, larger commercial batteries are more economical and can be used to service the grid. Energex actually pays for this service and thus offers the ability to further offset the costs.

Working as a community to manage our demand in this way will help us work toward our goal of zero net emissions by 2026.