Renewable energy

Renewable energy

Power and Water actively pursues renewable energy opportunities to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with its power generation operations.

In particular, renewable energy can provide a reliable, cost effective and more environmentally sustainable electricity supply for remote communities, which currently rely on diesel fuel for power generation.

What is renewable energy?

Renewable energy is energy that can be used without depleting its primary source reserves. Renewable energy sources include solar, wind, wave, biomass, hydro, geothermal and tidal.

Solar photovoltaic power stations

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels convert solar energy into electricity.

Solar PV systems currently supplement diesel fuel use in six remote communities; Hermannsburg, Yuendumu, Lajamanu, Bulman, Jilkminggan and Kings Canyon, with a combined installed capacity of over one megawatt.

Bulman remote community in Arnhem Land and Kings Canyon in the Red Centre use flat-plate solar photovoltaic technology to reduce the consumption of distillate.

These panels are robust, transportable and easy to install and add around 30% capacity to the power plants. This allows the smaller diesel engines to run more efficiently as the solar power ‘lops’ the peak load without the need for costly storage batteries.

The Bulman solar power station was completed in November 2002 and is rated at 56kW peak capacity, with the potential to save about 70 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year.

The Kings Canyon solar power station was completed in December 2003 and is rated at 241kW peak capacity. The solar system supports the electricity needs of the tourist resort facility. The project, worth $3.6 million, was at the time the largest single installation of its kind in Australia.

The solar panels at Bulman and Kings Canyon have an expected life of 25 years.

Concentrated photovoltaic power stations

Concentrated photovoltaic systems (CPV), a technology provided by Solar Systems Pty Ltd, have been operating in three remote communities since 2005. A total of 30 CPV dishes are installed across Ntaria (Hermannsburg), Lajamanu and Yuendumu and are collectively saving about 420,000 litres of distillate per annum.

The CPV dishes are 14 metres wide with 130 square metres of curved mirrors, which concentrate the sun 500 times and generate about 20kW peak of electricity each.

High penetration solar photovoltaic power stations

Construction began in May 2011 for three solar power stations in the remote communities of Ti Tree, Kalkarindgi and Alpurrurulam (Lake Nash).

Over the three communities, a total of one million watts of solar panels will be installed, supplying up to 80% of the energy demand of the communities during the day.

The solar power stations will reduce the volume of diesel required to power the three communities and will deliver substantial savings of around 1,200 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year.

Power and Water has signed a power purchase agreement with TKLN Solar Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Epuron Pty Ltd, to build and operate the the three solar power stations. Conergy Australia and Epuron, as wholly owned subsidiaries of Conergy AG, have been part of this renewable energy project from design stage through to construction.

All three sites are scheduled for completion in late 2011.

Uterne (Alice Springs) one megawatt solar power station

Uterne is Australia’s largest tracking solar power system was officially launched in Alice Springs in July 2011.

The one megawatt (MW) solar power plant has the capacity to provide energy for approximately 288 average Alice Springs homes.

The Uterne solar power station, built on four hectares at Arumbera on the outskirts of Alice Springs, consists of more than 3,000 high-efficiency SunPower mono-crystalline solar panels which track the sun across the sky.

Uterne (pronounced ‘u-turn-ay’) means ‘bright, sunny day’ in the local Arrernte language. Power and Water identified the need to provide all Alice Springs residents with access to renewable energy and has worked with Alice Solar City and SunPower to develop the solar power station. The solar power station enables all Alice Springs residents, renters and home owners alike, with an opportunity to invest in their own renewable future.

Rooftop PV systems

Over the past three years, more than 1,000 Territorians have installed solar PV systems on the roofs of their homes. Power and Water offers to purchase the power generated by these systems as well as the certificates they generate, under the Federal Government’s Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme.

Wind turbines

Along with the solar power system, a wind energy system consisting of three 15kW wind turbines will be installed at Alpurrurulam by late 2011 which will operate overnight to supplement the high penetration solar power station which operates during the day. The combination of daytime solar and night time wind will maximize the use of renewable energy at Alpurrurulam.

Landfill gas

Methane gas is constantly being generated in landfill sites such as the Shoal Bay site in Darwin. A 1MW generator which generates electricity from this energy source has been installed by LMS Pty Ltd at Shoal Bay and has been connected to the grid since August 2005. The generator currently produces about 9,000MWh of renewable energy per annum and saves about 5,500 tonnes of greenhouse gases.
Methane gas is 20 times more harmful as greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. By capturing the gas and converting it to electricity the LMS generator is preventing methane from entering our environment.

Biodiesel

Power and Water is actively exploring options available to substitute diesel fuel with biodiesel fuel for remote power generation.

A trial was undertaken at the Daly Waters power station where one of the generators ran on 100% biodiesel fuel.

Territory GreenPower

Power and Water is investing in Australia's renewable energy industry through its Territory GreenPower program. Territory GreenPower is an accredited product through the National GreenPower Accreditation Program, a government scheme that accredits voluntary renewable energy programs which meet strict environmental criteria. Power and Water's Territory GreenPower Program produces no net greenhouse gas emissions and helps you reduce the impact of your energy use on the environment.

For more information go to Territory GreenPower or view the Frequently Asked Questions. You can also apply online, phone 1800 245 092 or go to greenpower.gov.au.

Future plans

Power and Water continues to explore renewable technologies including tidal, bio-fuels, wind, solar thermal and solar photovoltaic to keep abreast of the best available technologies to incorporate into our systems.

In early 2011, Power and Water released an invitation for companies to submit an expression of interest to supply a large-scale renewable energy power station in the 5MW to 50MW range with a nominal target of 30MW, to be connected to the Darwin to Katherine integrated system. The strong interest from the market in a range of renewable energy technologies will be used for Power and Water to take the next steps in integrating utility scale renewable energy on the largest power grid in the Northern Territory.