ARENA backs community solar microgrid project in Australia

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) said Wednesday it will help finance the research and development (R&D) of a model for shared solar photovoltaic (PV) generation and energy storage capacity in metropolitan suburbs.

“Pooling solar PV generation and storage across a number of households using a neighbourhood ‘microgrid’ could address certain challenges and allow residential customers to generate, store and use more of their own solar PV,” CEO Ivor Frischknecht explained. ARENA is contributing AUD 112,400 (USD 81,280/EUR 76,520) towards Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd’s (MEFL) project, according to the press release.

Such a microgrid can help better manage the integration of renewable energy and its two-way traffic into the power grid. It can also provide multiple residents with cheaper power and greater control over their energy especially during times of peak demand, ARENA said.

Along with GreenSync and Jemena, MEFL will conduct a virtual trial based on historical power consumption data from medium-density Melbourne suburbs. The partners’ AUD-225,800 project will aim to overcome the logistical, regulatory and financial challenges of adopting micro-grids in existing suburbs.

Results of the project are expected by May 2016.

(AUD 1.0 = USD 0.723/EUR 0.681)

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