ACT goes 100% renewable

[DiscoMick]

First Australian city to go 100% renewable, which proves it can be done.

Canberra will be first Australian city to run on 100 per cent renewable energy from October - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-17/canberra-to-run-on-100-per-cent-renewables-from-october-1/11121676)

[cripesamighty]

It’s easy enough for ACT. With its high proportion of politicians, there is more than enough hot air for wind turbines and since they think the sun shines out of their butts, solar is covered too. Or am I just getting jaded with all the rubbish flooding the airwaves and interwebs for tomorrow’s Federal election... 😁

PS. Nice work by the ACT if they have solved the intermittency problems with renewables.

[101RRS]

With its high proportion of politicians,

Absolute myth - google how long the blowhards are actually here each year - sorry but they are all out with the great unwashed - where you live [biggrin].

The reality is of course that we get the majority of of electricity from the grid in NSW - our own energy generating capacity resides with a few solar panels at Hume and some down at Royalla - not enough to generate all that much.

Like all plans where you pay extra for renewable energy, the actual energy you get is a mix, some renewable, some hydro and some coal burning, you just pay more which helps to bring more renewables on line - interestingly despite this our energy prices are not too bad when compared to other states.

That SA renewable power does not come direct to the ACT - there is no direct link - it just goes into the grid where we get the power (a mix).

I am afraid it is all smoke and mirrors.

[DiscoMick]

It means they will be putting into the grid as much as they draw from it.

[p38arover]

Impossible - unless there are a lot of blackouts.

[DiscoMick]

That's what the story says.

[101RRS]

They just launched a hydrogen fuel bowser - trouble is it is just a cardboard cutout [bigsad]

[Slunnie]

Good on the ACT, at least they're getting there and heading well in the right direction!

[biggin]

It’s all words and nothing else, just more posturing. If they’re 100% renewable then take them off the grid.

[Slunnie]

It’s all words and nothing else, just more posturing. If they’re 100% renewable then take them off the grid.
You really didn’t read the article did you. :Rolling:

[biggin]

No! Not at all.
Friday night is not a time I should be posting. [emoji481]

[trout1105]

It means they will be putting into the grid as much as they draw from it.

I admit that it is a step in the right direction But "Effectively" 100% renewable and "Actually" 100% renewable are two Very different things.
100% renewable power to me is where 0% of the power used is sourced from fossil fuels, This won't be the case in Canberra regardless of how much power it puts back into the grid.

[DiscoMick]

If the rest of the country copied the ACT this country would be 100% renewable.
It can be done. Britain has just gone a whole week without burning a single lump of coal

[Milton477]

Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story.

[trout1105]

If the rest of the country copied the ACT this country would be 100% renewable.
It can be done. Britain has just gone a whole week without burning a single lump of coal

If the rest of the country did the same as Canberra where would we get the power from when the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining.
Without a reliable and cost effective National electricity storage system fossil fuels are our ONLY option at the moment if the renewables are not producing the power needed 24/7.

[Slunnie]

Just having a read. Great to see ACT buying in so much renewable energy via the grid. It was also good to see that last year SA was 53% renewable and Tasmania was almost totally working on renewable. Rest of the states need to get their act together with NSW 15%, QLD 10%, WA 16% and Victoria 21%. For renewables, about 1/3 comes from Hydro, 1/3 from Wind and 20% from small scale solar.

It will be interesting to see if there is any shift in government direction on this after todays election.

[DiscoMick]

If the rest of the country did the same as Canberra where would we get the power from when the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining.
Without a reliable and cost effective National electricity storage system fossil fuels are our ONLY option at the moment if the renewables are not producing the power needed 24/7.Australia is a big country and the sun is always shining and the wind is always blowing somewhere.

[101RRS]

Australia is a big country and the sun is always shining somewhere.

Well no its not - in winter the whole continent is in darkness for about 10 hours and in summer for about 6-8 hours or so.

[trout1105]

Australia is a big country and the sun is always shining and the wind is always blowing somewhere.

Seriously?
Where did you get that information from, The Guardian??[bigwhistle]

[350RRC]

Australia is a big country and the sun is always shining and the wind is always blowing somewhere.

I'm a fan of the move to renewables in a reasonably sensible, short timeframe.

Statements like that are just counterproductive to this transformation. Just makes the advocates look stoopid.

A major emerging issue is the ability of the grid in a lot of areas of this bloody 'big country' to get the power from where the 'sun is always shining and the wind is always blowing' (hehe) to where it can be used by the grid proper (as it exists today, in need of radical change), to store or distribute energy for use.

Especially in Victoria.

cheers, DL

[DiscoMick]

SA renewables seem to be powering Victoria quite often.

Obviously, my comment about the sun always shining was in the daytime.

[PhilipA]

If the rest of the country copied the ACT this country would be 100% renewable.
It can be done. Britain has just gone a whole week without burning a single lump of coal

Ah but look up Drax who import word chips from the USA and burn them . They are considered "renewable" , well maybe in 50 years.
As they say a good story.
As for ACT . The problem is that somebody somewhere has to supply coal/gas power for when the sun don't shine and the wind don't blow.
Their 100% DEPENDS on other states supplying coal fired power but at the same time makes it more expensive as the utilization rate goes down when ACT is selling power.

Regards Philip A

[Slunnie]

Ah but look up Drax who import word chips from the USA and burn them . They are considered "renewable" , well maybe in 50 years.
As they say a good story.
As for ACT . The problem is that somebody somewhere has to supply coal/gas power for when the sun don't shine and the wind don't blow.
Their 100% DEPENDS on other states supplying coal fired power but at the same time makes it more expensive as the utilization rate goes down when ACT is selling power.

Regards Philip A

Yep, they're not like Tasmania who are pretty much 100%

[Red90]

So what the article says is they are generating 2% of the electricity through solar. The other 98% they are buying from other places. Just smoke and mirrors. It just means those other places that generate the renewables appear less green.

[Slunnie]

So what the article says is they are generating 2% of the electricity through solar. The other 98% they are buying from other places. Just smoke and mirrors. It just means those other places that generate the renewables appear less green.

ACT have never claimed to be generating the power, the article just says that they're buying the amount of energy they use from renewables via a predominantly coal powered network.

The article has said in the headline:

Canberra will be first Australian city to run on 100 per cent renewable energy from October




What however is significant is that ACT has mandated the use of 100% renewables (which in reality isn't due to need for some base load), they are supporting an industry that needs to grow as a non-option. Its great they they are aware of the need for more environmentally appropriate energy and supporting the industry.

Here are the Key point boxes for those who didn't actually read the article


Key points:



The ACT sources most of its renewable energy from reverse auctions
Canberrans pay $5 a week on top of their average power bill to fund the scheme
The ACT Government had pledged to reach the target by 2020




Where does the ACT's power come from?



76 per cent = large scale renewable power bought through reverse auctions
22 per cent = bought from ACT's contribution to the renewable energy target — from solar, wind and hydro farms across the country
2 per cent = excess solar power generated by ACT residents

[Slunnie]

Looks like its on! Westpac with 100% renewable energy also (no, they are not making it either).


Westpac to go 100pc renewable by 2025





Westpac to go 100pc renewable by 2025 | Westpac (https://www.westpac.com.au/news/making-news/2019/04/westpac-to-go-100pc-renewable-by-2025/?cid=wg:br:WIREQ3_1905:soc:face:&utm_source=face&utm_medium=soc&utm_campaign=WIREQ3_1905)

“One of the most exciting things about the PPA is that we’re effectively underwriting the development of a new solar energy facility,” s

Westpac has pledged to source 100 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025, joining a growing band of big businesses moving away from traditional power sources amid the global push to a lower carbon economy.

In simple terms, the PPA will see Westpac pay Bomen Solar Farm for an amount of renewable energy it will put into the grid, and the equivalent amount consumed by the bank will be recognised as having zero emissions.

“It is economically the right thing for Westpac to do,” she says, noting that the current cost of renewable electricity is less than the current wholesale price of electricity.

[DiscoMick]

It doesn't matter if the power that Canberra runs on is not the same power that the renewable generates - that's irrelevant. What's important is the amount of power being generated into the grid has increased. That's good for the country.
If that didn't happen, then every time a clapped-out coal fired plant such as Hazelwood closed, there would be a power shortage and prices would rise, which is exactly what happened when Hazelwood closed. SA had to send mostly renewable power across to help out Victoria.

That's the trend which is accelerating. Cities, councils, companies and other organisations are seeing opportunities to secure their own stable electricity supplies by signing contracts to buy power from generators.
Those generators are renewables such as solar and wind because the banks will only fund new renewable sources and gas because they know coal generation is on the way out and money invested in coal power plants now will be a stranded asset in 20 years - no-one would want to buy the coal generator, so the banks couldn't get their money back by selling the generator. World demand for coal will keep falling.

Gas will replace some coal generators as a reliable baseload supply. It's already happened in Queensland and SA and NSW and Victoria will be next. That's good. Gas is an industry which can generate many of the jobs to replace those lost by the continuing decline of the coal fired power generators. North Queensland and the Northern Territory could gain a lot of jobs from the gas industry, particularly if the promising Beetaloo field in the NT is linked by pipeline to the eastern states. It could also ensure our country has enough gas supplies at affordable prices.

This is a good process. It guarantees a market for the generator, which makes it easier for the generator to raise the funds to build the renewable assets. Those assets puts more power in the grid so the country benefits.

Meanwhile, it's renewables that are creating most of the new energy jobs now. That's also a great thing.

Notice I've totally avoided being political in this post. If you want to discuss the politics of power generation, join the Current Affairs section.

[101RRS]

It doesn't matter if the power that Canberra runs on is not the same power that the renewable generates - that's irrelevant.

No its not - its hypocritical - the power being used is either from renewable resources or it is not - and it is not - we might be paying for it but we are not getting it.

Not getting what we pay for - maybe a complaint to the ACCC might clarify.

[Slunnie]

No its not - its hypocritical - the power being used is either from renewable resources or it is not - and it is not - we might be paying for it but we are not getting it.

Not getting what we pay for - maybe a complaint to the ACCC might clarify.
They are buying the amount of power they are using from renewables. It’s really not that difficult.

[DiscoMick]

No its not - its hypocritical - the power being used is either from renewable resources or it is not - and it is not - we might be paying for it but we are not getting it.

Not getting what we pay for - maybe a complaint to the ACCC might clarify.That's not how the power grid works. You don't have to restrict a particular batch of electrons to a particular customer.

The grid is centrally controlled. Once the electrons are in the grid their source is irrelevant.

Think about the power flowing around a vehicle. It doesn't matter if it comes from the alternator or a particular battery, it's just power. The source is irrelevant.

If an order from the ACT results in renewable power entering the grid anywhere in the grid, that's a gain for renewable power.

[101RRS]

Its snake oil - at 4 in the morning we are getting coal powered electricity (except if coming from snowy mountain hydro or the SA Tesla Battery) when my A/C kicks in to start heating my house. Yes it might be a step in the right direction but at the moment it is false advertising.

[INter674]

Don't overlook the enviromental damage which is still occurring as a result of hydro lakes which in the main were ancient massive forests simply flooded and which release tons of carbon for decades. Read Gerry Bates book. Tassie is not that clean and green and water supply reliability is highly questionable. The battery of the nation is simply political spin and BS.

Have to agree with the smoke n mirrors analogy😐

[AndyG]

If the rest of the country copied the ACT this country would be 100% renewable.
It can be done. Britain has just gone a whole week without burning a single lump of coal

If your prepared to burn lots of trees, also known as biomass, i would rather keep the trees

[AndyG]

Just having a read. Great to see ACT buying in so much renewable energy via the grid. It was also good to see that last year SA was 53% renewable and Tasmania was almost totally working on renewable. Rest of the states need to get their act together with NSW 15%, QLD 10%, WA 16% and Victoria 21%. For renewables, about 1/3 comes from Hydro, 1/3 from Wind and 20% from small scale solar.

It will be interesting to see if there is any shift in government direction on this after todays election.

Unlikely

[AndyG]

Australia is a big country and the sun is always shining and the wind is always blowing somewhere.

Umm , can i refer you to Copernicus and Galileo, controversial i know, but the science is pretty much settled

[Hymie]

First? Hobart and Tassie were way ahead of the Act.

[Rick Fischer]

Is all virtue signalling propaganda from the ACT Soviet.

Cheers

RF

[fredd63]

Carbon dioxide is demonised, yet it comprises just 0.04%, 400ppm of the atmosphere. It is a trace gas, and has practically no effect on the earth's temperature. We breathe it out every minute of our lives. Plants need it to grow. At 0.018%, or 180 ppm, plants start to have trouble growing. At 150ppm, they die, and so does everything else on the planet. Plants use water more effectively at higher concentrations, hence the greening of parts of the world that were struggling. Crops grow more effectively, leading to record harvests. Yes, the climate is changing, but it has done so since time began. See the roman warm period, medieval warm period, and the little ice age.
So, many people have been conned, and a few others have made lots of money.

[Slunnie]

Don't overlook the enviromental damage which is still occurring as a result of hydro lakes which in the main were ancient massive forests simply flooded and which release tons of carbon for decades. Read Gerry Bates book. Tassie is not that clean and green and water supply reliability is highly questionable. The battery of the nation is simply political spin and BS.

Have to agree with the smoke n mirrors analogy😐

Hmmm, I really suspect here that the author is simply political spin and BS. It's like how people have misquoted a speech to say that wind wont ever pay for itself (meaning, in a no wind area).

Hydro will continue giving green energy, its just not without a start up cost, exactly the same as all renewable sources. Sure, it may release CO2, but that wont be comparable to the burning of coal as a replacement.

Second point, is that the CO2 that is released by a submersed forest is a part of the environmental carbon cycle, The carbon in it has been absorbed from the atmosphere and is released to be reabsorbed. Its not introducing new carbon into the environment like what coal is.

[mrs]

If the rest of the country copied the ACT this country would be 100% renewable.
It can be done. Britain has just gone a whole week without burning a single lump of coalBritain does use nuclear though

[BradC]

Second point, is that the CO2 that is released by a submersed forest is a part of the environmental carbon cycle, The carbon in it has been absorbed from the atmosphere and is released to be reabsorbed. Its not introducing new carbon into the environment like what coal is.

I'm ignoring the climate debate and making this purely about a point of science. The carbon in coal was once part of the atmosphere in one form or another. There is no such thing as "new carbon", just different forms of it.

Burning coal is not in any way, shape or form "introducing new carbon into the environment". It is releasing carbon otherwise sequestered, just like your submerged forest, increasing water temperatures reducing the solubility of CO2 and all the other bit part players helping with the equilibrium of carbon in the atmosphere.

[INter674]

I'm all for renewables and for reaching better environmental targets etc.. I have environmental quals and taught env science for many years. That is probably why I get somewhat cynical about battery of the nation and pumped hydro slogans etc.

Tas pollies ran tas water storage dry a few years ago then spent millions on imported diesel gen sets to meet local and national grid requirements..eg forward sold power.

Look further into pumped hydro and see where it makes sense. .largely via cheap coal power. But thankfully other smarter countries are creating cheaper power technology that we can buy in and benefit from..if the government supports such an approach.

But with the re elected used car salesman /PM ie ScoMo I doubt we'll see much national progress towards renewables over the next 3 years. He loves coal after all!

Yes UK has nuclear power which is very unpopular with many people there. Accidents have happened in the past which don't help.

I do think the feds will need to watch out tho as there are many young future voters concerned about climate change and who will be determined to force change and not be put off by scare campaigns as seen in the recent election.

[Slunnie]

I'm ignoring the climate debate and making this purely about a point of science. The carbon in coal was once part of the atmosphere in one form or another. There is no such thing as "new carbon", just different forms of it.

Burning coal is not in any way, shape or form "introducing new carbon into the environment". It is releasing carbon otherwise sequestered, just like your submerged forest, increasing water temperatures reducing the solubility of CO2 and all the other bit part players helping with the equilibrium of carbon in the atmosphere.

I'm ignoring that coal is greener than hydro.

[biggin]

I
..............as there are many young future voters concerned about climate change and who will be determined to force change and not be put off by scare campaigns...............

Can’t you see that these future voters you speak of, HAVE been sucked into the scare campaigns; hook, line and sinker. That’s why they’re so concerned.
Personally, I think it’s a form of child abuse. Adults filling young heads with their nonsense. Fortunately, certain demographics seem more affected than others.
The odds are that children in this country will live longer and than us, even with a changing climate.

[Slunnie]

Can’t you see that these future voters you speak of, HAVE been sucked into the scare campaigns; hook, line and sinker. That’s why they’re so concerned.
Personally, I think it’s a form of child abuse. Adults filling young heads with their nonsense. Fortunately, certain demographics seem more affected than others.
The odds are that children in this country will live longer and than us, even with a changing climate.

Are you saying Climate Change is a fraud?

[INter674]

Mmm...sort of confirms my point that many younger voters will look for change rather than accept more or less the status quo and smoke and mirrors politicians are currently peddling to the masses😎

In over 30 years of living in the same place in Tassie we have seen first hand some changes to our local climate...largely gradual warming and extremes of weather patterns eg huge fires never before occuring in wilderness areas...less reliable rainfall and so on.

I can see why kids are so concerned😐

[biggin]

Are you saying Climate Change is a fraud?

Didn’t you read my last sentence?
What I’m saying is, petrifying children into believing the world will end tomorrow is akin to child abuse.

[manic]

Climate change is inevitable.

It is a worry now because we have mega cities to feed. Massive urban sprawles that are 100% dependant on industry. Booming populations.

Every one on the planet is getting hooked into the modern life delivery system. They all feel entitled to eat worldly feasts, jet about for photos, and have what ever the world has to offer delivered to thier door.

Renewable energy will help support this growth. And we should absolutely transition to renewable power. But lets be honest, its not going to save future generations from suffering the effects of population growth and the inevitable resource shortages that follow. Nor will it stop the cycles of climate change that have been observed over billions of years. And even in the past few thousands.

The problem is, if we all looked at our own footprint and changed our lives to truely live light, the economy as we know it would collapse. If we stop growing populations, the economy as we know it would collapse.

Perhaps thats why parents bite their tongue whilst their kids use their pocket money to ride into town and protest.

[DiscoMick]

The problem with burning coal is that instead of being locked up in the ground not causing problems, it's released into the atmosphere, which is warming.

It's true the climate is changing. The problem is that for most of history the climate has been colder than now, and water has been frozen at the poles instead of released into the oceans. For example, the ocean water level on the foreshore in Brisbane used to be about 50 metres lower than it is now.

We are in an unusually hot million years or so, not a long time in planetary history, and it's getting warmer faster than it naturally would because of human activity.

Climate change is also causing the weather to become more extreme. Floods, cyclones, droughts are all becoming more extreme - look at the dry Murray-Darling system.

[manic]

Amongst all the other factors, the murray darling has been used for water intensive cotton. Mismanagement for short term economic gain.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is worth doing, no one should doubt that. Being able to release as much carbon as is absorbed, and measure that consistently, would show a level of control that would put us in a position to somewhat offset negative climate change in the future.

If it wasnt for all the carbon we have pumped into the atmosphere we would be in a cold solar cycle right now. Snowy winters in Melbourne? Not today - 20C!


Stop burning coal, increase renewables. Its a simple transition to make. It starts with genuine commitment. Somehow we voted against this. Economy rules.

But those of us who own a house can start now, install solar, get batteries, build your setup towards true offgrid.

[Eevo]

Australia is a big country and the sun is always shining and the wind is always blowing somewhere.


got a source for this?

cause i know its 100% bs.

[ramblingboy42]

got a source for this?

cause i know its 100% bs.

ever been to Windy Point when it's not blowing?

I grew up very close to an area where it always seems to blowing...funny.....theres a new wind farm there which is proving to be very efficient and it blows all night.

not very far away(20-30km) is a quite large solar farm in one of the sunniest places in Australia.

this area has an amazing balance , sunny days and breezy day/nights.

there are hundreds of places in Australia where this exact thing can be replicated.

no need for any negativity about it theres no room for it ....it is so effective.

it's only a matter of time , really only a short matter of time , for the new generation power companies to pick up on this......just like in our past and still current , the energy companies , will source out these potential areas , just as the energy companies we all know have sourced and prospected for oil, gas, uranium for the past hundred years.

you all know the rules from school...energy can be neither created nor destroyed and you are now seeing it appear in a different form...go with the flow..it won't harm you...it wont change your life...it might actually improve it

[DiscoMick]

got a source for this?

cause i know its 100% bs.It's always possible to make renewable power somewhere in Australia.

[Slunnie]

Australian Research and Space Exploration (ARSE) are onto the developments for solar power working at night!

We Can Create "Reverse Solar Power" at Night, Study Says. – Australian Research & Space Exploration (https://spaceaustralia.com.au/blogs/news/we-can-create-reverse-solar-power-at-night-study-says?fbclid=IwAR0vrfc2d5UPpSS_AMddDoQxdGtEhzsZuoeU q-SFrf_QzVChUkt412xYC4g)

[Eevo]

ever been to Windy Point when it's not blowing?



can windy point power all of australia?
i thought not.

NEXT!

[scarry]

It's always possible to make renewable power somewhere in Australia.

Thats like saying its always raining somewhere.

Its great to make renewable power somewhere,but its no where near the quantity or has the permanent reliability that we need, to rely on,all the time.

[Slunnie]

It's always possible to make renewable power somewhere in Australia.

It is actually, so long as the plant keep spinning.

There are those who say things cant work and then there are those who get things done.

[Eevo]

these ideas are great in isolation/small scale, but on a national scale they dont stand up to scrutiny.

[Eevo]

It is actually, so long as the plant keep spinning.

There are those who say things cant work and then there are those who get things done.

there are realistic people and then there are those living in fairly land.

[Slunnie]

there are realistic people and then there are those living in fairly land.

You said it. :lol2:

And thats why people are doing something about it.

[DiscoMick]

these ideas are great in isolation/small scale, but on a national scale they dont stand up to scrutiny.Lots of people are already doing it. Networks are also being linked. It is happening. The sceptics are being proven wrong.

[scarry]

Lots of people are already doing it. Networks are also being linked. It is happening. The sceptics are being proven wrong.

I think in many cases the sceptics are actually correct.

Anyway,Montague island,off the coast near Narooma has recently gone to full solar.

Twenty years ago they used 200 000litres of diesel annually, to power the place,then they moved to a more fuel efficient diesel gen set,reduced the power of the lighthouse,did other mods,and used 12 000litres of diesel a year.

Now with battery packs,and new solar panels,no gen set at all,and heaps of power during peak season.

And by the way,FWIW,its a cracker of a place to visit.[biggrin]

[PhilipA]

Well in 2017 Montague Island certainly still had a generator.

http://coastpowerelectrical.com.au/electrician/projects/

Coast Power repaired it to ensure power.
There is usually a fuller story somewhere that enthusiasts ignore.
As they say when the wind don't bow and the sun don't shine .
Similar propaganda for Coral Bay. look it up and last time I checked they had 6 diesels as well as inertia control units to ensure the correct frequency as well as their wind farm.

Regards Philip A

[scarry]

Well in 2017 Montague Island certainly still had a generator.

http://coastpowerelectrical.com.au/electrician/projects/

Coast Power repaired it to ensure power.
There is usually a fuller story somewhere that enthusiasts ignore.
As they say when the wind don't bow and the sun don't shine .
Similar propaganda for Coral Bay. look it up and last time I checked they had 6 diesels as well as inertia control units to ensure the correct frequency as well as their wind farm.

Regards Philip A


Indeed it was there in 2017

The solar plant was installed recently,i think earlier this year.

The gen set is now not used at all.

[PhilipA]

Did you look a t the website?
Solar power has been there since the 80s and there is a lovely picture of the panel array.

If they recently added batteries , then maybe, but I bet the generator is still there.
Regards Philip A
Can you provide us with some evidence that the generator is now not there?

[Slunnie]

And thats where we are with today. I think any move towards the reduction of use of fossil fuels is a great move even if it isn't totally reliant. Birdville were going to increase their geothermal from 20% to 70% supply, but have now opted for solar plus battery also. They expect that will save 118,000 litres of diesel each year from the 500,000 litres that is currently being used. With domestic or commercial operations, there is a huge amount of value in these greener systems even if they aren't 100% because of the reduction in fossil fuels that are being used... when its windy, or sunny, the rivers are runnings, the tides are moving, the sub terrain is hot, the environment is heating or whatever it happens to be at least its picking up a whole lot of load that doesnt need to come from coal and oil.

[scarry]

Did you look a t the website?
Solar power has been there since the 80s and there is a lovely picture of the panel array.

If they recently added batteries , then maybe, but I bet the generator is still there.
Regards Philip A

Don't really care what the website says,i was there two weeks ago.

As i have said,the gen set is not used at all,they use a new set of solar panels and batteries.

[PhilipA]

So the gen set is still there? So perhaps it is there in case there are a number of days without sunshine?

This sounds to me like a bloke I know who is a solar installer who said to me that his house was "off Grid".
I said "so you have disconnected from the grid then"
He said "er no I need to have backup, but that is the generally accepted term in the industry."
Regards Philip A

[AndyG]

AS someone who buys 6,500,000 liters of diesel every year, i am monitoring the relative costs closely, and would love to increase my solar/battery combination in conjunction with existing Diesel, Hydro , & Biomass, and Solar in a few stand alone locations. One particular challenge is when you need 500 kva of power to kick start a Mill NOW, in particular getting all the boiler blowers up to speed. Thats one hell of a battery array that would be idle mostly.
Last week we had a consultant visit, looks like we can capture 2MW of hydro power fro ma single fast running stream, now for the costing !

I think there is a lot of hype over carbon because there is a lot of money being made from associated activities and a lot of vested interests,
IMHO what is really causing earth grief, to name just a few:

Population explosion, but baby bonus, child care and other incentives are sacred cows
Deforestation, esp in tropical areas for cattle, everyone wants cheap food
Mono crops/ excess chemicals devastating inspects and amphibians
CFC's and similar, no money to see here
Plastic waste, and esp micro plastics
somewhere around here carbon and maybe more so airborne particles, pollutants
Did i mention population growth

[DiscoMick]

Australian musicians band together to invest in solar farms

Australian musicians band together to invest in solar farms | Environment | The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/04/theres-no-reason-why-this-couldnt-go-global-australian-music-industry-invests-in-solar-farms?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard)

[Blknight.aus]

So the gen set is still there? So perhaps it is there in case there are a number of days without sunshine?

This sounds to me like a bloke I know who is a solar installer who said to me that his house was "off Grid".
I said "so you have disconnected from the grid then"
He said "er no I need to have backup, but that is the generally accepted term in the industry."
Regards Philip A

The generator is there, used intermittantly for testing and loading to ensure it works on occasion (monthly I think is the standard for a full load handover test) so that if there is a major issue with the farm (lightning strike, inverter bank fire) at least critical power can be maintained.

about 30% of telstras remote installation gear runs solely off of solar power but with generators for back up. Battery tech and inverter tech is more than up to the task, some of the telecom, now telstra exchanges have enough battery power to run the entire building (and in the day the entire copper network connected to it) for at least 4 hours. The old system in the exchange near the RPH in perth also had enough up its sleeve to export and pick up the critical load of the RPH on the same gear. Yes accepted that the system only had 4 hours life and there were several "not kidding around here" size generators with enough reserve on them to manage the whole lot with 50% of the generators dead (minimum 3 generators, 1 working one standby and one broken) BUT.. with enough smarts a distributed network of solar, wind, stirling engines, hydro power and other power sources should be able to run the batteries (or the mother of all supercap banks) indefinitely while under load.

Throw on board smarter design to reduce electrical load, improvements in elec equipment efficiency and that sounds like a bit of a winner.

me, I think small VAWTS supporting solar on tesla wall style systems would be an excellent starting point to reducing grid dependency in the short term.