Australia largest microgrid is now operational

The Western Australian coastal town of Kalbarri can now be powered by a 100% renewable energy-intelligent microgrid.

The microgrid, developed by the state distribution company Western Power in partnership with the power company Synergy, is comprised of 1.6MW of wind, up to 1MW of rooftop solar and a 5MW/4.5MWh storage battery.

Its aim is to support peak demand requirements and to improve the reliability of power supply for the town, which has a resident population of about 1,500 and as a popular tourist destination sees more than 100,000 visitors per year.

“Improving how energy is delivered in regional areas and delivering better power reliability for Western Australians is an important part of the [state’s] government’s Distributed Energy Resources Roadmap,” says Energy Minister Bill Johnston.

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“The Kalbarri microgrid is an important step towards improving power reliability for the local community. It also paves the way in delivering greater renewable energy solutions across Western Australia, particularly in regional areas, as we move forward in achieving net zero emissions by 2050.”

The microgrid, said to be the largest of its kind in Australia, is connected to the main electricity network but also can operate islanded, with smart monitoring equipment able to detect a fault in the system and respond within milliseconds to maintain the town’s power supply – even in the case of momentary outages.

When power is interrupted and the microgrid is operating, an automated text notification is sent to mobile phones so that residents can adjust their power usage.

At the end of a 140km rural feeder line, outages in Kilbarri have tended to be extended and both their number and extent are expected to be significantly reduced with the microgrid.

With its modular design future renewable generation sources can be integrated as they become available.

The microgrid was implemented with an Au$15 million (US$10.6 million) investment from the Western Australia government. It also is intended to provide a blueprint for the delivery of similar solutions throughout the state, which has been the pioneer of microgrids in Australia.