Power Utility: Horizon Power Round 3

Customer

Horizon Power – Delivered as the Renew the Region program

Start Date: Jan 2021

Completion Date: May 2023

Location: Goldfields/Esperance Region and 1 Unit in Canarvon, Western Australia

Solution

Solution

Round 3 deployment consists of 48 off-grid stand-alone power systems, resulting in hundreds of kilometres of power lines being removed from private paddocks.

Across the region, all four Boundary Power SAPS solutions have been deployed.

Site locations and their current and future energy loads were analysed to select the size of SAPS and where the units would improve end-of-grid access to a safer, cleaner, more reliable power supply.

Project Specifications:

  • 10 Nanos
  • 5 Solar Qubes
  • 32 R-Series
  • 1 Kiosk
  • 700 kWh of battery storage
  • 350 kW peak (DC) solar capacity
  • 916 kVA of generators
  • 670 kW of battery inverters
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Situation

The deployment of Round 3 was part of Horizon Power’s Renew the Region program, stemming from a $57.4 million WA government investment in 2020. Solar-powered SAPS will operate independently from the main grid, allowing Horizon Power to remove poles and wires and, in turn, reduce outages caused by maintenance and weather events like floods and bushfires.

Design Considerations

  • Ensuring design parameters will provide an output of over 80% renewable penetration over a 12 months

  • Designed for easy future expansion for increased site loads with minimal structural changes
  • Photovoltaic components optimised for maximum annual energy production through array orientation, tilt, shading, and placement

Environmental & Safety Considerations:

  • Minimise the footprint of both SAPS unit and construction area

  • Safe distance from any potential risks
  • Minimise noise disturbance
  • Ensure security and safety through restricted access
  • Units designed and installed in accordance with Australian Standards and legislative requirements

Utility Benefits

  • Potential reduction in operating costs as a result of removing traditional poles and wires
  • Flow on effect of lowering associated costs such as network maintenance and upgrades and reducing the number of outages
  • Ability to remotely monitor and reset SAPS to minimise the outage duration for the end user and allow the utility time to rectify an issue
  • Assist Horizon Power in establishing appropriate site locations with local cultural heritage

Maintenance:

  • Reduction in cost to maintain as a result of reduced routine maintenance and minimised unplanned outages

  • Once a year, on-site maintenance to top up the diesel generator and service the system

Customer Benefits

  • Safe and reliable energy through the replacement of poles and wires with a Renewable Energy source
  • Automatic back-up generator with no interruption to power services
  • Mitigated impact of a power outage on an end-of-grid customer by providing an independent power supply and removing connection to grid

  • Resilient solution in the harsh Australian environment reducing power outages from power line faults and increased quality of power flow from a direct source

  • Improved safety for community by reducing the bush-fire risk and farming hazards associated with poles and wires
  • Reduced carbon emissions, with current estimations showing SAPS deployment will deliver savings of approximately ~128,950kg CO2-e per annum compared to a traditional network solution