Power Utility: Horizon Power Round 4
Customer
Horizon Power – Delivered as the Renew the Region program
Completion: Early 2024
Location: Esperance Region, Western Australia
Solution
Round 4 deployment consists of 50 off-grid stand-alone power systems, resulting in hundreds of kilometres of power lines being removed from private land throughout the region.
The load requirements across all locations determined that the R-Series would be suitable to deploy at all but one site.
The size of the R-Series SAPS is fully customisable and allows for improved end-of-grid access to a safer, cleaner, more reliable power supply.
Project Specifications:
1 Kiosk
49 R-Series (9 original design / 40 new design)
- 1144 kWh of battery storage
- 520 kW peak (DC) solar capacity
- 995 kVA of generators
- 875 kW of battery inverters
Situation
After the success of rounds two and three in the South East of Western Australia, Horizon Power will continue to deploy Solar-powered SAPS as part of the Renew the Regions program. These units will operate independently from the main grid, allowing the removal of poles and wires and, in turn, reducing outages caused by maintenance and weather events like floods and bushfires.
Design Considerations
- New design has higher levels of modularity and scalability to provide reliable, renewable power that meets or exceeds end-user energy loads now and into the future
- Australian-made equipment, where possible
- Design change to be DC coupled
- Ensuring design parameters will provide an output of over 80% renewable penetration over 12 months
- Designed for easy future expansion for increased site loads with minimal structural changes
- Photovoltaic components optimised for maximum annual energy production
Environmental & Safety Considerations:
Minimise 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
- New R-Series design provides optimised electrical outputs
- Potential reduction in operating costs by 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 the SAPS to minimise the outage duration for the end user and promptly rectify issues
- 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
Reliability and quality of power:
- Future-proofed solution through unit scalability
- Safe and reliable through the replacement of poles and wires with a renewable energy source
- 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 the community by reducing the bush-fire risk and farming hazards associated with poles and wires