A new micro grid, Yackandandah’s third, represents another significant step in the town’s journey to reach 100% renewable energy by 2020.
Project Snapshot
- 33 x houses involved
- 8 x subsidised batteries
- 7 x subsidised CO2 hot water heat pumps
- 12 x additional Mondo Ubi’s
- $380,000 funding from Vic Govt.
Supported by Mondo and funded by homeowners and the Victorian Government, the micro grid will add to research into renewable energy systems’ ability to address rising power costs, provide a more reliable power supply and decarbonise stationary energy.
In October 2018, the Victorian Government announced an investment of $14M in to a ‘Microgrid Development Initiative,’ of which $380,000 was provided to Totally Renewable Yackandandah (TRY). The fund is supporting projects to interrogate what role micro grids might have in the renewable energy transition. TRY has contracted Mondo to develop and deliver the microgrid project with local installer Solar Integrity.
The project will focus on micro grids and their ability to achieve three key ambitions:
- Reducing energy costs to households and other energy users
- Affordably decarbonising our energy supply
- Deploying smart energy systems to improve the quality and resilience of our electricity supply
This third microgrid project on the western edge of Yackandandah will work alongside 33 houses and make available up to 8 subsidised batteries. These batteries will be coupled with solar panels and Mondo’s smart energy device, Ubi. An additional 12 Ubi’s will be spread amongst other properties in the focus area.
Interestingly, the project will also subsidise up to 7 efficient hot water service upgrades. This hot water inclusion responds to the growing recognition that ultra-efficient CO2 hot water heat pumps are effective in reducing our energy demand. At the same time, these heat pumps can be timed to operate during daylight hours to optimise the behind the meter use of solar generation.
Mondo is pleased to report that the project has enlisted eight households for all eight battery subsidies and installations will commence around mid-October. These batteries will offer additional preparedness for power outages, but they will also allow trials to commence on micro grid orchestration as we head into summer.
Once again, this union between Mondo and small communities is proving the importance of cooperative efforts in the transition to a renewable energy future.