Author: CitizenMum

Mid-Scale Solar can ease pressure on the NEM

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The establishment of small to mid-scale solar arrays on farmland throughout Australia represents multiple opportunities to re-shape how and where we all source our energy. To date the supply of renewables into the National Energy Market has been largely bookended at one end by large scale arrays quickly establishing along the grid, and at the other end by the Australian home owner’s appetite for roof top PV.  Somewhere between these two extremes, along our long stringy grid, there surely is a sweet spot of opportunity for communities, regional manufacturers, local government and people locked out of the roof top solar market? 

Mid scale solar arrays require very little land. Replicated, they will become very cost efficient to establish and will provide muscle, flexibility and security in our transition to a decentralised renewable energy market. For regional Australia midscale solar provides lower entry points for local investment, opportunities for local power purchase agreements and power offtakes, and the ensuing attraction of midscale industry and employment.

The Haystacks Solar Garden which will be built on our farm at Grong Grong in South Western NSW, has  a very small footprint  in terms of mixed grazing and cropping. Its 1-megawatt  will occupy just three to four hectares of land, but generate enough electricity to supply the daytime energy needs of up to 300 homes. Its smaller scale also means that it can be connected to the main grid via the distribution network; the everyday poles and wires we see in our neighbourhoods and along our main roads.

The concept of a solar garden is new in Australia, and is being developed by Pingala, a citizen led co-operative focused on developing people-centred and socially just energy solutions. At its core the concept is very simple and based along the lines of a community garden, in that cooperative members have the opportunity to purchase plots (panels) in the solar garden and have the energy that is generated from the plot credited to their power bill. It is ideal for people in rental accommodation, apartments or homes that are not suitable for rooftop solar.

As farmers we think constantly about climate change, what practice changes we can make to help mitigate it, what impact it is having on the land, water and life we have in our care, what it means for how we grow food, what the cost of it will be for our environment, for our kids. It is our clear and present danger. For us, to host a solar garden that generates clean renewable energy alongside our crops and animals makes complete sense.

A gold rush is a good time to think slow.

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As a mum, farmer  and citizen nerd I am interested in all things renewable in our region, especially projects that are generating clean power AND jobs, and paying something back into the local economy. I’m also interested in productive and environmentally sensitive land use. These two worlds are colliding in our region with the steady march of large scale renewable energy projects, and their hunger for large tracts of land in and around the national electricity grid.

So, it was good to meet with the team from the RES Group this week, who are developing the Avondale solar farm at Sandigo and understand how their business works and how they work with community. RES is the renewable energy arm of the McAlpine engineering group out of the UK. They have been developing primarily large scale wind projects in Australia, and now are moving toward large scale solar. These projects are coming on line in response to demand in the corporate market (think Telstra / Coca Cola) to source clean renewable energy. Because the policy environment on renewables in Australia has been shaky at best these corporates are entering into direct Power Purchase Agreements with groups like RES, who will build the system and supply the clean energy over a given period of time – say 25 years.

RES is currently working to ensure that the neighbouring community and shires are fully informed on the project and understand its parameters.

These large scale projects come with their challenges. There is the question of the change over in land use from the production of food to the production of energy – and how that will be accepted in the community. Large scale wind and solar can be an aesthetic challenge – yes they are big, and yes they are right in your eye – how do people feel about that. The job generation is there with dozens of direct jobs on the project ‘build’, and then the multiplier effect that a project of this scale has in the community – think accommodation, food supply, food service, fuel purchasing, cafes, kids in local schools etc as well as short term contracts such as plant and equipment hire, truck drivers, fencing contractors.

At a national scale it is good to see more large scale renewables going into the energy market mix (might save Snowy 2.0 from pumping coal uphill….).  At a community level we need to consider carefully the risks and benefits right here of these developments, what they mean over the long term, how we feel about the change over / multiple land use, ways we can work with developers to maximise the long term outcomes for the community.

Renewable energy is a good thing. Job creation and investment are good things. Robust planning frameworks and a community who puts the time into thinking through all of the issues and opportunites over the longer term are also a very good thing.

Remember from your history lessons the Chinese business model on the Australian gold fields?  In the main, they did not dig for gold, they grew and sold food, imported picks, shovels, tents, pots and pans and sold them to the diggers.  They found the opportunity without the risk.

Of Dogs and Deep Freezers

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Can we talk about the freezer for a minute?  So, we live on a farm, some 20km from town. Have to have a decent sized deep freezer, right? Got to have lots of food on hand, right? Never know who might rock up for anything from a cuppa through to a three night stay. You get the picture.

But really, I have been thinking, how much of that freezer space do I use?  Really use? All the time? The answer is not much. Continue reading →

Daylesford

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So today I’m in Daylesford at a regional community renewable energy conference. The professional part of me is happy and excited to be here to reconnect with clever people from clever communities who are rolling forward with big ideas in community owned renewables.

The social beast in me is so happy to be in a little town, no bigger than #narrandera WITH 

  • cafes open all day on weekend
  • Local food in small stores
  • An EV charger outside the town hall
  • Small artesian studios in odd corners in laneways
  • Fantastic approachable range of accommodation
  • A WINE bar with food at night

As a result of all of the above and no doubt more the local economy is booming. I’d love to have time to post a case study but now I have to listen to my peers on getting our towns onto a path of sustainability and locally owned community energy. 

Learn to love your timer

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Got rooftop solar and wondering what next? While it would be ideal for us all to be able to afford battery storage straight up, they are still very costly for the average household. It would be pretty amazing if some of our state or federal leaders could see their way clear to a rebate or tax deduction on domestic energy storage, but I’ll keep that for another blog. This one is about what you can do today for free to start to maximise your savings with your solar. And it’s all about timing.Timer

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Breaking down the language

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As a writer I have worked for years in that part of the paddock, river, forest, town, coast that lies between the scientists, engineers, ecologists, environmentalists, agronomists, geologists (generally geeks, greenies and tech-heads)* and all the rest of us.  All this time using words to move new knowledge as clearly  (and gently) as possible into the public domain. Fun, frustrating, challenging and constantly involving me having to chomp down on science or knowledge that’s initially way beyond me. As you can imagine there have been hits and misses along the way. Fortunately scientists of all people forgive failures most nobly. After all, science is built on failures.

Hopefully that background is going to help me write this blog, meet deadlines and chomp down on a little bit of technology to deliver knowledge and news about renewable energy, and possibly pop a few myths that bubble up in places they shouldn’t – like the mainstream media, out of politicians’ mouths and from corporates with vested interests.

It is so exciting to see the grass roots movement towards renewable energy in Australia – and seeing states and territories like the ACT, Victoria and South Australia making big policy steps and moving huge obstacles to realise that future. What we are going to do here is look at that transition from a householder’s perspective and break down some of the concepts, look at products on the market for householders, and break the language barrier!

So, over the next few weeks I am going to tackle some of the terms for household solar energy, energy storage and batteries, smart products. Having a good grasp of the concepts and language will help us all make informed decisions about fitting renewable energy into our lives. This is my journey too, and I’m learning as I go. But, I figure I might as well use some of the skills I have to share what I find out with really anyone else who is interested.

(And when I do get my head around Elon Musk’s Hyper Loop mass transit idea I’ll share that too. For now it’s on my bucket list)

 

*Happy to report that there are fewer beards amongst this lot these days, because there are sooooooooo many more women in the field since when I started. Yay!

 

 

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