Horizon Power’s Distributed Energy Resource (DER) photovoltaic trials in Carnarvon in regional Western Australia have been shortlisted as finalists for the Energy Smart Communities Initiatives (ESCI) Best Practice Awards.
ESCI was launched as a joint initiative by US President Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Kan at the 2010 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Meeting. Its purpose is to aid APEC economies in achieving their energy intensity reduction goals by disseminating best practices in buildings, transportation, smart grids, and green jobs.
The awards are a way to encourage best practices, facilitate knowledge-sharing and give public recognition of energy smart accomplishments in the APEC region.
Horizon Power’s Technical Visionary, David Edwards said the company was conducting the Carnarvon DER trials to investigate the management of renewable energy and energy storage on a selected segment of the power grid in Carnarvon.
“Data collected from these trials will help us to better understand the effects of large numbers of solar PV and battery systems connected to our network,” David said.
“This includes the relationship between the weather, its impact on renewable energy production and customer power usage, as well as how DER systems can be used to optimise network operation.”
In partnership with Murdoch University, the trials will run over the course of three years, with the aim of helping Horizon Power develop a model for increasing distributed energy targets, and enable more of our customers to take advantage of renewable energy.
Winners will be announced 5 July.
Media contact: Donna House 0436 635 827
Email: donna.house@horizonpower.com.au
About Horizon Power
Horizon Power is the West Australian Government’s regional and remote power provider. We are passionate about what we do, and strive to ensure our customers receive safe and reliable power to their homes, businesses and communities.
Our people and their families live in many of the regional and remote communities they service and support. Spanning some 2.3 million square kilometres, this makes us responsible for the largest geographical catchment of any Australian power provider.
We operate 38 power systems delivering power to more than 110,000 homes, communities and businesses. This includes 32 microgrids tailored to meet the unique needs of some of the most isolated and remote communities in the world.
Horizon Power is making significant investments in developing its renewable energy capability and expertise. It currently has a number of initiatives underway exploring new and innovative ways of providing our customers with more sustainable, affordable power.