Simon Gamble, Manager for Hybrid Off-Grid Solutions at Hyrdo Tasmania, presented at our seminar entitled 'Securing Australia's Energy Future: The Challenge' on Friday 15 August 2014 in Melbourne. Held as part of our Sustainability Leadership Series, the seminar brought together experts and practitioners from across government, business, academia and civil society, to discuss Australia’s transition to a secure, cleaner and cost-competitive energy future. For more information about this seminar and the UNAA Sustainability Leadership Series please visit www.unaavictoria.org.au/education-advocacy/masterclasses/

1. Simon Gamble
UNAA Australia’s Future Energy Seminar
15th August 2014
King Island: A window to our
energy future?

2. Presentation Overview
1. Who is Hydro Tasmania?
2. Australia’s Future Energy
o Trends and challenges
o How off-grid and hybrid systems help
3. King Island – examples of applications
4. Where to from here?
o Observations
“A technology viewpoint”
2

3. Hydro Tasmania
Overview
• Government Business Enterprise, owned by the State of
Tasmania.
• Australia’s largest clean energy producer:
o $5.1 billion worth of assets,
o >2,200 MW of hydro-electric capacity in Tasmania,
o 45% of Australia’s renewable energy generation.
• Revenue earned through trading electricity and energy
products in the National Electricity Market.
• Electricity retail business Momentum
• Engineering consultancy business Entura
• Own and Operate Off-Grid systems
3

4. 1) Load is declining 2) RE increasing 3) Distributed RE increasing
• At “high” levels of renewable energy (RE) penetration:
o The more RE you add the less thermal power generation is meeting load
o Need to replace the services traditionally provided by thermal plant to
maintain the reliability and security of the system; AND
o Need to manage the increased variability in power generation as a result
of RE
• At “high” levels of embedded generation:
o Distributed generation is uncontrolled, invisible to operators
o Can cause issues in networks designed for traditional “centralised” model
• Potential other key challenges – integrating Smart Grid tech, EV’s, micro-grids
4
Australia’s Energy Future
Trends and Challenges

5. 5
How to meet these challenges?
Off-Grid systems are relevant!
• Islands experience these trends and are facing all these challenges – big time!
• Several advantages of using “off-grid” systems to develop an understanding of
emerging power system technologies and trends:
o Smaller systems experience problems with RE / embedded generation
much earlier than a large system (like the NEM)
– can test high penetration/adoption scenarios
o RE variations are much greater and faster than in a large system
o Can establish test conditions more easily - not possible in a large
interconnected system

6. 6
Population approx. 1,600 2.5MW peak load
• 6MW diesel generation
• Expensive to operate
• Incentive to use Renewable Energy
King Island – Hybrid Off-Grid System
Context

7. King Island
System configuration

8. 8
1998 – First Wind Farm 1998 - first wind farm
15% reduction in diesel
Deliberately limited RE installed

9. 9
2003 – 2nd wind farm
30% reduction in diesel
RE controlled (dynamically)
RE smoothed (battery)

10. Dynamic Resistor
Innovation - Effective Spill Management
10
• Issue: couldn’t control wind generation
fast enough - constrained output – waste!
• Solution: control output through
another device – low capital cost

11. Diesel UPS
Innovation – System security without thermal generation

12. 12
D-UPS “catches” system when diesel fails (as example)

13. 13
D-UPS improves power quality under high RE scenario

14. 14
15 hours of 100% RE in a day – real proven performance

15. Demand Management
Innovation – Real-time aggregated load control
• Aggregates controllable
customer load to provide
ancillary services to support
system during RE variation
• PV switching in response to local
over voltage
• Charging electric vehicles during
periods of excess wind
generation
• Fast load shedding (e.g.
residential electric hot water)
• Help avoid mass load shedding
to improve system reliability

16. Demand Management : Site Platforms
Residential and Commercial
Site gateway
Smart switches
Provides monitoring & control
Three phase relay approach
CommercialResidential

17. 17
Demand Management
“Virtual Generator”
• Turning aggregated customer demand, distributed PV into controllable system
generation

18. DSM : Performance during 100% RE
08/03/2014

19. Customer smart phone app

20. Battery
Installation
Multiple Roles:
• Power response - security
• Raise & lower reserve - regulation
• Block shifting – energy recovery
• Frequency control – services
Results in:
• Extended 100% RE
• Diesel saving
• Enhanced reliability
Energy
Storage
Innovation : extend 100% RE
20

22. • The NEM will require technologies like those demonstrated on King Island
o “enablers” will play a bigger role in assisting renewable integration and
non- network solutions - e.g energy storage, demand response
• Transition from pilots to full commercialisation is still to occur
• The “internet of things” is a factor for the grid
o Energy management systems – commercial and residential
o Demand Response Enabled Devices (DRED) – OEM availability grows
o Transparency – monitoring and control of embedded generation / load
• Flexibility will be provided by aggregations of smaller assets and
participation of customers, facilitated by smarter networks
22
Australia’s Energy Future
Observations

23. Further information:
Simon Gamble
Manager Hybrid Off-Grid Solutions
simon.gamble@hydro.com.au
www.kireip.com.au
Thank you