The project aims to provide sustainable and cleaner electricity to the customers, and decrease generation costs
Solar farm in the Pilbara coastal town of Onslow. (Credit: PowerPXiSE Energy Solutions)
West Australian regional energy utility Horizon Power has commissioned the Onslow solar and utility-scale battery project in Onslow, Australia.
The project aims to provide sustainable and cleaner electricity to the customers, and decrease generation costs.
Located in Pilbara coastal town of Onslow, the solar farm and the battery storage system are integrated with a gas-fired power station which is coordinated by a Microgrid Controller provided by PXiSE Energy Solutions.
The PXiSE Microgrid Controller utilises high-speed data which is collected from the connected energy assets to simultaneously optimize renewable energy output and power quality from the project.
Horizon Power chief executive officer Stephanie Unwin said: “The microgrid management technology is an amazing piece of technology that is new to this State and allows for the careful management of the various energy sources in the town.”
The Onslow, project was constructed in two stages
The project was constructed in two stages, of which the first stage was completed in July 2018 and has initiated servicing the electricity needs of the Onslow community.
The first stage included construction of a gas-fired modular power station which was designed to be able to efficiently contract in size as the renewable energy contribution increases, or expand to meet future growth requirements.
It also included a new transmission line, zone substation and distribution network extension.
The stage two of the project included a Renewable Energy Pilot which will provide Onslow residents and businesses with access to low-cost solar and battery storage systems.
It included the construction of a centralised 1MW solar farm and 1MWh network battery.