Renewable Energy Integration in
Ergon Energy’s Isolated Systems
Chris Smith – Ergon Energy
IPS Connect 2015
Content
2
• About Ergon
• Renewable Energy Assets
• Renewable Energy Direction
• Case Study – Windorah
• Case Study – Doomadgee
• Lessons Learnt
• State Government-owned
corporation with 4500 employees
and an $11 billion asset base.
• Maintains and manages the
regional Queensland electricity
network that supplies electricity to
720,000-plus customers across
97% of the state.
• Electricity retailer to homes and
businesses in regional
Queensland.
• Our purpose – 'to provide safe,
reliable, efficient and sustainable
energy solutions to support our
customers and the Queensland
economy'.
3
About Ergon Energy
Ergon Energy Isolated Systems
4
• Vertically integrated
• 33 diesel-fired power stations
• Approx. 20,000 residents
total across 39 communities
• Only 7,000 customers (<1%
of all Ergon customers)
• Mostly diesel generation ~28
million litres/year
• Peak demand ranges across
communities 68kW to 4.2MW
• Different climatic conditions
and renewable resource
availability at different sites
Renewable Generation
Coconut Island
Thursday
Island Wind
2 x 225kW
Vestas Wind
Turbines
Windorah Solar
Farm
130kW
Concentrated Solar
Doomadgee Solar
Farm
264kW Fixed Flat
Plate Solar
Birdsville
Geothermal
80kW Low
Temperature,
Wet
Geothermal
Plant
Various
Locations
1,240kW
Roof top PV
Renewable Energy Direction
6
Renewable Generation
Future Diesel Pricing
Environment
Risk Appetite Government
Policy
Capital
Funding
Customer Choice & Control
High Penetration
Supporting Customer
PV
Low Penetration
Windorah Community
7
Community Profile
• Pastoral Community
• Population 158
• Maximum Demand 307 kW
• Energy Requirements 1,090 MWh
Windorah Solar Farm
8
• Concentrated solar PV 125kW
• Instantaneous Penetration 80%
• Of yearly diesel displaced
• 450 MWh 16%
• Control System modification
• Lead acid short term storage
• Low load diesel
Integration
Windorah Solar Farm - Layout
9
Windorah Solar Farm – System Configuration
10
0
50
100
150
200
250
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
kW G
en
era
ted
Time (hours)
Solar Farm kW
Genset 1 kW
Total station load
Windorah Solar Farm – Performance
11
Summer Day - December
-20
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
kW
Gen
era
ted
Time (hours)
Solar Farm kW (15m)
Genset 1 kW (15m)
Minimum load - 25kW
Station kW Exported (30m)
Windorah Solar Farm - Performance
12
Winter Day - June
87kW 87kW
68% Solar
Penetration
68% Solar
Penetration
59kW 59kW
• Excess solar available
• Engine technology
Why?
• Low load 10% @ 250kW (8.7% @ 288kW)
What?
• 12 month trial
• Control system modification
• Extensive inspection program
How?
• 1.5% reduction in efficiency of LLD diesel
• 8% increase in overall station efficiency
• Average load factor 40%
• No detrimental affect on engine
Results
Windorah Solar Farm – Low Load Diesel
13
Doomadgee Community
14
Community Profile
• Predominantly indigenous population
• Population 1,258
• Maximum Demand 1,255kW
• Energy Requirements 5,694MWh
Solar
Diesel
Doomadgee Solar Farm
15
• Flat Plate Solar PV 264kW
• Instantaneous Penetration 50%
• Of yearly diesel displaced
• 450 MWh 10%
• Control system modification only Integration
Doomadgee Solar Farm - Layout
16
Doomadgee Solar Farm – System Configuration
17
Doomadgee Solar Farm - Performance
18
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
kW G
en
era
ted
Time (hours)
Genset 1 kW
Genset 4 kW
Solar Farm kW
Station load kW
Summer Day - March
220 kW 220 kW
1,000 kW 1,000 kW
22% Solar
Penetration
22% Solar
Penetration
Doomadgee Solar Farm - Performance
19
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
kW G
en
era
ted
Time (hours)
Solar Farm kW
Genset 2 kW
Total station load kW
Winter Day - June
210 kW 210 kW
550 kW 550 kW
40% Solar
Penetration
40% Solar
Penetration
Doomadgee Solar Farm - Performance
20
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
kW G
en
era
ted
Time (hours)
Solar Farm kW
Genset 1 kW
Genset 2 kW
Total Station Load
Doomadgee Solar Farm - Performance
21
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
kW G
en
era
ted
Time (hours)
Solar Farm kW
Genset 1 kW
Total station load
160kW
reduction
Doomadgee Solar Farm - Performance
22
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
kW G
en
era
ted
Time (minutes and seconds)
Solar Farm kW
Genset 1 kW
49.5
49.6
49.7
49.8
49.9
50
50.1
50.2
50.3
50.4
50.5
50.6
50.7
50.8
50.9
51
51.1
51.2
51.3
51.4
51.5
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
Fre
qu
en
cy (
Hz)
Po
wer
Gen
era
ted
(kW
)
Time (minutes and seconds)
Solar Farm kW
Genset 1 kW
Genset 3 kW
Station Frequency
Doomadgee Solar Farm - Performance
23
49.5
49.6
49.7
49.8
49.9
50
50.1
50.2
50.3
50.4
50.5
50.6
50.7
50.8
50.9
51
51.1
51.2
51.3
51.4
51.5
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
Fre
qu
en
cy (
Hz)
kW
Gen
era
ted
Time (minutes and seconds)
Solar Farm kW
Genset 1 kW
Genset 3 kW
Station Frequency
Doomadgee Solar Farm - Performance
24
Lessons Learnt
25
• System configuration
• Data availability and resolution
• Technology risk
Technical
• Low load capability of diesel
• Intermittency of solar
• Responsiveness of diesel
Performance
• High capex costs in remote locations
• Funding support needed
Financial
• Alignment with government policy
Policy
Stephens Island
Summary
• Ergon Energy and our Assets
• Case Studies
• Projects driving future developments
27
Questions?
More information
28
Contact me: Chris Smith; Manager Engineering
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +617 4052 4150
Ergon Energy: ergon.com.au
Facebook: facebook.com/ErgonEnergy
Twitter: twitter.com/ergonenergy
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/ergon-energy
YouTube: youtube.com/user/ErgonEnergyQld