Solar batteries to be a huge energy asset in Queensland. Image: hiroo yamagata
The next generation of tradies will have an added skill in their electrical toolbox if the Queensland government’s trial in testing solar batteries will work in its grand plan to broaden the range of alternative forms of energy.
Queensland, already a giant in the rooftop solar industry, wishes to strengthen its energy credentials by conducting a Battery Storage Trial through Queensland energy company Energex, which Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk reckons will be an important part of the state’s energy mix in the decades ahead.
A big part in ensuring the success of the trial is to help the next generation of electricians learn how to use this new tech from leading solar companies like Tesla, as the government has inducted 22 new Energex apprentices into the EsiTrain facility at Rocklea.
Ms Palaszczuk said new technologies like solar battery storage will dominate the next phase of the solar energy industry, and with it a whole new opportunity for new jobs.
“These new recruits will gain first-hand experience with the latest technology as part of their training here at Rocklea, which only cements Energex’s reputation as producing some of the world’s top electricians,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
According to Ms Palaszczuk, the energy network will look very different 20 years from now than what it does today, and “Queensland is perfectly placed to take advantage and ensure we can make the most of those future job opportunities”.
The state government has big ambitions for its solar future, with a goal of one million rooftops, or 3,000 megawatts of solar PV capacity in Queensland by 2020, and Ms Palaszczuk said the emergence of Battery Energy Storage Systems will play a key role in achieving that goal.
“My Government is continuing talks with global players in the solar technology industry and we look forward to working with them further into the future,” she said.
As for the technology itself, the trial’s three battery systems will provide Energex with real time data to better understand how best to integrate new technologies into the network.
Queensland Minister for Energy Mark Bailey said [Queensland has] some of the best solar resources in the world and because of that reputation, each of these suppliers has earmarked Queensland as target markets for their products.
“The data obtained from these trials will assist in developing systems to manage new technologies, including battery systems, and provide cost-effective outcomes for Queenslanders,” Mr Bailey said.
Energex Executive General Manager Asset Management Peter Price said the trial was part of a long-term strategy to manage demand on the network based on customers’ ever-changing consumption habits.
“The way our customers consume electricity has changed significantly with the emergence of solar PV and battery technology and we have changed with them,” Mr Price said.
He said the future of energy usage in Queensland is about choice; providing customers with a choice as to how they consume their electricity and how much they rely on the network.
“Installing batteries at our own EsiTrain facility shows a genuine commitment from Energex to a future in which renewable energy will be integrated into South East Queensland’s network,” Mr Price said.
He said it means real time data can be recorded from the system and usage habits can be observed, which is similar to the smart technology processes currently used for air conditioners and hot water systems.
