US giant enters Australia market to take suburbs off the grid

One Step Off the Grid

The energy offshoot of US asset management giant Brookfield has signed a deal with property group LWP to build a new suburb near Newcastle that will not connect to the grid, in a move that could be a blueprint for more such development and shapes as one of the biggest challenges to the incumbent energy industry yet.

Brookfield Energy and its “multi-utility” offshoot Flow Systems are planning to build a micro-grid based around renewable energy and battery storage that will mean the new housing development of Huntlee will not need to connect to the grid. It will be entirely self-sustaining.

Flow Systems, which already operates as a water utility in Australia, is in the process of obtaining an electricity network licence too, making it the first to establish itself in competition to the vast transmission and distribution network businesses that dominate the Australian market.

The economics of the micro-grid are simple. When building a new subdivision, property developers are required to pay millions of dollars, or even tens of millions of dollars, in network development, and then “gift” that asset to the network, who then charges connection fees and rentals to the residents.

flow systemsBrookfield, Flow Systems and the property developers have figured out it is probably cheaper to bypass the network altogether, and create their own micro-grid.

The US giants are not the only ones to see an opportunity in micro-grids. Ross Garnaut last month launched and will chair a new company called Zen Energy, that will focus on new suburban developments, and the opportunities in taking local communities off the grid, if they wish.

In NSW, Siemens has made a proposal to the Byron Bay shire council to turn its local system into a renewable-focused micro-grid, while smaller towns such as Tyalgum are considering their own proposal to “buy back” the grid.

Even network operators recognise the economic value in such proposals, given the huge cost of poles and wires and the massive cross-subsidies that support regional grids.

The consortium has won funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to continue a feasibility study into the idea. ARENA will provide $442,000 out of the $1.1 million initial study.

ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the initiative could set a precedent for other residential developments, and accelerate the uptake of renewable energy in Australia.

“There are a number of regulatory challenges and constraints and technical risks facing microgrids. Brookfield will share key insights about overcoming these barriers with the energy industry.”

Flow Systems said its goal was to increase the amount of renewables into the grid, at no extra cost.

“Proving this can be done technically and commercially will be a real step change for embedded renewables in this country,”  managing director Terry Leckie said.

Huntlee will be the first new town in the Hunter Valley in 50 years and will house 20,000 new residents in 7,500 homes.

LWP project director Stephen Thompson “embracing the very latest in renewables” would be a key factor in ensuring the town’s prosperous future.

“We’re excited by the possibility of developing Australia’s first town-scale greenfield microgrid and all of the advantages that level of innovation would bring to our residents and commercial operators.

“If the proposed model for Huntlee is successful, it will positively influence the nature of housing, employment, business, transportation and education for our future residents.”

Brookfield, Flow Systems and LWP will work with German energy services giant Siemens, as well as the CSIRO and Kinesis, in designing the grids.

Warner Priest, the head of micro-grid development for Siemens in Australia, told RenewEconomy last month that a suburb of around 10,000 houses would need a micro-grid capacity of around 50MW.

One scenario would comprise of some 40MW of rooftop solar (an average of around 4kW per home), an array of centralised and decentralised battery storage totalling 10MW/40MWh.


It would also include  a series of gas-fuelled gas generators, about 30MW in total; 12x2MW generators and 8x500kW generators which could – within a few years – be replaced by renewable gas fuel such as hydrogen, or cheaper battery storage.

Environment minister Greg Hunt said that as renewable energy and battery storage become cheaper, the case for building new suburbs independent to the grid will continue to become stronger.

“It would be the first time in Australia that a new suburb near existing infrastructure relied solely on renewable energy and enabling technologies, if Brookfield successfully makes the case and the developer decides to go ahead with the option,” he said in a statement.

Brookfield is a global alternative asset manager with more than $200 billion of assets under management. It is believed to have assigned more than $2 billion for potential developments in Australia, particularly in the micro-grid area.

Its subsidiary Flow Systems will lead its push into Australia. It says its mission is “to build low carbon communities of the future that enhance livability, are self-sufficient and reduce costs to government, developers and the community.

This story was first published on our sister site One Step Off The Grid.

Comments

5 responses to “US giant enters Australia market to take suburbs off the grid”

  1. john Avatar
    john

    A very interesting development.
    The cost advantage is not having to contribute to the grid costs but to be independent and have the ability to provide 24/7 power.
    In the residential housing situation the demand power can be accounted for and are predictable so that a well implemented energy supply and augmented storage system can be put in place to meet the expected demand.
    In the short term the cost to the developers will be large until a total build out is achieved this of course will result in losses to the company, however in the long term the outcome to those who own houses in this development will be very beneficial.

    I would expect that the cost of energy would be in the sub 14cKwh range and going lower as a total build is achieved..

  2. Ian Avatar
    Ian

    I take it that Brookfield and its subsidiary flow systems, rather than gifting the electricity infrastructure to the utility will instead gift it to the residents of the new community with some sort of estate ownership of the microgrid, or will they run the microgrid as their own business? A 200 billion dollar American asset management company has Australian interests at heart? Just saying!

    Locally owned microgrids are a tremendous idea and probably not very difficult to achieve given the insular nature of most housing developments. These should be controlled in some sort of body corporate fashion, or as part of a local council. The grid connection need not necessarily be cut off completely but tariffs for imported and exported power from the microgrid could be negotiated with the various grid operators in a collective sort of way. Batteries and local FF generators would be used primarily as a negotiating tool to get the best tariffs and bulk electricity supply deals.

  3. MaxG Avatar
    MaxG

    Way to go! I do not think they will make losses; I reckon everyone will be better off.

  4. rort Avatar
    rort

    So they are suggesting parity with the published prices?
    Just ignore the retail discounts then why don’t they? Meaning in reality they will be charging more than retail competitors by approx 20% – then flag operating cost risks???
    I hope these residents are smart and don’t let them make barriers to join back onto the market…

  5. Humanitarian Solar Avatar
    Humanitarian Solar

    Instead of being sold a dirty grid, we’re being sold a green grid. It’s the happy, intelligent and harmonious grid paradigm of the future. Like chasing rainbows.

Get up to 3 quotes from pre-vetted solar (and battery) installers.