The Queensland government confirmed 18 June that Caloundra, Australia, will house a Local Renewable Energy Zone (LREZ), with plans to triple rooftop solar PV generation.
The pilot project will see the deployment of up to 8.4MW/18.8MWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS), support up to an additional 2.8MW of solar PV, and 0.9MW of demand management.
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The LREZ will allow customers to share the benefits of renewable energy, especially those who haven’t been able to invest in solar power, with support from Energy Queensland, the state-owned distribution system operator (DNO), and its local network-connected battery energy storage units.
Steven Miles, premier for the Queensland government, allocated AUS$40 million (US$26 million) in the State Budget to support the pilot project, with hopes it would “put Sunshine Coast rooftops at the centre of the renewable energy transition”, a government paper read.
In related news, Energy Queensland has received approval for an additional 18 local network-connected batteries. These batteries will play a significant role in the transition to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy for future generations.
The State government committed AUS$240 million in the Budget to build 18 new local network-connected batteries across the state. The funding package is also set to boost local manufacturers and suppliers in many communities throughout the state.
The new batteries will be part of Stage 5 of the Energy Queensland battery program. This stage will continue the success of previous stages, which have already seen the construction of 30 local network-connected batteries and three different flow battery systems across the state.
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