A ‘Certificate of Sustainability’ has been awarded to the Megellan Residential Energy Storage System (RES1), meaning it has been approved for use by Western Power (Western Australia utility). The RES1 is a system that has been designed to store solar power produced during daylight hours for use at night.
The system involves a 5kVA bidirectional inverter and 9.2kWh of lithium iron phosphate batteries, similar to those used in electric cars. For use in homes and small businesses, the system can be stored in garages or eaves, causing little to no visual or spatial disruption. As it is capable of storing both solar energy produced on site and low cost (non-peak) grid energy, it can be used at peak times during the evenings, thus helping to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions. If the system is connected to the grid, the customer even has the opportunity to earn money through shifting and trading their stored energy.
This development in solar technology has been a massive step for rural Australia due to its heavily disjointed utilities networks and high costs for communities. It has been recognised how important this could be for Aboriginal communities who currently face high running costs due to their rurality. Therefore there could be many opportunities globally for areas which cannot gain access to electricity utility networks easily.
At Syntegra we can look at the feasibility of energy storage with our M&E services
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