Horizon Power will install a new battery energy storage system (BESS) in regional towns as part of the Western Australia Recovery Plan.
The installation will allow residents in the remote East Pilbara town of Marble Bar to access more rooftop solar energy.
The battery will store excess solar energy, which will eliminate the impact of excess rooftop solar generation on the power station and ensure a reliable power supply for the approximately 600 residents.
It will free up over 100kW of solar hosting capacity, expected to be made available to customers early 2022, giving them the ability to reduce their electricity bills.
It will also complement the town’s existing centralised solar farm, which generates more than 1000 MWh (or 1GWh) of renewable energy per year.
The nine BESS solutions will allow more than 3,000 households to connect a standard rooftop solar system (3kW), which could reduce their power bills by an average $1,275 a year.
The Western Australia Recovery Plan includes the installation of a BESS in several regional communities including Broome, Carnarvon, Exmouth, Marble Bar, Wiluna, Yalgoo and Yungngora.
The systems in Wiluna and Yalgoo were commissioned in October 2021, while BESS solutions are currently being investigated for Menzies and Gascoyne Junction.
Horizon Power engaged Western Australian-based renewables innovator, Hybrid Systems Australia, to supply and install the battery in Marble Bar.
A team of six workers were involved in the delivery phase of the project.