• About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Events
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Newsletter
SUBSCRIBE
  • News
    • Contracts awarded
    • Open tenders and opportunities
    • Events
  • Features
  • Water
  • Wastewater
  • Gas
  • Electricity
  • Civil Construction
  • Events
No Results
View All Results
  • News
    • Contracts awarded
    • Open tenders and opportunities
    • Events
  • Features
  • Water
  • Wastewater
  • Gas
  • Electricity
  • Civil Construction
  • Events
No Results
View All Results
Home

Charters Towers gets ready for GUSS

by Utility Journalist
July 29, 2015
in Demand management, Electricity, News, Powerlines, Sustainability
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The Charters Towers region of Queensland will soon be the first to have Ergon Energy’s state of the art Grid Utility Support Systems (GUSS) units installed.

Ergon will install two GUSS units at New Moon Station 150 kilometres north of Charters Towers, which will feed power into its single wire (SWER) network supplying a number of remote properties in the area.

Another 18 units will be installed on other Ergon SWER powerlines between the Wide Bay/Burnett area to as far north as Dajarra in coming months.

Customer Delivery Manager Mark Biffanti said the units are designed to improve rural and remote power supply and will reduce the costs of augmenting or upgrading such sections of Ergon’s vast SWER network across western regional Queensland.

“GUSS works on our network by charging batteries with 100 kilowatt hours of capacity overnight when demand for electricity is at its lowest and discharging during peak demand periods if and when required,” he said.

Designed and developed by Ergon Energy, GUSS has been heralded as an important step in more efficient ways to run electricity networks and also towards giving customers greater choice and control in how they manage their electricity needs.

Not only that, Mr Biffanti said, “GUSS is also helping Ergon – and ultimately the electricity industry in Australia and worldwide – understand how to combine battery storage and the electricity network more effectively.”

The deployment of intelligent network devices like GUSS is the type of innovation that would ultimately revolutionise electricity networks and deliver 21st Century benefits to customers.

“We are incredibly proud to be leading the way toward better outcomes for customers with this kind of technology – it is an exciting time for Ergon and the future of power to people’s homes and businesses,” he said.

While the GUSS application was only effective at this stage on lower customer density areas on rural electricity networks, Mr Biffanti said research and development was continuing at Ergon on energy storage systems for urban network areas.

“GUSS is a much quicker option than traditional upgrades of Ergon’s SWER network and is helping us understand how similar technology can deliver cost effective power to customers.”

“It can deliver an estimated 35 per cent cheaper option for network augmentation – a saving that will ultimately reduce upward pressure on electricity prices,” he said.

Related Posts

Image: Esri Australia

Smart solutions for water’s toughest challenges

by Katie Livingston
June 17, 2025

Australia’s ageing water networks are facing more pressure than ever, but how can utilities rise to the challenge?  With climate...

Image: Barwon Water

Barwon Water on the road to net zero

by Katie Livingston
June 17, 2025

Barwon Water has hit the road with Victoria’s first hydrogen-powered prime mover, as part of a wider plan to cut...

Image: Melbourne Water

Desalination to support Melbourne’s water supply

by Katie Livingston
June 17, 2025

Following prolonged dry conditions, 50GL of desalinated water is set to flow into Melbourne Water’s system to safeguard the city’s...

Read our magazine

Join our newsletter

View our privacy policy, collection notice and terms and conditions to understand how we use your personal information.
Utility is the title of choice for decision makers at all levels of water and energy utilities, as well as other major players like consulting engineers and first-tier contractors. Utility is integrated across print and online, and explores the biggest news and issues across the utility industry. It is Australia’s only dedicated utility magazine, and covers all areas of the utility sector, including water and sewer, gas, electricity, communications and the NBN.

Subscribe to our newsletter

View our privacy policy, collection notice and terms and conditions to understand how we use your personal information.

About Utility

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Digital magazine
  • Events
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Collection Notice
  • Privacy Policy

Popular Topics

  • News
  • Water
  • Electricity
  • Projects
  • Water and Wastewater Treatment
  • Spotlight
  • Civil Construction
  • Renewable Energy

© 2025 All Rights Reserved. All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited

No Results
View All Results
NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE
  • News
    • Contracts awarded
    • Open tenders and opportunities
    • Events
  • Features
  • Water
  • Wastewater
  • Gas
  • Electricity
  • Civil Construction
  • Events
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

© 2025 All Rights Reserved. All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited