A South Australian company is now powering the Art Gallery of South Australia with large-scale smart energy storage.
SIMEC ZEN Energy, has fitted out the Art Gallery with the smart storage technology through a joint State Government-City of Adelaide initiative that will also see the technology installed on the State Library and Adelaide High School.
The batteries provide a total of 64kWh of energy storage to the Art Gallery, which can be charged from the grid to manage demand.
Minister for Energy, Tom Koutsantonis, said by fitting locally-manufactured energy storage systems to some iconic buildings demonstrates the incredible opportunities that exist in the energy sector.
“These batteries are a glimpse into the future. More and more businesses will be using these types of systems to flatten out their demand and lower power bills,” Mr Koutsantonis said.
“South Australia has now cemented its position as a world leader in renewable energy and storage, following the recent announcement of Tesla’s grid-scale battery at Jamestown and SolarReserve’s solar thermal plant at Port Augusta.
“ZEN Energy is a fantastic local success story, having recently partnered with GFG Alliance to launch a new joint venture, SIMEC ZEN Energy, to help large industrial customers in South Australia use clean renewable energy to meet their demands.”
The energy storage systems were designed and built at SIMEC ZEN Energy’s Innovation Centre at Tonsley, after the company won a $1 million State Government tender to deliver the project.
As part of the project, SIMEC ZEN Energy has partnered with leading Australian energy-tech company GreenSync to include smart automation technology that will maximise the economic benefits of the systems across all sites.
SIMEC ZEN Energy has also installed smart energy storage on the City of Adelaide’s Mile End Works Depot, through a separate contractual arrangement.
South Australia’s government-owned and leased buildings contribute more than 15 per cent of overall greenhouse gas emissions from buildings within the City of Adelaide area.
ZEN Energy Founder and SIMEC ZEN Energy Director of Innovation, Richard Turner, said he was proud to deliver world-leading smart energy storage systems for the South Australian Government and the Adelaide City Council.
“Smart energy storage opens a whole new range of opportunities for commercial businesses to reduce energy costs, take a firm ‘energy position’ for the longer term, and improve their market competitiveness,” Mr Turner said.
“With over ten years experience helping businesses realise their renewable energy potential, SIMEC ZEN Energy is at the forefront of these technologies.
“We have a full technology pathway from commercial solar and storage through to demand management and a balance of power supply capability for large industrial customers, and welcome the chance to demonstrate this pathway with early adopters like the State Government and Adelaide City Council.”
