GOING OFF-GRID WITH SOLAR STORAGE SOLuTIONS

CASE STuDY:BROADCAST TOWER, AuSTRALIA

LOCATION MUSWELLBROOK, NSW

PV CAPACITY 39 kWp

BACKUP CAPACITY 215 kWh

DIESEL BACKUP 8 kVA

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ABOUT THE PROJECT

The tower

Worldwide application

Photon Energy, BAI and the Deutsche Energie-Agentur (dena) – the German Energy Agency – are working together to show that solar energy paired with effective battery storage can and will replace conventional energy sources as the fuel used to provide power for companies and towns in remote off-grid locations.

Using mainly German technology Photon Energy designed and installed a 39kW solar PV system with 215 kWh of batteries that will become the source for a radio transmission tower in Muswellbrook, operated by BAI. Once successfully tested the concept could be implemented on thousands of sites across Australia.

Replacing energy from the grid and offsetting diesel and other fossil fuel sources with solar energy is not only environmentally sustainable, but can provide companies with lower operating expenses and higher shareholder value.

Photon Energy, BAI and dena are working together to illustrate how solar energy can replace diesel and other fossil energy sources as the main power source in off-grid regions. The key to success is an effective battery storage system to utilise the power generated and saved during the day 24/7.

In today’s age of global instant communication it is necessary to provide everybody with access to information technology. As a result countless broadcasting and telecommunications towers worldwide are powered by grid connections that are expensive to maintain or diesel generators in regions with no connection to the energy grid.

The project is located in Muswellbrook, New South Wales, Australia, about 250 km north of Sydney. The BAI broadcast tower transmits medium wave signals with a reach of up to 500 km and is also relied upon by the emergency services.

The application of renewable energy in remote regions far exceeds broadcast towers. Entire townships and islands are cut off from access to national energy grids and have to rely on unsustainable and expensive fuel sources such as diesel generators. As a result operating expenses for companies and communities increase, creating dramatic financial inequality and competitive disadvantages.

But not only reliance on fossil fuels such as diesel can put a financial strain on businesses or communities. With the cost of power from the grid continuously rising renewable energy can provide protection with prices that practically stay the same from Day One.

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Challenges

The telecom tower will be powered by a 39 kWp solar power installation using 215 kWh of batteries anda 8 kVA diesel back-up system for emergencies. The technology – 156 solar panels, 72 BAE batteries (supplied by R&J Batteries), 3 SMA inverters and a monitoring system – is mostly Made in Germany.

Since broadcasting towers are a vital instrument for communicating to the public – not only for entertainment, but of course also in emergency situations – it is absolutely paramount that the tower is operational 24/7. The project designers made sure that the quality of the components and operations are at the highest possible level and can ensure an uptime of 100 percent, with the backup generator and several safety elements playing a key role.

The positioning and mounting of the PV panels too was specifically designed and adapted to these special circumstances. To ensure that the tower is absolutely operational all year long, the panels are installed at a slightly higher slope than usual to maximise solar capture in the winter months.

The climate too presented a challenge for the project engineers. A significant range of temperature over the year puts a strain on the hybrid power system. The technology container, which houses the battery rack, is equipped with a smart combination of a freecooling unit and an active AC to guarantee an effective temperature control to extend the lifespan of the batteries.

The monitoring and controlling system, using Domat technology and Photon Energy know-how, is continuously monitoring a large number of parameters.

SOLAR POWER Capacity: 39 kWp156x Poly-Si 255 Wp panels installed at a higher slope to maximise output in winter.Supplied by Q CELLS

STORAGE CONTAINERDesigned and Supplied by Photon EnergyStorage: 215 kWhDC Charging: 39 kW multi-MPPTAC Output: 400 V, 3 PhaseRated AC Power: 13.8 kWControl: PLCMonitoring: Photon Energy 24/7 (remote access)

BATTERY UNITS 72x BAE Batterien 10 PVV1500 Solar Batteries, 1500 Ah, 2V Supplied by R&J Batteries

INVERTER 3x Sunny Island 6.0H pure-sine wave frequency generating invertersSupplied by SMA Australia

BACk-UP GENERATOR Capacity: 8 kVA The back-up generator kicks in automatically in case the battery / solar energy supply is interrupted to ensure continuous supply.

BAI BROAdCAST TOWERMuswellbrook NSW, Australia

CONTROL & MONITORING

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ABOUT OFF-GRIdSOLAR STORAGE

Replacing diesel with solar power storage solutions

Power storage is the key component for making renewable energy truly competitive with energy from the grid or diesel generators. With power storage, energy independence is fast becoming a reality for many customers.

Combined with solar energy, power storage solutions are ideal not only for remote locations (where customers currently rely on diesel generators) but also as a protection against rising energy prices.

In many remote parts of the world diesel generators are used to generate electricity for mining operations, remote communities, telecom towers and other installations and facilities.

Apart from the negative effects on the environment diesel also puts a heavy strain on expenses and financial planning. Renewable energy sources, such as solar PV, are a way towards more financial and environmental sustainability.

diesel price development vs. price for solar energy

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Cost$/kWh PV Diesel

The issues we are addressing

Costly diesel genset operations

Demand-side energy management

Energy supply security

Environmental policy compliance and stewardship

Local/Native community relations

And our vision

Value creation and cost savings using PV solar-diesel hybrid systems

Hedging against diesel prices and supply risks with PV solar power

Efficient and sustainable demand-side energy management

Lower emissions and environmental impact

Improved local/native community relations

AUSTRALIA POST SYdNEY 289 kWp

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE

ZAHORANY CZECH REPUBLIC

BRNO AIRPORT CZECH REPUBLIC 21.2 MWp

FYSHWICk, ACT 140 kWp

772 kWp

MONITORING

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ABOUT PHOTON ENERGY

Photon Energy Australia

Founded in Prague in 2008

Diversified integrated solar power solution provider active around the globe

50 MWp of PV solar power plants commissioned in 5 countries

O&M services for 150+ MWp

Technology supplied for over 300 MWp of solar power projects

Headquartered in the Netherlands and 70+ professionals in 7 offices worldwide

Publicly listed on NewConnect (part of Warsaw Stock Exchange)

We offer: Power purchase solutions EPC solutions Solar leasing Solar storage solutions High-end operations and

maintenance

Having been selected by dena to implement this innovative solar PV battery power supply

is a great step forward for solar power to provide a complete clean and economically viable power supply for remote sites, dena has shown confidence in our solution and it is great success for us. The potential for solar PV in the replacement of conventional energy sources is substantial and will bring cost benefits and emissions savings for Australia in the coming years and decades.

— Michael Gartner, Managing director of Photon Energy Australia

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BAIBAI designs, builds and operates communications infrastructure and services with an expertise founded on over 80 years’ experience as the owner and operator of one of the most extensive terrestrial transmission networks in the world.

The company’s Australian businesses include Broadcast Australia, which provides fully managed transmission services for radio and television, site sharing, co-hosting and infrastructure services to the telecommunications, emergency services and broadcasting industries; Airwave Solutions Australia, which operates nationwide critical communication services for emergency & public safety authorities and private networks; and Hostworks, a leading provider of critical application management and hosting services to online, digital media, enterprise and government.

The company’s businesses in Hong Kong, RFE; Toronto, BAI Canada; and New York, Transit Wireless specialise in the design, installation and operation of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage in mass transit subway venues including the New York MTA and Hong Kong Metro.

We’re thrilled to be involved in thisgroundbreaking project. As a service

provider that relies heavily on external market forces, it’s exciting to think that soon we’ll be able to generate much of our own power.The longer-term outcome of this project will prove beneficial for our customers in many ways, as we’ll be able to provide them with a lower carbon footprint, more cost certainty and improved reliability against the grid in remote locations. We’re looking forward to assessing theoutcomes of this project for a potential future network-wide implementation.

— Jim Hassell, BAI Group Chief Executive Officer

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PROJECT PARTNERS deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena) www.dena.de

www.renewables-made-in-germany.com

www.sma-australia.com.au

www.bae-berlin.de

www.rjbatt.com.au

www.q-cells.com.au

renewables – Made in Germany Initiative

dena Renewable Energy Solutions Programme (dena RES Programme)

SMA Australia

BAE Batterien GmbH

R&J Batteries

Hanwha Q CELLS

The Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena) – the German Energy Agency – is the centre of expertise for energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and intelligent energy systems. dena’s aim is to ensure that energy is used in both a national and international context as efficiently, safely and economically as possible with the least possible impact on climate. Dena is working with stakeholders from the worlds of politics and business and from society at large to achieve this aim. Shareholders in dena are the Federal Republic of Germany, KfW Bankengruppe, Allianz SE, Deutsche Bank AG and DZ BANK AG.

Since 2002 the German government has been closely involved in supporting the global dissemination and transfer of technologies for renewable energies, under the brand “renewables – Made in Germany”. The responsible authority, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs Energy, is thus making a significant contribution to international climate protection while promoting the worldwide acceptance and use of renewable energies.

The dena RES Programme was developed by the Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena) – the German Energy Agency. This programme, co-financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affaires and Energy within the initiative “renewables – Made in Germany”, supports renewable energy companies entering new markets. Within the framework of the programme reference and demonstration projects are installed nearby designated institutions in different countries around the world. The installation is accompanied by comprehensive marketing and training programmes. These projects impressively present highquality renewable energy technology.

SMA Australia Pty. Ltd. is one of 21 global subsidiaries of German parent company SMA Solar Technology AG, and as an energy management group, offers innovative key technologies for future power supply structures. The product range includes both inverters for photovoltaic plants connected to the grid as well as inverters for off-grid systems. SMA’s market leading product portfolio includes a compatible inverter for every type of module on the market and for all plant sizes. SMA supplies photovoltaic inverters to residential, commercial and industrial sectors, partnering with a large distribution network.

BAE Batterien GmbH (BAE), located in Berlin, is a medium-sized company with a long tradition in manufacturing industrial lead-acid batteries. For more than 110 years BAE have supplied reliable energy to the world. The core business of BAE is the production of stationary batteries, especially wherever electricity needs to flow uninterrupted like in the emergency power supply for: data centres, hospitals, electrical power supply facilities and telecommunication infrastructures. More over BAE produces batteries for motive power and railway applications. BAE operates in the market for renewable energy, providing solutions for a reliable and environmentally-friendly electrical power supply.

The BAE batteries for the project are supplied by R&J Batteries. Established in 1996, R&J Batteries has become one of Australia’s fastest growing battery companies. They specialize in the importation and distribution of a comprehensive range of lead acid batteries. Previously a specialist importer of automotive and commercial batteries for SLI (Starting, Lighting & Ignition) applications, they have successfully diversified to also distribute standby, deep cycle and energy storage batteries. They are the Australia agent for the BAE brand of energy storage batteries.

Hanwha Q CELLS is headquartered in Germany and is Europe’s largest photovoltaics provider. Around the globe, Q CELLS is known for solar modules, system solutions and complete power plants in superior quality – “Engineered in Germany”. Moreover the company offers long-term partnership and financial stability being part of Hanwha Group – a South Korean Top-Ten business enterprise and a “FORTUNE Global 500” company. At its headquarters in Thalheim (Germany) Hanwha Q CELLS has a unique setup of R&D, production and quality management, enabling the company to develop market leading quality products.

Key suppliers

www.photonenergy.comwww.baigroup.com

www.dena.dewww.renewables-made-in-germany.com

This project is part of the worldwide dena Renewable Energy Solutions Programme coordinated by Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena) – the German Energy Agency – and co-financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) within the initiative “renewables – Made in Germany”.

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Key suppliers:

www.solaroffgrid.info