Australia is pushing for the deployment of solar + storage projects in schools across the state, with utility Synergy launching its Synergy Schools VPP pilot program in Perth, Western Australia, and tendering for solar + storage projects in 25 schools across New South Wales. Synergy recently commissioned a lithium-ion battery storage system at Rossmoyne Senior High School in Perth, one of the first 10 schools selected for the project, to test how virtual power plants (VPPs) can help schools better manage and utilize renewable energy.
Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan said, "Western Australia is undergoing an energy transition and is investing in the emerging concept of a green energy future through virtual power plant (VPP) pilot projects, providing Western Australia with an opportunity to shape the future energy sustainability for schools, communities, and the main grid."
Meanwhile, in New South Wales, the state government is launching its own solar + storage deployment program and announced a tender on November 1st for solar power installations in the first 25 schools. This $20 million renewable energy infrastructure pilot program will assess the benefits and costs of installing solar + storage projects in schools across the state, as well as other initiatives that could reduce demand on the grid.
As part of the Western Australian government's Distributed Energy Resources Roadmap, the pilot program, led and implemented by Synergy, will ultimately deploy solar + storage projects in 16 schools, with an additional 6 schools in Geraldton and Kalgoorlie, for a total investment of $8.8 million. Synergy installed a virtual power plant (VPP) and related infrastructure, including a battery storage system and solar power generation facilities, at Rossmoyne Senior High School, which will be managed to meet the school's electricity needs and make the local grid more stable and reliable.
The commissioning of the battery storage system marks the official launch of the Synergy Schools VPP, which will also be used as a subject in the school's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum to deepen students' understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the transition to renewable energy. New South Wales Energy Minister Matt Kean said: "New South Wales schools have a total roof area of over 8 million square meters, and this pilot program will allow us to understand how to utilize it to support next-generation renewable energy on a larger scale. This $20 million investment will enable us to assess the benefits of large-scale deployment of solar + storage projects to power our schools and store or feed excess electricity to the grid." Australian Education Minister Sarah Mitchell stated that the tender process will be open to eligible applicants who, upon winning the bid, will design, supply, and install solar power generation facilities and battery storage systems, with construction expected to begin during the school holidays.