AFTER three years from first concept to final commissioning, the Euston Club is now one of the first clubs in Australia with its own clean energy on-site solar generated power plant.
The microgrid provides almost all of the club’s energy needs, substantially reducing its annual power bill, while at the same time being good for the environment thanks to a partnership with Vellocet Clean Energy (VCE).
VCE CEO Emile Abdurahman said the project was an Australian-first for a registered club.
“We were delighted to partner with the Euston Club on delivering this innovative $1.9 million microgrid,” Mr Abdurahman said.
“Microgrids are the future of renewable energy and give customers their own on-site power plant,” he said.
“They are not reliant on the main power grid so customers don’t have to worry about high prices or power outages, but they’re connected to the grid so excess renewable energy can be sold back into the main power supply, in a win-win for the environment.”
Euston Club CEO Ray Jones said the Euston Club and the Murray River region were leading the way in clean energy innovation in Australia.
“Not only do we reduce our power bill by about $200,000 annually but, as importantly, we are doing our bit for the environment and for our members,” Mr Jones said.
“Being in a regional area, and on the edge of the grid, we were subject to power outages and high prices but that is no longer the case,” he said.
“The renewable energy we are producing is even powering our two new electric vehicle charging stations.
“We are excited to be one of the only places offering this service in this part of the region and we look forward to seeing more visitors and members drop in to charge their electric vehicles and it’s such an exciting look into the future of this industry.”
Mr Abdurahman said that the true innovation, however, came with the automated microgrid controller which uses artificial intelligence to control the renewable energy flows between the solar panels, the battery storage and the grid controlling of energy flows.
“This is what future power systems will look like,” he said.
“Instead of relying on big coal-fired power stations, you will have clusters of microgrids with batteries and solar systems at commercial and residential premises.”
The microgrid comprises on-site solar installations (including a solar farm, roof top and car park mounted solar systems), battery energy storage and electric vehicle charging stations to supply load but also connect to the local grid to feed power back in when required by Essential Energy or the national wholesale energy market.
This is controlled by the latest energy technology in microgrid control systems.
VCE is working with other registered clubs in the Murray River and Riverina regions to roll out more microgrids under its “Clean Energy for Clubs” program.
Work began in November 2020 on the Moama Bowling Club microgrid.
