Mallacoota Renewable Energy Feasibility Study

Client: Mallacoota Sustainable Energy Working Group including East Gippsland Shire Council, Ausnet Services

The project comprised a feasibility study into renewable energy and energy storage options for the remote Victorian town of Mallacoota.  The client was a group of organisations including Ausnet (formerly SPAusnet), East Gippsland Shire Council and the Mallacoota Sustainable Energy Group, a group of local residents.

Enhar’s proposal was selected by the Mallacoota Sustainable Energy Working Group after a competitive tendering process.

The aim of the project was to recommend the optimum renewable energy and energy storage configuration to ensure an uninterrupted energy supply to the town, which currently experiences occasional grid outages driven by weather events.  The renewable energy options investigated include large scale solar energy (~5MW), rooftop distributed solar power, biogas from sewage and food waste, wind energy, tidal and wave energy.

Community consultation was an integral component with regular updates into the local newsletter and community information sessions held in Mallacoota.

The findings of the study are available in a synopsis published on the Council Website:

http://www.eastgippsland.vic.gov.au/Plans_and_Projects/Mallacoota_Sustainable_Energy

A large scale solar–diesel-battery installation or a dual fuel biogas/diesel generator were found to be potentially feasible options. Detailed financial analysis of the various options was conducted to ensure commercial viability was evaluated as well as technical and social criteria.

Enhar’s work included modelling of 12 months of real demand data, and hourly generation from solar, wind and biogas based on local resource data and also backup diesel generation.