Here's more good news on the
climate change battle front. Last month, Fairfax Media reported on a
multi-million dollar project predicted to massively reduce electricity usage
during peak demand periods.
The scheme is focused on a somewhat
unlikely target - backyard swimming pools. However, I was surprised to learn
there are more than 1.4 million swimming pools in Australia accounting for an
astonishing 10% of the average total demand on the electricity grid, and if all
pool filters were running together, it would require the equivalent of two
Liddell-sized power stations running at full capacity.
Clearly there is huge scope for
savings, and the trial by Pooled Energy, which is supported by the Australian
Renewable Energy Agency, would involve about 5000 homes and see householders
hand over control of their backyard pools to return power to the grid during
periods of peak demand.
According to the company's
co-founder this can operate like
a battery, reducing or increasing load as needed by providing demand management using an off-site smart
network that collectively controls power usage of separate pools, making a
major impact on energy load.
.
At the same time the Climate
Council, famously de-funded by former Prime Minister Abbott in his war on all
climate change related matters, has remained active, and recently released a
positive report on progress towards the transition to renewable energy.
The key findings of their report,
which focuses on battery storage include:
- The cost of lithium-ion batteries down by 80% since
2010, with costs expected to halve
again by 2025.
- 6,750 new household batteries installed in 2016,
with estimates that 20,000 were
installed in 2017.
- Renewables now provide 16% of
Australia’s electricity.
- Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory are
also investing in grid scale battery storage technology.
- Federal, Queensland and Tasmanian governments are
considering developing pumped hydro projects.
- Australia could reach 50% renewables by 2030 without
significant new energy storage.
- Australia must reach zero carbon pollution well
before 2050 to effectively tackle climate change.
More cause for quiet optimism.
-John Edwards
This article was originally published in the VOICES FOR THE EARTH column in The Daily Examiner on March 12, 2018.
