Bushfire Safety: Renewable Alternatives Can Cut Hundreds of Millions of Dollars from Cost of Network Replacement
There are cheaper and more sustainable alternatives to costly network upgrades proposed by the Bushfire Royal Commission (BRC), says the Alternative Technology Association (ATA).
The replacement of some remote powerlines with Stand Alone Power Supplies (SAPS), powered by renewable energy, as an alternative to more expensive aerial bundled cables (ABCs) and underground (UG) cables, could save hundreds of millions of dollars from the cost of the solutions proposed by the Bushfire Royal Commission.
“The business case is compelling”, says Mr Craig Memery, ATA’s Energy Policy Advocate.
“Many homes are connected to the grid because decades ago when the power lines were built, it was a cheaper option than owning a SAPS. Now the cost of SAPS components such as solar panels has dropped significantly, and at the same time the cost of new power lines, along with the cost of electricity, has increased dramatically.
”There are many existing connections where the cost of upgrading the power line for just one home would be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, whilst the cost of a SAPS, with most of its energy sourced from solar or wind power, is a fraction of that cost.”
The ATA is recommending that the state government consider developing a voluntary program that would be run alongside a power-line replacement program.
The voluntary program would offer a household a grant to ‘opt-out’ of being connected to the grid, where the cost of grid connection is higher than the cost of installing a SAPS – as is likely to be the case in many rural Victorian locations.
The grant would be used to assist the houseowner to purchase a SAPS, customised to meet their own energy needs, and become responsible for their own energy supply.
The homeowner would keep any savings made through ongoing energy savings and the unspent grant subsidy. The many millions saved through the implementation of the program would translate to lower energy bills for all energy consumers.
“The program would be a win for all.” says Mr Memery. “The homeowner gets cheaper, more reliable power; the public spends much less on infrastructure; and the climate benefits from less use of coal-fired power. A well designed SAPS will harness 90% or more of its energy from renewable sources. Compare this with energy from the electricity grid in Victoria, where 90% comes from brown coal.”
SAPS systems offer a safer, more reliable supply than aerial bundled cables, one of the measures recommended by the BRC.
For interviews:
Craig Memery – ATA Energy Policy Advocate (03) 9631 5418 or 0412 223 203
Additional info
Stand Alone Power Supplies
SAPS are common in rural areas, and a typical SAPS system includes:
- Solar panels or a wind turbine for harnessing renewable energy
- Batteries for storing energy
- A generator for back-up power
ATA research into SAPS systems and bushfires
The Alternative Technology Association is undertaking research to determine how effective this program would be, how it could be implemented, what it would cost and how much money it would save.
Currently, we’re surveying homeowners in rural areas to assess their willingness to voluntarily ‘opt-out’ of grid connection, and investigating the best options for replacement with Stand Alone Power Supplies.
Once the results have been independently analysed, this will give us key information needed for further research and to formalise a detailed proposal to the state government.
