Stand‑alone power systems

What is a Stand Alone Power System?

Ausgrid is trialling Stand Alone Power Systems (known as SAPS) to;

  1. Deliver cost savings for all customers
  2. Provide a safer network for customers and our work force
  3. Test reliability improvements for remote customers
  4. Support the transition to renewable energy.

The Stand Alone Power Systems will be trialled initially in the Central Coast and Hunter regions. Over the next two years, Ausgrid will offer targeted landowners in the identified trial areas, who live in hard to access or remote environments and where the supply of electricity is likely to be more efficient via a Stand Alone Power System, the chance to be part of this innovative program.

Stand alone power systems operate independently of the grid and supply continuous power 24 hours a day, using a mix of solar and battery storage and backup generation.  

It is a local solution that allows customers and the wider community to share in the multiple benefits that stand-alone power systems can provide. The Ausgrid Stand Alone Power Systems trial aims to show how;

  • the installation of a SAPS could improve reliability and resilience during extreme weather events for identified participants
  • cost savings to all customers could be achieved as a result of not having to repair and maintain remote parts of the distribution network. 

SAPS Trial Update

We have completed the installation and commissioning of SAPS for customers who participated in phase 1 of the trial and over the next year we will be monitoring and evaluating the performance. 
Ausgrid is now starting phase 2 of the trial where up to 30 landowners who live in hard to access or remote areas across the Hunter region will be invited to participate. 
Over the next few months we will be meeting with selected customers to provide more information about the trial and to further assess suitability to participate in the trial. Ausgrid will then organise an energy audit to better understand their energy consumption patterns. Following engagement and planning, Ausgrid will then be able to finalise the participants for phase 2 of the SAPS trial.
 

What are the benefits?

The key benefit of SAPS is an improvement in resilience and reliability of supply for those customers in hard-to-reach areas and the reduction in cost of maintenance of the network.

Other benefits include:

  • reduced environmental impact: SAPS primarily use clean, renewable energy sources to generate and store energy
  • better value: SAPS drive down network and maintenance costs, benefiting all our customers in the long-term
  • improved safety: once poles and wires are removed, hazards such as tree fall and dropping branches, and bushfire risk are minimised. Planned outages for vegetation clearing and maintenance would also no longer be required
  • reduced asset footprint and maintenance access: SAPS require less footprint than kilometres of poles and wires and there would only be requirement to access the property where the SAPS is located.
     

Other advantages

The expected key advantages of introducing SAPS will be an improvement in resilience and reliability of supply for those customers in hard-to-reach areas and the reduction in cost of maintenance of the network.  Other expected benefits will include a reduction in bushfire and safety risk when remote poles and wires are able to be removed. Also, where there are clusters of inhabitants, these systems could be expanded into a micro-grid. This trial is a first step and if successful will inform a potential larger trial. 

Highlights from the survey

  • Improved reliability was the main reason for interest in the trial
  • Weather events such as storms and bushfires were identified as the main reason for causing issues with supply reliability and around half of those surveyed thought impacts from storms and bushfires will increase over time
  • There was a very high level of interest in finding out more about the SAPS trial, with almost half rating their interest as 10 out of 10
  • Those who are most interested in SAPS value the fact they will have a reliable supply and can be grid independent. Around two-thirds surveyed had already thought about or researched going “off-grid”
  • Around half of those surveyed felt completely comfortable (10 out of 10) with a network company providing a SAPS solution compared to their retailer (21%) or a private company (16%) 

Frequently Asked Questions 

A Stand Alone Power System consists of;

a solar PV array (typically mounted on a frame on the ground)
a storage battery and 
a back-up diesel generator. 
It would mean electricity would be generated on site, rather than coming from the wider electricity network.

Some remote parts of the network are expensive to maintain or often suffer from reliability issues. With advances in solar and battery technology a Stand Alone Power System may be more cost effective and reliable than maintaining or replacing the existing network connection in these areas.

The generator is required to ensure reliability, however, typically the generator would only be run for very small periods of the year when there isn’t enough sun to charge the batteries (for example 4 - 5 days spread across the whole year). 

This depends on how much electricity is needed but would typically be the size of a couple of shipping containers, including clearances to ensure year-round sun access for the solar panels.

The SAPS will be installed on suitable land within the customer's property boundary. It is expected that we will enter into a formal lease agreement with the owner of the required land for the duration of the trial. Subject to the outcomes of the trial, Ausgrid may terminate the lease at the conclusion of the trial and remove the equipment, or alternatively enter into a new agreement with the customer for permanent deployment of a Stand Alone Power System. 

For the majority of systems, it is expected that the deployment is exempt development under the Infrastructure State Environmental Planning Policy. For a small number of systems, local council Development Approvals may be required due to the location or size of the system. In these scenarios, Ausgrid will arrange for all approvals, with the landowner’s consent.

Yes. Ausgrid will only seek to install SAPS where it is beneficial to do so and the property owner has provided consent.

The technology has been deployed safely in networks across Australia. Introduction of SAPS will allow poles and wires to be removed from the network, reducing risks, particularly in bushfire prone areas. 

These systems should be at least as reliable as, or more reliable than your current supply. Ausgrid is conducting a trial of SAPS to assess whether they provide a more reliable and resilient supply to those customers.

The system would be owned and maintained by Ausgrid, so there would be no new costs for the customer. Customers would still be able to change electricity retailer to secure the best energy plan, like they can today.  Over time, Ausgrid anticipates that the SAPS will lower the cost to maintain the overall network, creating indirect savings.

Ausgrid or its contractors would conduct periodic maintenance of the Stand Alone Power System (between 1 and 4 x 1-hour long visits a year with pre-notification), at no cost to the customer. The SAPS will form part of our network infrastructure.
The customer would just need to agree to on-going access to the land to ensure Ausgrid can maintain the equipment and refuel the generator. We already do this with many of our customers where Ausgrid assets are located on customer's property.

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