A project to power the Upper Murray with more renewable energy sources in the wake of the 2019/2020 summer fires is nearly halfway done, improving electricity security for communities.
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Indigo Power have been supporting Upper Murray Incorporated to install solar power, batteries and back-up generators at 23 key sites and 3 community-scale batteries across Towong Council area in the Upper Murray, with funding from the Victorian and Federal governments.
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Indigo Power project manager Heath Shakespeare said The Place-Based Power Plan was born after parts of the Upper Murray had no electricity for up to three weeks during the 2019/2020 summer fires, which interrupted residents' daily tasks and obstructed emergency responses.
"Things like being able to pump petrol or pay for stock, pay for feed, recharge your mobile phones, all that sort of thing was not accessible for a good period of time," he said.
"We have currently installed 10 energy systems at the smaller public sites and ... we have a further 13 sites to be installed by the end of the year.
"It'll be a huge impact for the region and it's exciting they'll become one of the leaders in rolling out renewable energy in the Upper Murray."
Mr Shakespeare said it was important communities could keep power running for day to day business during emergencies or otherwise.
"Particularly in the times that it's necessary, you're able to obviously keep business running almost as usual," he said.
The solar installations will power the sites, then batteries as required, then serve as the foundation for a future microgrid by feeding power back into the local electricity grid.
This would assist to stabilise energy supply across the Upper Murray and benefit communities and the economy, as the region is known for frequent black outs and brown outs.
"The Upper Murray region suffers brown outs and black outs fairly regularly, you're talking on a weekly basis," Mr Shakespeare said.
"They may be for two minutes or they may be for two, four, six or eight hours overall.
"With a battery storage system in place, complemented by a solar PV system, you're able to keep the lights and power on at the locations that have this equipment installed."
Mr Shakespeare said the new solar systems would also save money and reduce carbon emissions.
"A lot of the sites are run by incorporations or volunteer members and the like, so the overheads will be drastically reduced with the implementation of renewable energy systems at each of these sites," he said.
The solar infrastructure is located, or is soon to be located, in Corryong, Cudgewa, Tintaldra, Biggara, Thowgla, Nariel Valley, Walwa, Towong and Lucyvale/Berringama.
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