This lessons learnt report highlights localised considerations and delivery challenges, and also reinforces broader community engagement challenges that are likely to arise.
Report extract
The aim of Alice Springs Future Grid project is to identify and overcome barriers to further renewable energy penetration in the Alice Springs electricity system.
In this context, Sub-Project 3 (SP3), referred to as “Community Solutions”, recognises the importance of community involvement in achieving these aspirations, in particular reaching the Northern Territory’s 50% Renewables by 2030 target.
Understanding the role that Distributed Energy Resources (DER), including solar energy and battery storage, particularly at a household/business level, underpins the Solar Connect, the Northern Territory’s first Virtual Power Plant (VPP), and has been a core focus of Alice Springs Future Grid community engagement activities to date. Additional ‘whole-of-project’ community engagement has been undertaken to help educate energy system stakeholders about the complexity and idiosyncrasies of the Alice Springs grid.