SA Water's Project Zero aims to wipe out its $55 million electricity costs with renewable energy across South Australia
Some of the 500,000 solar panels to be installed at SA Water plants.
Image courtesy SA Water
SA Water embarked on Project Zero to cut its 2016-17 electricity costs from $55 million to nothing by using renewables energy generation and storage and trying innovative technologies. This would include 500,000 solar panels, with a capacity of 154MW teamed with 34MW of energy storage, at 93 SA Water sites across South Australia.
SA Water’s small trial solar + storage system at its Crystal Brook depot, featuring 100 kilowatts of solar panels and a 50 kilowatt-hour battery system, reducing reliance on the mains grid by 30%.
Other pilot projects being funded by innovative technology partners included floating solar photo-voltaic arrays on reservoirs. SA Water had already cut electricity costs by more than $3 million a year since 2013 with measures such as biogas power (a by-product of the sewage treatment) and hydroelectric systems (harnessing moving water within the network to generate electricity).
Through renewable energy, its Bolivar and Glenelg wastewater treatment plants became 92% and 80% energy self-sufficient.
The first stage of Project Zero would see three metropolitan SA Water treatment sites – Hope Valley (1.5MV), Gleneg (1.32MV) and Christies Beach (1.3MW) – have ground mount solar installed by Enerven.
Hydroelectric systems at Hope Valley, Seacliff Park and the Adelaide Desalination Plant supply about 7000 megawatt hours per year, equating to 14% of total electricity produced by SA Water.
A 1.5MW solar power system at SA water’s Hope Valley precinct would incorporate a 128kW flywheel energy storage. This type of storage technology usesd a motor to accelerate a rotor housed in a low-friction vacuum enclosure. Electrical energy was returned using the motor as a generator.
SA Water also tried floating solar panels at Happy Valley. Solar energy systems installed were the Christies Beach and Glenelg wastewater treatment plants. SA Water continued to buy electricity on the wholesale spot market, allowing major water pumping during periods of low electricity prices.
Owned by the South Australian government, SA Water was responsible for providing world-class quality water services to more than 1.7 million customers across the state. It employed more than 1,500 people in industries, from engineering to microbiology. Once its water was used, it was sent to SA Water’s treatment plants to remove waste and reduce the environmental impact.
SA Water utility managed more than 27,000km of water mains, including 9,266km in the Adelaide metropolitan area.
