Sydney / Berlin, 16 July 2014 – Photon Energy has securedfunding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs andEnergy to design, install and operate a solar PV powered batterypower supply for a broadcast antenna operated by communicationsinfrastructure provider BAI. Thanks to a solar PV system combinedwith 215 kWh‘s of battery storage the antenna will become abenchmark for providing a complete power supply for remotelocations. The tower will store solar power during daylight hoursand provide a constant 24 hour power supply from the battery systemand back-up generator. The technology for the system is largelyMade in Germany.
Global solar power solutions provider Photon Energy has teamedup with German Energy Agency (dena) and BAI for a pilot project topioneer the use of renewable energy for communicationsinfrastructure in remote locations. Using mainly German technologyPhoton Energy will install a 215 kWh solar PV powered batterysystem that will replace the current power system of a broadcastantenna near Muswellbrook in NSW, operated by BAI. Oncesuccessfully tested the concept could be implemented on thousandsof sites across Australia. Details about the project can be foundat www.solaroffgrid.info
„Having been selected by dena to implement this innovativesolar PV battery power supply is a great step forward for solarpower to provide a complete clean and economically viable powersupply for remote sites, dena has shown confidence in our solutionand it is great success for us, “ says MichaelGartner, Managing Director of Photon Energy Australia.„The potential for solar PV in the replacement of conventionalenergy sources is substantial and will bring cost benefits andemmissions savings for Australia in the coming years anddecades“, Gartner adds.
Jim Hassell, BAI Group Chief ExectutiveOfficer, said, „We’re thrilled to be involved in thisgroundbreaking project. As a service provider that relies heavilyon external market forces, it’s exciting to think that soon we’llbe able to generate much of our own power. The longer-term outcomeof this project will prove beneficial for our customers in manyways, as we’ll be able to provide them with a lower carbonfootprint, more cost certainty and improved reliability against thegrid in remote locations. We’re looking forward to assessing theoutcomes of this project for a potential future network-wideimplementation.“
The telcom tower will be powered by a 39 kWp solar powerinstallation using 215 kWh of batteries and a 8 kVA diesel back-upsystem for emergencies. The technology – 96 solar panels, 24 BAEbatteries (supplied by R+J batteries), 3 SMA inverters and amonitoring system – is mostly Made in Germany.
Photon Energy has already installed several rooftop power plantsin Australia and has recently presented revolutionary, standardisedfinancing option to unlock the commercial PV market for businesscustomers. „We are thrilled that we can show how to incorporatesolar PV into any given energy system and prove that using abundantsunlight for your own power consumption is the way forward“,concluded Managing Director Michael Gartner.
This project is part of the worldwide dena RenewableEnergy Solutions Programme coordinated by Deutsche Energie-AgenturGmbH (dena) - the German Energy Agency - and co-financed by theGerman Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi)within the initiative „renewables – Made in Germany“.
MEDIA CONTACT
Jan Krcmar
Photon Energy
T +420 773 032 182
E jan.krcmar@photonenergy.com
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Photon Energy
Photon Energy NV is a global solar power solutions and servicescompany covering the entire lifecycle of solar power systems. Sinceits foundation in 2008 Photon Energy has built and commissioned 50MWp of solar power plants across two continents and supplied thetechnology for many more projects. Photon Energy’s O&M divisionhas more than 50 MWp of power plants under contract and is theleading provider of maintenance services for Satconinverters.
BAI Group
BAI is the owner and operator of one of the most extensiveterrestrial broadcast transmission networks in the world. InAustralia the company provides fully managed transmission services,site sharing, co-hosting, online application hosting andinfrastructure services to the telecommunications, emergencyservices and broadcasting industries. BAI owns businesses in HongKong, Canada and the USA that specialise in the design,installation and operation of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage in masstransit subway venues.
www.baigroup.com
Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena)
The Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena) - the German EnergyAgency - is the centre of expertise for energy efficiency,renewable energy sources and intelligent energy systems. dena'saim is to ensure that energy is used in both a national andinternational context as efficiently, safely and economically aspossible with the least possible impact on climate. dena is workingwith stakeholders from the worlds of politics and business and fromsociety at large to achieve this aim. Shareholders in dena are theFederal Republic of Germany, KfW Bankengruppe, Allianz SE, DeutscheBank AG and DZ BANK AG.
www.dena.de
renewables – Made in Germany Initiative
Since 2002 the German government has been closely involved insupporting the global dissemination and transfer of technologiesfor renewable energies, under the brand “renewables - Made inGermany”. The responsible authority, the Federal Ministry forEconomic Affairs and Energy, is thus making a significantcontribution to international climate protection while promotingthe worldwide acceptance and use of renewable energies.
www.renewables-made-in-germany.com
dena Renewable Energy Solutions Programme (dena RESProgramme)
The dena RES Programme was developed by the DeutscheEnergie-Agentur GmbH (dena) – the German Energy Agency. Thisprogramme, co-financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairsand Energy within the initiative “renewables – Made in Germany”,supports renewable energy companies entering new markets. Withinthe framework of the programme reference and demonstration projectsare installed nearby designated institutions in different countriesaround the world. The installation is accompanied by comprehensivemarketing and training programmes. These projects impressivelypresent high-quality renewable energy technology.
www.renewables-made-in-germany.com
Key Suppliers
SMA Australia
SMA Australia Pty. Ltd. is one of 21 global subsidiaries ofGerman parent company SMA Solar Technology AG, and as an energymanagement group, offers innovative key technologies for futurepower supply structures. The product range includes both invertersfor photovoltaic plants connected to the grid as well as invertersfor off-grid systems. SMA’s market leading product portfolioincludes a compatible inverter for every type of module on themarket and for all plant sizes. SMA supplies photovoltaic invertersto residential, commercial and industrial sectors, partnering witha large distribution network.
www.SMA-Australia.com.au
BAE Batterien
BAE Batterien GmbH (BAE), located in Berlin, is a medium-sizedcompany with a long tradition in manufacturing industrial lead-acidbatteries. Since more than 110 years BAE supplies reliable energyto the world. The core business of BAE is the production ofstationary batteries, especially wherever electricity needs to flowuninterrupted like in the emergency power supply for data centers,hospitals, electrical power supply facilities and telecommunicationinfrastructures. More over BAE produces batteries for motive powerand railway applications. Since many years BAE also operates in themarket for renewable energy. BAE provides solutions for a reliableand environmental-friendly electrical power supply.
www.bae-berlin.de
The BAE batteries for the project are supplied by R+J Batteries.Established in 1996, R&J Batteries has become one ofAustralia’s fastest growing battery companies. They specialize inthe importation and distribution of a comprehensive range of leadacid batteries. Previously a specialist importer of automotive andcommercial batteries for SLI (Starting, Lighting & Ignition)applications, they have successfully diversified to also distributestandby, deep cycle and energy storage batteries. They are theAustralia agent for the BAE brand of energy storage batteries.
www.rjbatt.com.au
