Tyalgum Energy ProjectAndrew Price

Kacey Clifford

Tyalgum• Located in Northern NSW, 1hr from Coolangatta

• Approx. 120 Households

• 5 larger energy user businesses – All now committed to the project

• Village has a Northerly aspect – great for PV Solar

• Area has previously shown rallied support for environmental and

sustainability issues

• The village exists on the end of the electricity grid – with the high

voltage lines passing straight past the community and with only one

transmission line into the town.

Talking Points Run down on the Tyalgum Energy Project

Concept

Feasibility Study

The Road Map

How have we got so far in so little time…

Developing the social solution

Tyalgum Energy Project -

Concept• Project became active in September 2014

• Andrew Price who purchased the Tyalgum Buttery with the idea to turn it into

a Natural Energy Centre, came up with the idea to take the whole town “off

the grid”

• The concept was introduced to the community at several community

engagement events

• The community was not only supportive and positive but they were providing

solutions and suggestions

Feasibility Study

• 2015, successfully received a $15k grant from the Office of Environment and

Heritage

• The grant funded a feasibility study conducted by Tosh Szatow and Alex

Housten from Energy for the people and a policy and regulatory feasibility

report by Craig Memery from the Alternate Technology Association.

• The results were positive and provided a ‘roadmap’

The Road Map!

Source: Transition Tyalgum: A plan for Energy Self Sufficiency – Tosh Szatow, Energy for the People 2015

How have we got this far?

• Our focus has been the ‘Social Solution’

• “Transitioning the village of Tyalgum to 100% renewable Energy requires a

social solution for exciting, uniting and empowering the community around a

project vision, shared values and tangible outcomes.”

• It is important to note that engineering, financial and regulatory dimensions of

this project have known solutions for both “off grid” and “on grid” scenarios.

This makes the social solution the critical enabler

of the project success.

Source: Transition Tyalgum: A plan for Energy Self Sufficiency – Tosh Szatow, Energy for the People 2015

What can you do?• Build your project from the community up

• Do not under value the significance of community engagement and

relationship management

• Community stakeholders are more likely to get on board with your project

if they have been consulted from concept stage

• Understand not everyone will have the same motives as you – try to

spread the benefits across other community interest projects

• Provide favourable solutions and evidence to the community to build trust

and help guide decision making, consequently this will also contribute to

the ownership the community feel in the project.

• Make a commitment to the community

• Be honest and transparent

Tyalgum EnergyProject

System discussion

Tyalgum

Source: Google Earth

Tyalgum Grid Configuration

Source: Essential Energy

What do the numbers mean…

• With Approx. 4 peak hours of sun/day after losses 1.7MW of solar powers

would be needed to make the town “net zero emissions”, assuming no energy

efficiency measures are undertaken.

• Up to 2.7MW of Solar Power and 2.7MWh of battery storage would get us “off

grid”.

• That looks like:

Source: Transition Tyalgum: A plan for Energy Self Sufficiency – Tosh Szatow, Energy for the People 2015

Main options are;

1. Grid connected power generation with no storage (export/import)

• Roof top solar (private systems)

• Main solar array (community system)

• Combination of both

1. Grid connected power generation with storage (export/import)

• Roof top solar & storage (private systems)

• Main array & storage (community system)

• Combination of both

2. Grid connected power generation with storage (import as back up only)

• Main array & storage (community system)

3. Standalone system (complete grid disconnect)

• Combination of roof top and main array system

Configuration

Considerations

General:1. Suitable power generation & storage solution

2. Business management/ownership

3. Legislation & compliance

4. Funding

5. Amount of roof top solar available

6. Availability of suitable land for a main facility

Grid connected options:1. How network provider will respond network charges, tariffs etc

2. Designing a system that will interact with the energy providers network in a suitable

way

Stand alone options:1. Network (poles & wires)

2. Back up solution

3. Buying or creating a suitable network

4. Managing the system & the network

More Info… Facebook – Tyalgum Energy Project

YouTube : Unplugged The Tyalgum Energy Project

Feasibility Study: www.energyforthepeople.com.au

OR, just Google us