Peel Business Park: Microgrid with 1.2MWp Solar Farm & 1MW / 2 MWh BESS

The Peel Business Park in Nambeelup is a strategically located industrial estate designed with a focus on agri-innovation and sustainability. This project is our first joint development with Peel Renewable Energy (PRE) and Synergy – a consortium established to build, own and operate the industrial park’s embedded network/microgrid for Development WA.

The initial ground mounted 1.2MWp Solar Farm, 1MW/2.5MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and smart sub-station for the renewable energy microgrid operates “behind the meter” and is scalable as energy demand within the park grows. This Australian first renewable energy industrial microgrid now supplies customers at the Peel Business Park with safe, reliable and renewable power at a meaningful cost saving to regulated electricity tariffs.

Using high efficiency Longi mono-PERC bifacial solar PV panels, a Nextracker single axis tracking system, FIMER skid mounted inverters and transformer and a SAFT BESS, we are providing a renewable solution that can be expanded upon utilizing additional warehouse rooftop mounted solar arrays as the park grows.

The smart substation was energised in August 2020, the solar farm was installed in late 2020 and the BESS was installed in February 2021. The system was commissioned and energised in March 2021. The project was delivered on time and on budget within the constraints and challenges created by the Covid19 pandemic, including impacts to logistics and construction operating protocols.

Zenith Energy acquired PRE and now have two more Microgrid projects in Ocean Reef and Eglington with Sunrise providing project management and technical advisory services for these.

Similar Projects

New Renewable Energy Solution Consulting

We have been working with Image Resources in a consulting role since July-21 to help them develop renewable solutions for their new mine site and to project manage a new grid connection. The new mine located approximately 130km North of Perth requires a new 25 km overhead network to be installed for the main processing plant. The mines camp and bores however will not be able to be grid connected therefore we have been working with the client to design suitable off-grid stand-alone power systems (SPS) to accommodate their power requirements.

Image Resources has also engaged Sunrise to assist with developing an energy strategy and execution plan for its other projects currently under development as each project moves through to FID.

3 MWp Solar Farm

Sunrise provides energy under a build, own, operate model to Image Resources in a PPA for the offtake from the solar farm. The asset owner is Climate Capital. The “behind the meter” system was commissioned in September 2020 and consists of Longi solar panels, a Nextracker single axis tracking system to ensure optimal performance and an SMA inverter/transformer.

The 3 MW solar farm is constructed in 3 arrays each of around ~1 MW, all connected to a single 2.5 MVA SMA inverter/transformer. The powerline connecting the solar farm to the connection point container is around 1.9 km and must traverse 2 gas pipelines and abide by environmental constraints (avoiding TEC vegetation) as well as going under the main mine access road.

The project was delivered on time and on budget within the constraints and challenges created by the Covid19 pandemic, including impacts to logistics and construction operating protocols.

Mullewa Renewable Microgrid – 1MW Solar, 1/2MW Wind, 3MWh battery

Sunrise were awarded grant funding to investigate the feasibility of establishing a renewable Microgrid in the fringe-of-grid town of Mullewa that would improve power reliability and amenity for Mullewa residents and could be applied as a repeatable model to other fringe-of-grid towns suffering from poor reliability.

The output from the study was the proposed development of a renewable microgrid that consisted of a 1MW solar farm, two 600kW wind turbines, a 3MWh battery and a 600kW back-up diesel generator all connected to the Mullewa distribution network via automated protection and controls that would enable it to automatically island from the main grid on loss of grid power, forming a self-sustaining microgrid.

A development application has been submitted based on this proposal for Mullewa and the project has an application in for grant funding to support its implementation.

Read the Mullewa Renewable Microgrid Feasibility Study Report PDF

New Renewable Energy Solution Consulting

Image Resources has also engaged Sunrise to assist with developing an energy strategy and execution plan for its other projects currently under development as each project moves through to FID.

3 MWp Solar Farm

The project was delivered on time and on budget within the constraints and challenges created by the Covid19 pandemic, including impacts to logistics and construction operating protocols.

Mullewa Renewable Microgrid – 1MW Solar, 1/2MW Wind, 3MWh battery

A development application has been submitted based on this proposal for Mullewa and the project has an application in for grant funding to support its implementation.

Read the Mullewa Renewable Microgrid Feasibility Study Report PDF

Wildwood Estate: 230kW Solar PV, 250kW/600kWh BESS & 176kVA Generators

Wildwood Estate is the holiday estate for a wealthy mining family, south east of Yallingup in Western Australia. Sunrise identified an off-grid stand-alone power system (SPS) solution as an opportunity to avoid the high costs associated with the required network connection upgrade.

Through consultation and analysis of the energy options available, Sunrise designed, supplied and installed a “small commercial solution”. The solution comprises of a 600kWh AlphaESS battery with a 250KW Sinexcel battery inverter, a 230kW solar PV array with 4x50kW GoodWe solar inverters and two 176kVA backup diesel generators.

The system was commissioned in September 2020 and has been running well since. The solar and battery can accommodate the maximum daily consumption without the use of diesel during reasonable weather conditions. In the first year of operation the system has provided more than 85% renewable content to the owners saving them electricity costs and creating a positive environmental impact.

Real time monitoring and control of the system is achieved through the energy management system (EMS). The below image shows an example of the EMS dashboard showing the generation and consumption data as well as the state of charge of the BESS.

Koobeja 1 : 40kWp Rooftop Solar PV array, 50kW/100kWh BESS & 50kVA Generators

In July 2021, we completed the installation of another SPS for the Wildwood owners at their Koobeja property in The Lakes, Western Australia. The solution comprises a 50kW Sinexcel hybrid inverter and 100kWh battery storage capacity using AlphaESS batteries and 40kWp of solar PV. The solar is mounted on a shed at the property and connected to the hybrid inverter that is housed in a custom-built plant room that was added to the back of the shed. A 50kVA diesel generator is also connected to the system and a second 50kVA diesel generator is available for backup or maintenance via a manual transfer switch.

Koobeja 2: 65kWp Ground Mount Solar PV array, 50kW/200kWh BESS & 88kVA Generators

In March-23, we commissioned a stand-alone power system (SPS) for a newly built home on the Koobeja estate. To maintain aesthetics, a custom plant room to house the battery and associated electrical equipment was designed and built. The 65kWp north facing ground mount solar array was installed, consisting of three rows with the plant room and diesel generator situated at the south end.

The client wanted high renewable content for this system, ideally as close to 100% as possible. They also wanted us to design the system so that it could support EV charging and make provisions so that the system can be expanded in the future. To help achieve this we created a load profile for the property which was then extrapolated into a 12-month synthetic load. Using this data, we modelled the solar generation and battery storage so that we could define the system requirements to achieve high renewable content. An 88kVA diesel generator was installed so that during winter when lower solar irradiance is expected the generator can support the house load and quickly charge the battery, reducing diesel run time and consumption.

Murray Engineering – FEED Report for a 1MWp Solar Array

We completed the preliminary modelling and analysis of Murray Engineering’s new warehouse load requirements and proposed that a 700kW to 1MW rooftop solar system would provide them with the greatest value for money. In October 2021, we were contracted by Murray Engineering to complete the FEED study report for the system. In addition to the FEED report we have been helping the client navigate their way through the connection process with Western Power.

Edenlife

In May 2024, Sunrise completed a techno economic energy modelling report for the new Edenlife Byford residential estate. Due to a grid connection to the SWIS not being available for the new estate for up to 2 years, the report provided analysis of operating the estate off-grid. The modelling found the best business case would be to operate off-grid until a grid connection can be obtained. Therefore, the energy modelling also had to consider the appropriate technology used in the power system to ensure that a smooth transition to a grid connected system would be possible.

The modelling report has now led to Edenlife engaging Sunrise to complete a FEED study for an off-grid renewable energy power station to power the estate from 2025 until a grid connection can be obtained in about 2 years.

Koobeja 3 – Shed: 34kWp Rooftop Solar PV array, 50kW/68kWh BESS & 50kVA Generator.

Another SPS at the Koobeja estate for the new farm shed was commissioned in April-23. Another custom plant room to house the battery and associated electrical equipment has been designed, built, and installed for this system.

Kemerton Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) – 100MW/400MWh

Sunrise have been developing our big battery project since 2022. Strategically located within the Kemerton Industrial Area the 100MW/400MWh BESS will be connected to the SWIS to participate in the Wholesale Electricity market (WEM). The Western Power connection application was submitted in 2023 and talks are ongoing to agree and finalise the access offer. The Development Application is currently with the local shire and JDAP for approval.