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Episode 4
Batteries and Voltage
Season 1- Episode 4
Community Batteries and Conserving $1.1B in Voltage
After graduating as an electrical engineer from UOW in the 80s, Ty Christopher, Managing Director of Ty Christopher & Associates started working in the field for the Illawarra County Council. It was the beginning of a 35-year journey through all the engineering parts of the Integral Energy and Endeavour Energy businesses, where he spent the last 10 years in executive roles.
He was instrumental in designing and installing the first grid-sized battery in NSW in Wongawilli in West Dapto. We discuss the social importance of community batteries and he shares his industry perspective on a $1.1B problem, being the oversupply of voltage across the National Electricity Market (NEM). Listen, because he also has some great solutions!
A 5% voltage reduction would save everybody 4% on their energy bills. Now across the entire national electricity market, that's just shy of $1.1 billion in energy costs per year. Surely the best energy is the energy that you never had to generate in the first place regardless of the source that it came from. Ty Christopher, Ty Christopher & Associates.
Platinum Sponsor
Thanks to SOTO Engineering our Platinum Podcast Season Sponsor. Changing the game, one industry at a time.
Gold Sponsor
Thanks to Blend ESQ our Gold Episode Sponsor. Environment, Safety and Quality consulting to transform your business.
Your Next Salty Steps
Draw some inspiration from our actionable takeaways.
- Engage with like-minded community groups like Renew – Illawarra Branch.
- Reach out to our Federal Member (House of Representatives) for Cunningham – Alison Byrnes.
- Find out more about Conservation Voltage Reduction – #FixTheVoltage
- Understand the issues (with graphics) in this presentation ‘The Hidden Electricity Thief‘.
- Read ‘Grid v Garage‘, AECOM prepared for ARENA.
- Get Informed about Your Energy and have Your Say – Endeavour Energy
- Ask the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) ‘Why don’t they have a voltage measure in STPIS (service target performance incentive scheme)‘?
- Read ‘Designing DERtopia‘, Total Environment Centre.
Resources & Links
We’ve gathered together some useful resources and links related to Episode 4.
West Dapto BESS (Battery Energy Storage System), MPower
Bawley Point and Kioloa Project Community Microgrid, Endeavour Energy
EcoSTORE and EcoVAR Technology, Ecojoule Energy
Regulatory Sandboxing, Australian Energy Regulator (AER)
Imagery thanks to Ty Christopher, Blend ESQ and Unsplash (Israel Palacio).
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– Robyn Johnson, Director, Blend ESQ & Wollongong, Let’s Get Salty Podcast Host
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