Energy Independence Through Community Batteries, Wind and Solar

**Community Energy: A Pathway to Sustainable Future**

**Introduction**

Imagine living in a small, cozy off-grid community where everyone harnesses power from local wind and solar farms. This collective effort not only fosters a sense of community but also promotes sustainability. This vision is at the core of community energy, a concept that lies between individual home solutions like rooftop solar and large utility-scale projects.

**What is Community Energy?**

Community energy refers to collective efforts where individuals own power generation and storage systems. These can include shared wind turbines, solar panels on local buildings, or medium-scale batteries. This approach allows communities to generate and store their own renewable energy, reducing reliance on traditional utilities.

**The Evolution of Community Energy**

The concept of community energy is not new; it has been evolving for decades. A notable example is Denmark's twin wind turbine project from the 1970s, which remains operational today. This movement has since spread globally, with projects in the UK, US, and Australia.

**Benefits of Community Energy**

Community energy offers several advantages:

- **Energy Independence:** Reduces reliance on utility companies.

- **Cost Savings:** Lower electricity bills through local generation and storage.

- **Environmental Impact:** Decreases carbon footprint by promoting renewable sources.

**Challenges and Considerations**

While promising, community energy faces challenges:

- **Technical Efficiency:** Utility-scale batteries are more efficient for broader services.

- **Financial Constraints:** High initial costs can be prohibitive.

- **Inequity Issues:** Not all community members may benefit equally, particularly renters or low-income individuals.

**Case Studies and Examples**

1. **Denmark's Wind Turbine Pioneers**

- Volunteers built a one-megawatt wind turbine in the 1970s, setting a precedent for community projects.

2. **Yackandandah's Journey to Renewables**

- This Australian town aims for energy self-sufficiency by 2024 through rooftop solar and community batteries, achieving significant reductions in electricity bills.

3. **US Community Solar Programs**

- Over a third of U.S. states offer programs allowing residents to invest in off-site solar farms, providing financial benefits.

**The Role of Government Support**

Government initiatives play a crucial role:

- **Grants and Incentives:** Subsidies for projects like community batteries can make renewable energy more accessible.

- **Infrastructure Development:** Support for local networks helps integrate renewable sources effectively.

**Community Batteries: A Double-Edged Sword**

Community batteries offer localized benefits but face criticism for costs and ownership. Effective use often requires strategic planning, integrating with other strategies like demand reduction or shifting electricity consumption.

**The Future of Community Energy**

Looking ahead, community energy holds potential for resilience and climate adaptation, particularly in rural areas. However, it's not a standalone solution; it complements larger utility projects where conditions are favorable.

**Conclusion**

Community energy embodies the spirit of collective effort towards sustainability. While challenges exist, the benefits in terms of resilience, cost savings, and environmental impact make it a valuable component of our energy future. As we move forward, careful consideration of each project's feasibility will ensure maximum impact and equity for all community members.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enImagine you live in a small and cozy offgrid community where everyone getstheir power from the local wind and solarfarm down the road.Everyone pitches in and does their partand free energy for all.How good, right?A little while agoI got a message from a vieweron the Discord serverfor my Engineering with Rosie PatreonThey wrote,We've had videos about grid scale storage,and there's lots out therefor individual home stuff like rooftop PV.But is there anything in between?Community Village Street scale optionsfor electricity storage and generation.This is where our journey begins.In this videowe dive deep into the world of communityenergy.I'm Rosie BarnesWelcome to Engineeringwith Rosie. Community energy,What does that even mean?It's that sweet spotnestled between individual homesand massive utility scale projects.Think of it as a group effortwhere people collectively own power,generation and storage.This could be solar panelson local buildings, shared wind turbines,or even medium scale community batteries.These community batteriesis found in towns and villages, storeexcess power and redistribute it.When renewables fall short.They're big enoughto hold substantial energy,but small enoughnot to be a logistical nightmare.Like grid scalebatteries can be to install.Communityenergy has a really nice vibe about it.Power to the people.Energy independence, insulationfrom price-gouging utilities.But as we're going to find outshortly, it'snot guaranteed to do any of those thingsand the details really matter.So vibes aside, is there a rolefor community power in between householdsolutions like rooftop solarand utility scale projects like windand solar farms and grid scale batteries?Can community energydo anything that these solutions can't?Renewable energy on the utility scaleis booming worldwide, drivenby its cost effectivenesscompared to fossil fuel alternativesand government's net zero targets.These financial incentives are spurringrapid investment in clean energy projects,including grid scale batteries.But challenges like transmission upgradesand timely gridconnections are a bit of a headwindfor large scale projects these days.At the other end of the scale, rooftopsolar has taken Australia by storm,adorning a third of homes and contributing11% to the nation's electricitymix in the past year.It's quick to install and deliverssubstantial savings over time, oftenreducing power bills to near zero.but it primarily benefitswealthier homeowners, excludinglower income individuals, apartmentdwellers and renters.This can lead to a feelingthat these solar ownersenjoy subsidies at the expense of others.So can community scale renewablesand batteries bridge this divide?Let's find out.Let's move now from energy communitiesto online communities.Meet NordVPN,your online security guardian.you can get an extra four monthson a two year plan here.Nordvpn.com/engwithrosieNordvpn.com/engwithrosie it's risk free with nord's30 day money back guarantee.As someone who has spent so long buildingmy YouTube and social media communities,one of my biggest concernsis their security.The possibility of hacks threatensmy career and also irreplaceable memoriesand connections forged over the years.Unfortunately, passwordattacks are common with credentialstuffing being the main threat.If you've ever used the same emailand password combo like engineer123on a vulnerable website, your credentialsprobably ended up on the dark web.Cybercriminalsuse this data to breach other platformslike social mediaor even banking accounts.The solutionuse unique passwords for each websiteand two factor authenticationfor added security. Regularlycheck your email statuson Have I been pwned?Activate Nordvpn's Dark web monitorfor alerts and simplify securepassword management with NordpassNordVPNs Trusted Password Manager.Now let's explore Nordvpn's role inboosting online security.It's a virtual private networkthat conceals your IP address,encrypts internet traffic and boasts5400 plus servers and 60 countries.You can opt for local serversfor speed or distant ones to access regionrestricted content.Ready to take your onlinesecurity to the next level.Get an extra four months on a two yearplan here.Nordvpn.com/engwithrosieCommunity power isn't a new concept.It's been brewing for decades. An earlypioneer was a twin wind turbinein Denmark, A one megawatt giant builtby volunteers in the seventiesto demonstrate community scale energy.Astonishingly, it still spins today.I even visited it in one of the veryfirst videos that I made on this channel.The idea of community owned windturbines caught on in Denmarkand became very popular.When I was living there,I had friends who were partowners of local wind turbinesand could even get involved in maintenanceand operating decisions.This movement didn't stop in Denmark,it spread worldwide.Take the UK's community wind power runningeight wind farms in Scotland since 2001.In the United States, the US Departmentof Energy's wind exchange offerswind power and community battery projectsacross 42 states. In Australia.Hepburn Wind standsas the country's first and only for nowcommunity owned wind farm.It's now also expanding into solarand battery storage.And back in the UK.Octopus has a fan club tariffthat offers cheaper rates to localswhen their local wind farmis really cranking.Similar programs exist for solar powerlike the US Department of Energy'sCommunity Solar program, allowing peopleto invest in offsite solar farmsand get credits on their bills.About a third of U.S.states have embraced community solar.In my hometown, Canberra,the solar share program pioneereda solar power plantco-owned by the community.Nearby, the Goulburn Community EnergyCo-operative is gearing upfor a 1.8 megawatt solar farmand 2.3 megawatt hour battery project.These are all ways individualscan get a slice of the actionwithout much hassle and in some caseswith zero upfront cost just guaranteeddiscounts on electricity bills,as long as you remain a member.Community powerisn't just about wind and solar anymore.It's now also about batteries.Recently, community batteries have beensprouting up with government support.The intention of these programsis to take advantageof a couple of perceived technicaladvantages.Batteries located within the distributionnetworkshould be able to reducecongestion and losses in the network.This could help to improve the efficiencyof the grid and reduce costsfor consumersand allow network upgrades to be deferred.There are now quite a few communitybatterieswith several years of operationunder their belt.So how are they living up to those ideals?The Australian National University'sBattery Storage and Integration ProgramBSGIP dive into the topic,exploring the impact of communitybatteries on equity,sustainability and decarbonization.Their findings suggest that medium scalebatteries can effectively managelocal network conditions.They can expand the community'scapacity for solar electric vehiclesand electrified appliances.and they offer opportunitiesto make electricity more affordable,reduce environmental impacts and involvethe community in energy decisions.Yet it's important to notethat these benefits aren't guaranteed.Bjorn Sturmberga researcher from the same ANU groupwho we've seen on this channel before,cautions that while community batteriesare great for local network managementand integrating renewables,they might not be as efficient as utilityscale storage for broader services.In some cases,they could even worsen social inequalitiesand have environmental repercussions.Another criticism has come from energyand carbon markets.Economist Tristan Edis, who looked at allof the Australian Government CommunityBatteries grants And concludedthat on average these projectscost taxpayers nearly 1400 dollarsper kilowatt hour of capacity.He notes that for that level of governmentsupport, householdscould afford to purchase a Tesla Powerwallwith a few grand in spare change.Furthermore, the grants given didn'tgo to the community.They went to network operators.So a very inefficient use of money.And can you even call ita community batterywhen it's owned, operated byand profits are made by private companies?Seems like pretty much the only benefitof these so-called communitybatteries was the warm, fuzzy feelingsthat residents might have felt.But warm, fuzzy feelingswon't keep you warm in winter like a solarand battery powered heat pump.But There are also examples of communitybatteries having good outcomes.Western Australia is a good example.community batteries.Up to five megawatts were installedto address mounting challengesin the state's grid, such as increasingpeak loads and unpredictable contributionsfrom home solar systems.Since the deployment,these batteries have yieldedsocial, economic and technical benefitsfor the broader system.They've allowed more distributed resourceslike rooftop solarto be installed and provedto be financially viable from 2020 onwardsto get the best value out of communitybatteries and avoid any perverse outcomes.Community batteries probably shouldn'tbe installed as a standalone solution.There are a lot of alternative strategiesthat are more likely to yieldthe kind of outcomes that people want.These includes things like reducing demandor shifting electricity consumptionaway from timeswhen the network is constrainedand increasing generation and capacityin the existing system.Now let's dive into an exampleof community energy in action.Totally renewable Yackandandahor TRY for short.Yackandandah, affectionately known as YACK,is a historic town in Victoria, Australia,with around 2000 residents.Apart from its scenic beauty and fantasticcycling trails,what sets Yackandandah apartis its ambitious plan to achieve energyself-sufficiency by the end of 2024.The Totally Renewable Yack projectembarked on its journey in 2014with an audacious goal, demonstratingnot only can a community achieve 100%renewable energy on average,but also ensure that all its energyneeds a locally met at any given moment.This goes beyond merely offsetting energyconsumption with renewable generation.It means generating and storing powerlocally from locallyowned assets, thus eliminatingreliance on distant sources.TRY beganby focusing on energy efficiencyto shrink the size of the challengebefore turning to generationand storage solutions.An interesting observationfrom their experienceis that multiple small installationshave proven easierto finance and more effectivethan larger infrastructure projects.Today, about 60% of the town'srooftops are adorned with solar panels,including nearly every community building.They've also deployed274 kilowatt hour community batteryconnected to a 65 kilowattsolar panel arraycapable of powering about 40 homesovernightwith three operational micro-gridsand a community virtual power plant.Yackandandah has achieved approximately60% renewable energy as of 2022.If their current trajectory continues,they could hit 100% by 2027,and co-founder Matthew CharlesJones does note that the goalof 100% renewables by the end of 2024is now more of a net figure.YACK exportsa lot of solar energy to the gridduring the day, and its importsspike at around 1 a.m.when a lot of electric hot waterstorage systems kick in.That's a bit of an artifact left overfrom when behaviorshad to be modified to suit old schoolbaseload generator profiles.So figures from Totally RenewableYack and Indigo Power indicate that rooftopsolar alone reduces energy bills by 63%,and the battery systemcranks that up to 72%.And all indications are that it's behindthe meter where most of the changewill really take place.Their goals have moved a littlesince they started, and a lot of their newprojects are related to resilience.Their latest newsletter notedthat a more resilient Yackandandahmeans more reliable communicationsduring natural disasters such as bushfiresor floods and a site that operatesindependently of a compromised gridmay be able to provide a safepowered community space when required.I think that's really interestingbecause it's showing how community powercan be a combination of climate changemitigation and adaptation.I think that this is going to be the realwinning angle for future communityenergy, more so than the warm, fuzzyfeeling of being totally self-sufficient.The fact is that the first part of the swapto renewable energy is the easiest,and that easy part will also deliverthe bulk of climate benefit.But how far community can geteasily will depend on local conditionsIn Yackand andah’s case they will soonhave taken rooftop solar and communitybatteries about as far as they can go.If they still wantto get to 24/7 100% renewables in the end.The next step for themwill be much harder.It'll be coming up with waysto get through a cloudy week in winter,which will mean energy storage withoptions like pumped hydro on the table.Now, does it really make senseto put solar and wind and pumpedhydro in every single community,regardless of local conditions?I would argue nothat the last chunk of energy securityshould come from large scale projectswhere local conditions are most favorableand then larger populationscan share in the resource.But as we heard at the start,those big projects are hard.The less we need them, the better.And if every community would get as far asYackandandah has problems like protestsover new transmissionroutes and logistical roadblockswouldn't come up as often as they wouldif we skipped over the community levelentirely.Community power gives off reallynice vibes, but vibes alone aren’t enoughThere's no guaranteethat any given Community power projectwill actually deliver on its promiseson the most fundamental technical level.Community owned wind and solararen't all that different from windand solar owned by a large utility,but it's not the technical sidethat can make the difference here.Community ownership often meansa greater chance of community acceptance.Community opposition can delay renewableprojects by months or years.But community power is inherently local,And that local flavorcan go a long way towardsreducing or eliminating opposition.I personally would love to own sharesin a local window solar farm,and making this video has reminded methat I need to get on the waiting listfor some of those projects around me.I still see potential in communitybatteries, but their costs and benefitsneed to be carefully considered on a caseby case basis.in my opinion,the best use of community batteriesis going to be as an alternativeto transmission upgradesthat can add a lot of resilienceto a grid, especially in rural areas.My parents had a holiday housein the remote town of Mallacootathat burned down in the New Year'sEve bushfires at the end of 2019.Towns like Mallacoota, locatedat the end of the grid,frequently get cut offfor long periods of time due to bushfires.Something similar happensoften in California.The grid there can get overwhelmed easily,especially during the wildfire season,when everyone is cranking theirair conditionersto beat the heat and running air purifiersto filter smoke and ash out of the air.Utility companies deal with thisby selectively cutting the powerto certain communities andthat if the fire doesn't do it for them.The Thomas Fire in 2017, the seventh largestwildfire in the history of the state.It started as two small fires in a ruralarea reportedly caused by the failureof overstressed electrical transmissionequipment during severe Santa Ana winds.That fire ended up killing three peopleand it caused $2.2 billion in damageand blanketed the entire city of LosAngeles, about 130 kilometers awayin a choking layer of smoke.That sounds to me like an area wherethe grid could use some more resilience.Thanks to the Engineering with RosiePatreon team, who supported the channel.you'd like to join usand add your opinionsto topics I’ve got in the pipeline,then you can sign up at this link.Thanks for watchingand I'll see you in the next video\n"