Schools across the Noosa Shire are utilising their real time energy data to learn about energy efficiency through Zero Emissions Noosa’s exciting initiative Race to Zero.
The program utilises a mix of direct curriculum teaching with week by week lesson plans and a gamified approach which shows students how their real time energy decisions impact on emissions.
ZEN President Vivien Griffin said, “Schools are high energy consumers and the chance to curb wasteful energy use is important to the goal of reducing emissions across Noosa shire.“
Following the May 2022 Federal election, we assume the platform that the ALP took to the election will become government policy. Here’s an extract relating to “Community Batteries” from the document Powering Australia.
On Sunday 5 June, 2022, World Environment Day, Yarra Energy Foundation launched the first of what will be a fleet of Community Batteries in North Fitzroy in inner Melbourne.
When Zero Emissions Noosa first heard of the project 12 months ago, our Community Batteries Working Group was immediately attracted to their project as something that we would like to replicate in the Noosa region.
This document is a summary of the detailed report - Facilitating Community Understanding of Electricity Battery Options for Noosa Shire - which was commissioned by Zero Emissions Noosa in June 2021.
This report has been prepared for Zero Emissions Noosa Incorporated (ZEN Inc.) as an initial investigation of the issues and potential for a Battery Energy Storage System(s) located locally on the Energex network (Local Battery).
The Noosa Shire Council (NSC) and Zero Emissions Noosa are working in partnership to achieve both organisations’ targets of Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2026.
The ZEN Inc community group and Noosa Council have received requests from community groups, businesses, bodies corporate, individuals and Councilors about the introduction of community batteries in the Noosa LGA. We have been investigating initiatives in other jurisdictions to assess their viability locally to support time shifting of excess generated solar PV, increased hosting capacity, whilst also providing network support particularly on LV feeders, all in a financially viable way.
This new roadmap will be the “Business Plan for a Network of Community Batteries in the Noosa LGA”, and will guide the pathway to grow from a single community battery, to a dozen, and in time to more than 100. We expect that this specific plan for Noosa will be able to be easily adapted to other local government areas in South East Queensland in the Energex zone, and beyond.
The project aims to develop a test site for a virtual embedded network amalgamated in one precinct. In line with Energex’s demand response regulation, the virtual embedded network is a large power user where, in the future, Council could use the excess power generated from the Energy Hub to offset, for example, street lighting in the immediate area.
This project proposal is to advocate to local, Federal and State governments in Australia for take climate action, adopt net zero emissions targets, increase support for renewable energy, transitioning to a low carbon economy, and addressing climate risk impacts from coastal hazards, flooding, drought, heat risk, bushfires and biodiversity loss. Additionally, the proposal includes advocacy for legislative change to allow for Council to facilitate Environmental Upgrade Finance to enable eligible parties to access low risk finance for building upgrades.
This project proposes the installation of a pilot community battery in the Noosa Shire in 22/23.
Battery storage at various scales is recognized as one of the important tools by which to maximize rooftop solar and address network difficulties. Ultimately a network of community batteries will be required in Noosa to act as a “solar sponge” to soak up excess solar production during the day and use at night.
This proposed project is for Noosa Council (Parks and Facilities) to undertake a tree-planting project to plant shade trees on nature strips throughout Noosa Shire. The project will aim to plant 1,000 trees in 2022. Trees will be at an advanced stage (approximately 1m in height) and meet Noosa Council Code in relation to species requirements. Trees will be staked and planted with root barriers to preserve and protect underground infrastructure. This project would then be continued so that a minimum of 1,000 trees are planted on nature strips each consecutive year.
