A research project aiming to reduce diesel fuel consumption in the Territory’s remote area hybrid power stations will not only reduce costs but also may help to improve the energy security for remote communities and reduce carbon emissions.
Charles Darwin University Centre for Renewable Energy Research Fellow Dr Kean Yap will work towards solving some of the electricity generation challenges faced by remote areas in the NT.
Dr Yap has been named Postdoctoral Fellow winner with the Australian Solar Institute and will be looking at ways to maximise solar penetration in stand-alone hybrid systems in remote areas using smart grid techniques.
“There are currently several solar-diesel power stations and several hundred small-scaled ones throughout the NT, servicing remote communities and industrial operations such as agriculture,” Dr Yap said.
“Due to their remote nature, these hybrid power stations are not connected to the main grid and rely heavily on diesel fuel. My study attempts to look at ways to increase the penetration of solar power in these mini-grids without affecting the long-term performance of the diesel generators. This requires smart control methods that are capable of being deployed in remote installations without ready access to service technicians.”
Dr Yap said the research would also improve the overall energy security for such communities.
“During the wet season, if flooding occurs transporting diesel to such communities presents a challenge in itself,” he said. “Most power station facilities have the capacity to store sufficient diesel fuel to last throughout the wet season, however there are circumstances where helicopters have to be deployed for diesel transportation.”
Dr Yap will conduct his research at the CDU Centre for Renewable Energy with funding provided by the Australian Solar Institute and expert support from Power and Water Corporation.