Experts visit Alice Springs to discuss national energy challenges

Fifty energy experts from across Australia have converged in Alice Springs for A-lab, an innovation lab hosted by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Intyalheme Centre for Future Energy (Intyalheme), a flagship project of Desert Knowledge Australia (DKA). November 7-8 will mark the first time an A-Lab has been hosted in remote Australia. A-Lab participants will work to solve challenges that constrain the integration of renewable energy into Australian power systems. Representatives from the Australian Energy Market Operator, CSIRO, Territory Generation and NT Utilities Commission and other research and industry organisations will attend the event.

The Alice Springs power system can provide valuable insights into incorporating more renewable energy into power systems around Australia and beyond. Alice Springs A-Lab participants will work together to re-imagine and leverage the Alice Springs experience to support Australia’s transition to a low-carbon future.

The Alice Springs grid is a microcosm of larger power systems, including the National Energy Market (NEM), which services Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia. To achieve the Northern Territory’s target of 50% renewables by 2030, Alice Springs anticipates that it must at least triple its solar photovoltaic capacity over the next decade. Presently, no additional large-scale solar can be easily integrated into the Alice Springs network due to a range of challenges that are forecast to affect the NEM in coming years. The size and isolation of the Alice Springs grid allows for rapid and affordable prototyping that can generate useful outcomes within two years.