We’re committed

In 2015, Origin became the first energy company in the world to commit to the first seven We Mean Business Coalition’s commitments. The We Mean Business Coalition is a global non-profit coalition and outlines a framework to accelerate business climate action for a net zero, 1.5°C-aligned world. We report on our progress each year in our Sustainability Report. 

Our Climate Transition Action Plan (CTAP)

Our Climate Transition Action Plan outlines our ambition to lead the energy transition through cleaner energy and customer solutions. It details the targets we’ve set to accelerate emissions reduction across our business. Importantly, our medium-term equity emissions intensity target and long-term net ambition to be net zero emissions across our full value chain by 2050, are consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Future-proofing our generation assets

With Eraring Power Station’s closure slated for August 2027, we’re future-proofing Australia’s largest power station. We’ve committed to the construction of a large-scale battery at Eraring. The first phase of the project consists of a 460 MW two-hour battery located adjacent to the power station, with an operational target date of late 2025. Construction of the second stage of the battery is scheduled to begin in early 2025, and come online in the first quarter of 2027, adding a further 240MW with a dispatch duration of four hours. 

As one of the most flexible power stations in the National Electricity Market (NEM), it’s playing an important role in supporting Australia’s transition to renewable energy sources, while continuing to provide reliable and affordable energy to our customers. 

Accelerating our investment in renewable energy

We’re developing a range of projects to expand our renewables portfolio and help lead the energy transition.

Solar energy

• We’re currently seeking development approval for Dapper Solar Farm, a 250-300MW solar development within NSW’s first Renewable Energy Zone. 
• In February 2024, we acquired renewable energy developer Walcha Energy including their proposed 450MW Salisbury Solar Farm. 
• In August 2022, we acquired Yanco Solar Farm.  The 60MW project also includes a planning permit for a battery storage system. 
• In April 2022, we acquired Yarrabee Solar Farm. The first stage of the project is expected to include 450MW of solar generation (with the potential for up to 900MW). Once developed, Yarrabee will be one of the largest solar farms in NSW. Planning approval also allows for a 25MW battery storage system. 

Battery storage

• We’re seeking approval to construct a 500MW battery with a storage capacity of up to 2,000MWh beside our Darling Downs Power Station.  
• Construction is underway on a large-scale battery energy storage system at our Eraring Power Station. The approved battery has a peak output of 700 MW for up to four hours (or lesser loads for longer periods) meaning it will be able to meet the energy needs of approximately 150,000 homes for up to four hours. 
• Construction of a large-scale battery storage project adjacent to our gas-fired Mortlake Power Station commenced in mid 2024. The Mortlake battery  will use lithium-ion battery storage technology and have a peak generation output of 300MW and a storage capacity of 600 MWh and will be commissioned in late 2026.  
• We’re seeking approval to construct and operate a 200MW battery at Templers Creek with a storage capacity of up to 800 MWh. 

Wind development

• In February 2024, we confirmed the acquisition of renewable developer Walcha Energy including their proposed Ruby Hills Wind Farm. 
• In July 2023, we purchased the 7,586 hectare ‘Warrane’ property (now also known as the Northern Tablelands Wind Farm).  
• Acquired in April 2024, the Yanco Delta project comprises a 1.5GW wind farm and an 800 MWh battery. The project has received both New South Wales Government development approval (December 2023) and EPBC approval (February 2024) making it one of the largest and most advanced wind and energy storage projects in New South Wales.   
• In July, the Origin x RES Joint Venture secured a feasibility license to develop the Navigator North offshore wind project off the Gippsland coast in Victoria. The Navigator North project has the potential to deliver 1.5 GW of total installed capacity to the NEM. 

The power of community

Community battery trials

We’re currently involved in several community battery trial programs with energy networks in Queensland and New South Wales. As Australia continues to transition towards renewable energy solutions, more and more of these batteries are being installed – from Bondi, to Bowral, to Bungarribee.  

A community battery stores excess solar generated by rooftop panels, then shares it back with the community – helping to balance the grid and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. It’s why we believe community batteries have an important role to play in Australia’s energy transition.   

City of Melbourne

We’ve partnered with City of Melbourne to deliver three battery energy storage systems as part of its Power Melbourne project. Part of the project’s pilot stage, the batteries are set to be installed in 2024, helping support the city’s transition to renewable energy.

Creating change through partnerships

Our sports partnerships are about more than just a logo on a shirt, they’re about making small, but good changes for a better future – and giving sports fans the information they need to do the same. 

In Sydney, we’ve assisted with the installation of EV charging solutions at the new Sydney Swans HQ, which recently received a 5 Star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia. For the past two years at Swans home games at the SCG, we’ve hosted fans in a VIP game day space. The ‘Home of the Fans’ space gives fans the chance to have a great match day experience, whilst also giving us the chance to showcase some great renewable solutions for homes, including solar and battery products, and information on how our Virtual Power Plant (VPP) works. 

Melbourne City FC also recently opened its new facility, City Football Academy Melbourne, at Casey Fields. We supported the club by installing a 40kW rooftop solar system and 13.5kW battery, to help reduce its carbon footprint 

We’re also the naming rights partners of the world champion Origin Australian Diamonds – and last year helped install four EV chargers for Netball Queensland at Nissan Arena.

Our Virtual Power Plant (VPP)

Our Virtual Power Plant (VPP), allows customers to be part of a smart, connected energy network, and contribute to a cleaner energy future.  

It connects energy assets to work together like a mini power station to manage supply and demand. Our VPP currently has over 300,000 connected assets, with a total capacity of 1.4GW under management. 

When energy demand is high, our VPP can send renewable energy stored in home batteries into the grid – helping boost energy supply across the network. It can also help preheat hot water storage systems during the day, when there’s extra renewable energy flowing through the grid. 

More than 105,000 Aussie homes participate in SpikeHours – our energy-saving rewards program – through the VPP, encouraging people to reduce their energy use during peak times through gamification and rewards. 

Supporting big business

Our dedicated Origin Zero team, helps large businesses across Australia accelerate their energy transition towards net-zero through a range of personalised energy solutions. From  accelerating renewable energy adoption, helping reduce onsite greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs, right through to transitioning to electric-powered assets, and offsetting carbon emissions. 
 
We’ve partnered with businesses like Coles and JB HiFi right through to the iconic Aussie theme park Dreamworld to help reduce their carbon emissions (and even power roller-coasters) with renewable energy solutions.

Driving change

We’re helping make the switch to electric vehicles (EVs) easier for Aussies, with a range of residential and business EV solutions. 

Our EV team can help you make the switch through salary packaging, business subscription and fleet services. You might also be able to level up your charging game with EV Power Up.  

We can even help with business and commercial charging solutions. Whatever your EV needs, we’re all about driving good change for Aussies. 

Want to delve deeper?

The post How we’re helping accelerate Australia’s energy transition  appeared first on The Origin Blog.

What is a community battery?

A community battery is an energy storage system installed in a central location within the community – like a park, or an energy substation, or even on a power pole. It works like a big rechargeable battery, storing excess electricity including power generated from renewable sources during the day, such as solar panels, that is then shared by multiple households or businesses within a community. 

When there’s surplus renewable energy available, the battery stores it. Then, during periods of peak energy demand or when renewable sources aren’t producing, this energy can be supplied to the community. It’s like a collective energy bank, that benefits everyone involved!  

Why do we need community batteries?

The high uptake of rooftop solar – more than 3.5 million Aussie homes now have solar panels – has seen households generate large amounts of energy during the day. But, that’s also created a new challenge. The excess solar creates congestion on the transmission network – a bit like when there’s too many cars causing a traffic jam, slowing down your arrival at a destination. It’s the same when there’s too much solar in the electricity grid.  

A community battery puts this excess energy to good use, storing excess solar generated by rooftop panels and then sharing it back with the community – helping to balance the grid and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. It’s why we believe community batteries have an important role to play in Australia’s energy transition. 

How does it work?

Whether you have solar panels or not, you can enjoy the benefits of a community battery. If you’re eligible to access a community battery but don’t have solar, you can use a set amount of energy per day – and receive a rebate on your energy use. 

If you do have solar panels, it’s basically like renting storage space for your energy – without needing to install your own household battery. Excess solar (up to a set amount) is stored during the day and available for use when you need it. You’ll see savings in the form of credits every billing cycle for this exported energy. 

As an example for our Ipswich trial, after factoring in a monthly subscription fee, homes with solar could save up to $260 per year – and homes without solar could save more than $180 per year. 

Is there a community battery near me?

Depending on where you live, you may be able to access a community battery trial right now – but if not, there could be one coming to your neighbourhood soon. We’re currently involved in several trial programs, which will ultimately see around 80 community batteries accessed by 1,500 customers. This includes a program with Energex in the Queensland suburb of Ipswich, where we’re well on the way to our target of 35 batteries. 

In New South Wales, we’ve partnered with Endeavour on battery projects in western Sydney (Bungarribee), the South Coast (Kiama and Shell Cove) and the Southern Highlands (Bowral), and with Essential in regional locations including Wagga Wagga, Port Macquarie, Armidale, Bathurst and Dubbo. 

The most recent battery launch, in August 2024, was with Ausgrid in the iconic Australian suburb of Bondi.

The post What are community batteries and how do they work? appeared first on The Origin Blog.

Caring for exotic animals and birds is no easy feat and comes with quite the price-tag. There are different habitat temperatures to maintain, storage needs for the large amounts of food, cleaning the (huge) premises, catering and public facilities for visitors. With all this going on it’s no surprise that a large number of zoos around the world are switching to renewable sources of energy.

Being conservationists, passionate about protecting natural habitats and species, zoos have a responsibility to act sustainably. Solar panels are now becoming a common sight at zoos as they strive to reduce emissions while meeting complex energy needs and, as it turns out, Australian zoos are some of the leaders. According to the Climate Council Australia, Australian zoos (and aquariums) collectively installed around 1.6MW of solar power in 2018.  

We take a look at some of the most notable solar projects in zoos around the world, starting with one of our own installations right here on home turf!

1. Symbio Zoo, Sydney, Australia

Origin is proud to have worked with Symbio Zoo and help them move to a greener future. The 270 square metres facility has 60 solar panels which produce 22,804 kWh of energy. Through Origin’s SolarFlex plan, Symbio Zoo has plans to add to this installation.

2. Australia Zoo, Beerwah, Australia

Founded by the late “crocodile hunter” Steve Irwin, Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, made the ambitious switch to solar in April of 2019 with a 648 kW solar system. More than 1,800 panels make up the solar power plant that has been added to the Crocoseum.

The installation helps Australia Zoo save on operating costs and reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 16,500 tonnes over the next 25 years.

3. Perth Zoo, Australia

With a 237kW solar system, Perth Zoo boasts the largest solar panel array in the state. Installed in 2012, the 755 solar panels generate up to 30 per cent of the zoo’s energy needs and are installed across multipe zoo buildings including the elephant barn, the reptiles building, conference centre, administration buildings and a spectacular solar pergola.    

4. Detroit Zoo, USA

Already renowned for being 100% wind powered, the Detroit Zoo made headlines again this year by installing the very first ‘solar smartflower’, an all-in-one ground-mounted solar-panel system that is the first of its kind in the world.

It features 12 “solar petals” that trace the sun across the sky throughout the day via a GPS-based dual-axis tracker. Getting to work as soon as the sun rises, the smartflower unfolds its petals to a 90 degree angle to produce energy and folds them back in as the sun goes down. As it is always at an optimal angle to the sun, it can generate 40 per cent more energy than a traditional solar panel system.

5. National Zoo, Washington D.C, USA

The world’s first solar-powered carousel made many heads turn when it was installed at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. in 2012. Powered by 162 solar panels, The Speedwell Foundation Conservation Carousel features 58 hand carved and painted animals. The carousel, which cost $2.3 million to build, celebrates the animals and birds living at the zoo. An interactive digital dashboard allows guests to see how the carousel generates and uses solar energy in real time.

6. Hamerton Zoo Park, United Kingdom

The Hamerton Zoo Park has taken the title of the most environmentally friendly zoo in Europe. In addition to two wind turbines, the zoo added three arrays of solar panels and two bio-mass boilers to its renewable energy generation project. The solar panels produce a total of 54kW of power and are fixed to ground-mounted tables that are angled at 30 degrees for optimum efficiency.

Thinking about solar for your business?

We know how important it is for business owners, from all different industries, to make financial decisions that are smart and efficient. Investing in solar allows you to reduce your electricity bills by harnessing energy from the sun during the day, which is when many businesses are typically using the most electricity. And with the development of alternate payment options, businesses now have more flexibility when it comes to purchasing a solar system. 

Beyond reducing your overheads, solar is a great way to help your business reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and reach your decarbonisation goals. 

So, if you’re looking to transition to solar energy for your business, zoo, aquarium or botanical garden, we can help!

The post 6 impressive solar projects in zoos across the world appeared first on The Origin Blog.

What’s in the box?

In simple terms, batteries store electrical energy in chemical form, with lithium-ion being the most common battery chemistry used to store electricity for grid-scale applications. This is the same technology you find in devices such as smartphones and laptops.

Large-scale batteries typically consist of several components – a battery unit or ‘enclosure’ (generally a large fridge-sized box or a shipping container), an inverter to help charge and discharge the battery, and a transformer to step up to high voltage suitable for transmission around the electricity network.

Speed and flexibility

Unlike other forms of energy storage and generation, batteries are particularly valuable because they can respond faster than other energy storage or generation technologies and can help avoid blackouts by turning on and off in fractions of a second. Compared to traditional forms of generation, which can take several hours to reach full output, batteries can respond almost instantly to changes in wind or solar generation and keep supply stable and the lights on.

Batteries are also a great way to supply additional power when demand for energy peaks, such as when people get home from work and start to consume more electricity.

When charged during the day, soaking up excess solar generation that is not used as it is produced, we can “shift” energy from the middle of the day to the afternoon peak period to meet customers’ needs.

While batteries can provide almost instantaneous back-up, the amount of time they can support the system using current technology is relatively short, limited to a few hours at most. This means batteries alone cannot yet be relied upon to support the grid for the longer durations sometimes required, which can be several days in the case of severe outages. Over time, as battery technology improves, it will be able to provide back-up for longer and at lower cost.

Location, location, location!

Large-scale batteries can in theory be placed anywhere along the electricity grid. However, to take advantage of the infrastructure already in place and reduce the cost of the energy produced, Origin is looking at the potential for installing large-scale battery technology at many of our existing power stations, including the construction of the 460MW battery project (with a view to increase its capacity to 700MW in the future) at the Eraring Power station in NSW.

Interestingly, a large-scale battery located next to a power station is not powered by the power station. Large-scale batteries operate independently, are connected to the grid and can continue to operate when the power station is not running or even after it may have retired from service.

Want to learn more?

On episode five of our So Watt? podcast, hosts Zach and Dom delve into the role batteries will play in the future of the energy network.

The post How large-scale batteries can support the growth of renewables appeared first on The Origin Blog.

Change is happening across the energy network as Australia moves towards its ambition of net zero. But moving towards an energy grid run predominantly on renewables is a massive challenge. It requires big investment in renewables – like wind and solar. And it requires big investment in firming or back-up – like battery storage and pumped hydro, as well as transmission infrastructure. Gas will also continue to play a vital role for a while in maintaining a reliable energy system for Australians.   

And this is what we’re exploring in So Watt? a podcast about energy hosted by Dom Fay and Zach Mander from Collective Noun. We’re looking at the transition to a cleaner energy system, powered predominantly by renewables. So, can we get to 100% renewables? Tune into episode six below or read on to find out.

First up, let’s talk about a major energy source – gas. It currently provides around 11 Gigawatts of power into the National Electricity Market (NEM). And that’s a lot. 

And as we transition to renewables, gas remains important for the stability of the grid. In fact, the Australian Energy Market Operator says that in 2050, we’ll still need 10 Gigawatts of gas for firming up renewables. 

That’s why gas power stations like Origin’s Quarantine Power Station in South Australia are so important. Quarantine is a peaking power plant and can generate almost 240 Megawatts of power.  

What is ‘firming’ and ‘peaking’?

Peaking power plants turn on and off as the energy grid needs. They’re designed to deal with high demand (or peaks) in the grid and can help to fill gaps in the market from other variable sources, like when the wind stops blowing or the sun stops shining. So, as we transition to renewables, they’ll help to firm up (or stabilise) energy supply to keep the lights on.  

And that’s why we need gas turbines that start quickly, like an aeroplane turbine. But they don’t need to take off like a plane… we certainly don’t need flying power plants. They start and shut down very fast to respond to fluctuations in the energy grid to maintain supply for customers. And this is key to how the grid of the future will work. That’s why over at Quarantine Power Station, Origin recently upgraded two turbines, which take 5 minutes to turn on and off, compared to older turbines which take around 25 minutes – a much faster response time. 

So, how will the grid transition to renewables, if there’s variability in the energy output they provide? We need more battery storage and pumped hydro to store renewable energy to use later when it’s needed, and for a while longer, we’ll also need gas. These all play vital roles in providing stability in the grid when renewables can’t meet our energy needs.  

What does it look like?

There’s actually a first-hand example right here in Australia of what a renewable-dominated grid could look like…  

South Australia has invested heavily in solar, wind and batteries, with plans to hit 100% renewables by 2030. And in 2021, the state set a national record by running its grid on 100% renewable energy for almost a week. The question is, when can we do that for longer periods of time?  

Moving to a renewable grid across the whole country won’t be easy. It’s all about maintaining energy system reliability. Essentially, an electricity grid works on the basis that supply and demand must always be kept in balance.  

The other barrier to getting to 100% renewables is infrastructure. We need a lot more transmission to make sure we can get power from where it’s generated, to where it needs to be used – bringing solar and wind electricity from regional locations into cities and connecting Australian states.  

So, given these challenges, can we actually run the energy grid predominantly on renewables? Yes, it’s possible! As a nation, one of the biggest things we need to do to get there is increase investment in all kinds of renewables and firming, like battery storage, and back that up with the transmission infrastructure and smart technology like AI to make it all work more efficiently and maintain energy reliability for Australians. And while we’re on that journey, gas-fired peaking plants will continue to provide back-up when needed, particularly over longer durations like days or even weeks – which is beyond the limits of battery storage technology and pumped hydro today, which usually discharge in a few hours.  

We can all play a role in the transition to renewable energy. Australian homes, small and big businesses and government can all work together to reduce carbon emissions, support the right mix of energy sources for the future, and reach net zero by 2050. 

Hosts, Zach and Dom from Collective Noun admit they know nothing about energy – but not for long! Origin’s So Watt? podcast questions everything you thought you knew about energy, and explores the solutions that exist today. In season two of So Watt?, go on a journey with Zach and Dom to find out more about the transition to renewables, what changes are already happening and what’s coming up.  

The post Is a fully renewable energy grid possible? appeared first on The Origin Blog.

While the energy sector is tackling the transition to net zero by adopting cleaner forms of energy generation, there’s also a role for individuals and for businesses to play. Including one of the biggest businesses in Australia, and one of our favourite pastimes, sport.  

And this is what we’re exploring in the latest episode of So Watt? A podcast about energy hosted by Dom Fay and Zach Mander from Collective Noun. We’re looking at the transition to a cleaner energy system, powered predominantly by renewables. So, can the sports industry make the transition to net zero? Tune into episode five below or read on to find out.  

Will motorsports evolve?

First up, let’s talk about a sport which is likely to see more change than most through the energy transition: motor racing. Vroom, vroom. 

It’s a carbon-intensive sport, and it’s at a crossroads – electric vehicles are here. Most car manufacturers are now working on some kind of electric vehicle, and it’s forcing major racing championships to reconsider how they operate. 

In fact, The World Rally Championship is starting to transition to hybrid vehicles. There’s also Formula E, which is basically an electric version of Formula One, as well as an off-road rally championship called Extreme E – held in places around the world that are most likely to be affected by climate change.  

And yes, EVs are quieter than a regular car, especially the roaring engines at motorsports events. So, what does that mean for fans? While it’s a change, it remains an action-packed event that fans love according to Molly Taylor, winner of the 2016 Australian Rally Championship and current Extreme E driver. 

“There’s no track, often, like there’s no roads, we’re just they literally setting up a course in like a dry riverbed, it’ll be in the middle of the sand dunes or wherever it may be, with flags in the ground, drive between these flags, and then drive as fast as you can to the next flags type of scenario. And you know, we’re out in this beautiful, beautiful landscape. And it’s nice and quiet.” 

“It’s different noises that you’re hearing. Now you do hear the electric motor, but you also have a lot more, you can hear stones and gravel and that stuff hitting the camera. So, you have different kinds of cues you take. So it’s more a case of just adapting to that, which happens pretty quickly.”  

And Extreme E is just one example of a sport that’s making positive changes for the planet. Players across AFL, soccer and cricket are also influencing action on how teams and clubs operate – at both a national and grassroots level.  

Sport and the environment

Whether it’s running lights at night for training, or trying to keep the clubhouse cool, there are different things that clubs should consider when looking to reduce the impact of the energy they use at sports stadiums and events.  

Over at Melbourne City Football Club, their new training facility is being built, and work is underway with Origin to increase its solar capacity, add battery storage and EV charging stations. There’s also LED lighting, and energy efficient windows and insulation to reduce reliance on heating and cooling. It’s all about smarter, cleaner energy solutions to reduce carbon emissions.  

And this new training facility is beside fields where community sporting clubs and local schools play, helping inspire a new generation across social issues including climate change and sustainability.  

Tips for local clubs

It’s not just professional clubs that can make changes to reduce their carbon emissions.  

All clubs need to start somewhere, and the first step is to start to think about the different ways your club may be making an impact with carbon emissions.  For example, think about how you’re travelling to and from a game or from training, how you’re using sports equipment, and how you’re using the facilities, including lighting, air conditioning, heating, and appliances. Once you have an idea of these things, then you can start with small changes.  

Consider more energy efficient lighting or appliances and whether things can be done differently – like design, set-up or timing of events, as well as looking at what type of energy plan the club is on (is adding GreenPower an option?). For some clubs or facilities, there may be an opportunity to invest in solar.

Everyone can play a role in the transition to net zero – at home, at work, and on the field, court, racetrack… wherever you enjoy sports. Athletes, fans, clubs and businesses can work together to address climate change and reduce carbon emissions. 

Hosts, Zach and Dom from Collective Noun admit they know nothing about energy – but not for long! Origin’s So Watt? podcast questions everything you thought you knew about energy, and explores the solutions that exist today. In season two of So Watt?, go on a journey with Zach and Dom to find out more about the transition to renewables, what changes are already happening and what’s coming up.  

The post Can the sports industry make the transition? appeared first on The Origin Blog.

In our recent round table discussion, Origin gathered leaders in sport and sustainability to explore how we can all work together to create good change. Our CEO, Frank Calabria, joined Sydney Swans CEO Tom Harley, Melbourne City Football Club goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri, Sports Environment Alliance CEO Katherine O’Regan and sports broadcaster — and host of the podcast ‘Emergency on Planet Sport’ — Jonathan Overend to discuss how sport can help influence the transition to net zero across. Spanning everything from infrastructure, transport and travel, food and beverage, to waste, and energy use at stadiums.

The power of sport

Sport brings people together – fans and players are a passionate bunch who have proven they can rally around a cause to create real change. This is the power of sport in the climate conversation. In fact, almost half of all Sydney Swans fans think climate is an important social issue, according to a recent survey.

Change is already taking place. Right now, we are working with the Sydney Swans on their decarbonisation journey and, over at Melbourne City Football Club, athletes are not only looking after their bodies – they’re looking after the planet and thinking about new ways they can inspire a whole generation of fans. For goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri, this means things like looking at reducing waste at MCFC – a goal that may seem small, but has the potential to snowball into a big change when clubs across the country join in.

Partnerships with purpose

For Origin, sports sponsorships are more than a logo on a shirt. They’re collaborative partnerships with a shared ambition to drive positive change for our communities and the planet. Harnessing the power of Aussie sporting communities, provides an opportunity to work together to take positive climate action.

“I’ve always wanted to leave a legacy for those on the pitch. Now I can start to feed into environmental challenges as well.”

Melissa Barbieri, MCFC goalkeeper

What’s Origin doing?

We have an ambition to lead the energy transition in Australia. Alongside our proposal to bring forward the closure of Eraring Power Station to 2025 – potentially seven years ahead of schedule – and investing in renewable energy, we’re also working with the Sydney Swans and Melbourne City Football Club to bring the worlds of sport and sustainability together.

“We’re up for that challenge and we want to help others come along on the journey with us.”

Frank Calabria, CEO Origin Energy

For our sports partners, this means working together to identify a baseline for emissions, which can then be used to create a sustainability plan – and measure change – that’s both meaningful and realistic. This is what we’re currently working on with the Sydney Swans, while at Melbourne City Football Club, we’re increasing the amount of solar on their new facilities, adding energy storage capacity and installing EV charging stations.

Through this work with our sports partners, we’re aiming to create a blueprint for grassroots clubs to help sport at every level become more sustainable.

Becoming a player in sustainability

The most important thing to do is start.  Whether it’s at an elite or grassroots level, whether you’re a player or a supporter – there are so many ways to create change.

Big or small, changes that we make can have a big impact when we all work together. It’s why Origin is dedicated to working with our sporting partners to create good change that can inspire clubs everywhere.

“It may start in the energy area, it may start with travel, it may start with your waste, it may start with your sporting equipment, where you use it, how you use it, how you can reuse it. We’ve seen some really good innovations and inspiring things that different sports are doing. But the biggest message we try and impart is just start.”

Katherine O’Regan, CEO, Sports Environment Alliance

Want to learn more?

The post The transition of sport to net zero appeared first on The Origin Blog.

AAs, AAAs, Lithium-ion… You’re probably familiar with these. And if you have an elaborate Christmas lights display planned, you might even already be stashing away batteries. Or maybe that’s just what one-half of our So Watt? podcast hosting duo is guilty of (nudge, nudge Dom Fay).   

Anyway, what we’re getting at is hoarding AA batteries won’t cut it. As we increase renewables in the energy grid, we need to increase battery storage across Australia to capture excess renewable energy generated during the day so we can use it later when needed.  

And this is what we’re exploring in So Watt? – a podcast about energy hosted by Dom Fay and Zach Mander from Collective Noun. We’re looking at the transition to a cleaner energy system, powered predominantly by renewables. So, where does big battery power come in? Tune into episode four below or read on to find out.

That’s a lot of water

Batteries (of all sizes) are vital to the future of our energy grid, and so is some other mature technology: pumped hydro. Interestingly, hydro-pump isn’t just a great Pokémon move… hydro pumps use water to spin a turbine, which spins a generator to produce electricity. And over at our Shoalhaven Hydro Power Station in NSW, 50 million litres of water an hour is moved. To put that into perspective, a standard Olympic swimming pool is about 2.5 million litres – that’s an Olympic swimming pool worth of water every three minutes! And all this activity at maximum capacity can generate 240 megawatts.  

The water reservoir at the top of a hydro plant basically acts like a giant battery, waiting to be released to generate energy. And that is why it remains vital for the energy grid of the future, despite being an older technology. And that’s why we’re looking at expanding Shoalhaven to double its capacity. 

What about lithium-ion batteries?

While pumped hydro is an important part in the renewable energy transition, it’s not a complete solution to our storage and backup needs. Batteries (the lithium-ion kind) are also a key part of Australia’s future energy mix. In fact, batteries and pumped hydro are complementary. And while batteries are getting bigger, they run between one to four hours, pumped hydro can be used for longer-term storage, like days at a time. 

Another important difference is that batteries last up to 20 years before they need to be recycled, but a pumped hydro system could last hundreds of years. 

The speed to rollout batteries is one of the key reasons there are so many big battery projects being talked about globally. Plus, lithium batteries can be built almost anywhere, whereas hydro power facilities need to be built in mountainous areas and can take decades to build.

At home

All these big battery projects, and the rollout of EVs, will likely bring down the cost of batteries for everyone. In fact, most of us will eventually own batteries in some form, either home batteries or within an EV. There are even EVs hitting the market now that not only function as a car, but can also power your home, or feed power into the grid when it’s needed – known as Vehicle-To-Grid, or Vehicle-To-Home.  

Lithium batteries are a great short-term solution to stabilising our energy grid, but in the long-term we’ll need bigger projects like pumped hydro to provide constant energy to help keep the lights on. They’re a perfect match, and we need both as we transition to renewables.  

Hosts, Zach and Dom from Collective Noun admit they know nothing about energy – but not for long! Origin’s So Watt? podcast questions everything you thought you knew about energy, and explores the solutions that exist today. In season two of So Watt?, go on a journey with Zach and Dom to find out more about the transition to renewables, what changes are already happening and what’s coming up.  

The post Why do renewables need backup? appeared first on The Origin Blog.

Does the mention of artificial intelligence (AI) bring to mind visions of killer robots intent on world domination? You’re probably not alone, but you may have watched The Terminator a few too many times… 

What we’re actually talking about is technology that can do what a human usually does. Lots of industries generate and use data – like gaming, shopping, cars, and even energy. AI is disrupting the way we do things, and it’s completely changing the way our whole energy system operates. 

And this is what we’re exploring in the latest episode of So Watt? – a podcast about energy hosted by Dom Fay and Zach Mander from Collective Noun. So, what role does data and artificial intelligence play in the energy transition? Tune into episode three below or read on to find out. 

Let’s delve into how these new technologies will help to manage and control energy supply, demand and storage – including the coordination of large-scale generation right through to devices in our homes. 

Screen time

Let’s start by going behind-the-scenes of Origin’s Monitoring and Support Centre, where the output from all of Origin’s power plants are controlled. It’s basically a room with a lot of screens, and each screen has data on each power plant, and the National Electricity Market (NEM), including how much wind and solar generation is out there, and what other power stations are doing. 

When the NEM needs more energy, the team at Origin’s Monitoring and Support Centre turn on more gas turbines, or ramp up the output from pumped hydro, to make sure there’s enough. And when there’s a lot of solar or wind during the day, they scale back other forms of generation.  

Essentially, energy in the grid needs to balance supply and demand at all times. So, the team processes a huge amount of data each day to do that. In fact, there are over 3 trillion data points – and that’s growing every day! 

Predicting the future

Machine learning and AI play a key role in taking all this data to predict and manage changes across the grid – and it has the potential to unlock huge possibilities. 

One of the key things AI allows us to do is forecast. You’ve heard of weather forecasting, economic forecasting and predictions on fashion trends… Well, renewable energy production and energy consumption also need to be forecast to get the balance right – which means managing fluctuations in renewable energy generation when it’s cloudy or the wind stops blowing. 

And it’s data science (we swear this isn’t just a fancy way of describing someone who’s really good at Excel) that allows us to make these predictions. 

As we transition away from an energy system built around large centralised power stations, to a more renewable one with millions of points of generation (think rooftop solar) and changing electricity demand, there will be more data and more variability to manage. Making the role of data science and forecasting critical.  

The home of the future

AI could be vital to unlocking the grid of the future. It could help to use all of that data to manage the energy grid, determine where energy is needed and where that power needs to come from. It could also help Aussie households become smarter. 

For example, AI can orchestrate a home’s energy requirements on behalf of the occupants.  

If you have rooftop solar, a home battery, heating and cooling, an EV or other smart and flexible devices – then smart tech could turn them on and off at the best times to minimise your energy costs and maximise comfort… All while helping to manage demand on the grid. You wouldn’t even need to flick a switch. Pretty smart, huh?  

It’s all about managing flexibility in supply and demand – because renewables are variable, demand must be more flexible too. And one way to achieve this demand flexibility is with the assistance of AI. 

Hosts, Zach and Dom from Collective Noun admit they know nothing about energy – but not for long! Origin’s So Watt? podcast questions everything you thought you knew about energy, and explores the solutions that exist today. In season two of So Watt?, go on a journey with Zach and Dom to find out more about the transition to renewables, what changes are already happening and what’s coming up.  

The post An intelligent grid appeared first on The Origin Blog.