Business park powers site with solar, battery, microgrid solution

Peel Business Park is a 1000-hectare industrial estate being developed in Nambeelup, WA. Due to the remoteness of the area, an existing power connection to the traditional grid did not exist — an onsite, behind-the-meter solar and battery solution was highlighted as the most cost-effective, reliable and green alternative.

The renewable energy solution includes a 1.2 MW solar farm, incorporating over 2772 bifacial 440 W panels with a NEXTracker single-axis tracking system; a FIMER skid-mounted solar and battery inverter system with medium-voltage power distribution system; and a 2.5 MWh Saft battery energy storage system.

“During the product component selection process, we were looking for a combined inverter and battery solution that would elegantly meet all the technical and project requirements,” Avora Energy Managing Director Jeff Brill said. “FIMER’s PV and battery solution was a fully integrated solution that could be delivered on a single skid that ensured easy installation, commissioning and servicing.”

The FIMER solution was designed specifically for this project. With more than 12 months of planning across multiple teams in Australia and Europe, the customised 40″ skid incorporates a FIMER PVS980-58 central inverter; a FIMER bidirectional inverter, the PVS980-58BC, including grid-forming-ready technology; a hybrid medium-voltage transformer; and associated switchgear.

Aaron Zadeh, FIMER Australia’s Utility-Scale Solar Manager, said, “We are extremely excited to have been part of this groundbreaking solution with Peel Renewable Energy, Avora Energy, Sunrise Energy Group, Jarrah Solutions and DevelopmentWA. FIMER custom designed and manufactured this solution for the project. It’s a unique ‘hybrid inverter station’ that hosts both a solar inverter and battery converter on a single medium-voltage station. It uses FIMER’s PVS980 technology and offers a range of benefits to Peel Business Park tenants.

“FIMER’s technology can shape how small utility-scale microgrids can thrive in Australia moving forward,” he said.

Utilising the hybrid station with both FIMER inverters enables the technology to share a portion of hardware that brings significant synergies over the system’s life, including fast installation, high reliability and a rapid return on investment as well as long-term support and maintenance benefits.

Image caption: The Peel Business Park microgrid solution. Image credit: Peel Business Park.