Endeavour Energy has now deployed new EcoVAR units in four areas in Sydney’s Greater West with many more units planned for installation throughout the Endeavour Energy network over the coming period.
2 December 2019 – Since the successful handover of the first of EcoJoule’s EcoVAR production units to Endeavour Energy for pilot study trials in the Illawarra region earlier this year, the results have spoken for themselves.
Endeavour Energy has now deployed new EcoVAR units in four areas in Sydney’s Greater West with many more units planned for installation throughout the Endeavour Energy network over the coming period. The deployment of EcoJoule’s EcoVAR units by Endeavour Energy will work to maintain Endeavour Energy’s track record of safe and reliable supply of electricity to 2.4 million people in households and businesses across Sydney’s Greater West, Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands, the Illawarra and the South Coast.
Currently Australia is at the
forefront in the uptake of solar panels worldwide. Solar panels are now reported
as being installed in Australian homes and businesses at a rate of six every
minute.
CEO of Ecojoule
Energy Dr Mike Wishart says, “This solar revolution is great news for
sustainable energy generation and improving the bottom line of consumers’ power
bills. However, the downside is that large amounts of renewable solar power being
generated back into the grid can push the voltage of the grid outside of
acceptable ranges, impacting consumer appliances and tripping solar inverters.
This is why the EcoVAR units are a vital innovation in the modern world of
power grids.”
Endeavour Energy results have shown that the
performance of the EcoVAR units has been better than expected, showing voltage
improvements greater than 1 volt per kVA.
Endeavour Energy
General Manager Customer and Assets Ty Christopher said, “These positive results
following the installation of EcoVAR units exemplify our commitment to facilitating solar panel connections
for our customers. Endeavour Energy aims to build a
sustainable energy future for our customers by harnessing environmentally
responsible energy sources wherever possible. As a
socially responsible business, we are seeking to conserve our natural resources
while still meeting the energy demands of our customer.”
What this means for Endeavour Energy’s consumers is
that the EcoVAR units reduce the total voltage variation on the electricity
network by 20 volts or more and keep the voltage supplied within acceptable limits.
The EcoVAR units work
as a kind of shock absorber to stabilise the system voltage and increase the
ability of the network to connect and absorb energy from customers solar
panels.
This tighter voltage control improves appliance
efficiency and lifespan as well as enabling higher levels of renewable
generation, which all contribute to decreasing consumer electricity bills and
happier consumers.
Positive feedback is already being received from household
consumers since the deployment of the four EcoVAR units in Elderslie, Kentlyn,
Berkshire Park and Badgerys Creek, and soon an additional two will be installed
in Bawley Point on the South Coast.
Construction
consultant Kris Loyolo, from Elderslie, is one of the happy customers
benefiting from the installation of EcoVAR. He said, “Last summer before the
EcoVAR units were installed my family and I often had to leave and move in with
my parents when the temperature in the house reached 40 degrees and the air
conditioner failed because of low voltage. It’s great now and I thank Endeavour
Energy for its help and keeping me informed the whole time.”
With the summer season upon us, the new EcoVAR units will enable consumers to realise the value of their rooftop solar PV while at the same time keeping the voltage well within acceptable limits.
About EcoVAR
EcoVAR is
a Static Compensator (STATCOM) that helps solve voltage problems. Its control
algorithms automatically adjust the current to reduce high network voltages and
increase low network voltages. EcoVAR
reduces the total voltage variation or swing on the electricity network and
keeps the voltage supplied to the consumer within acceptable limits.You
can view more information about EcoVAR on EcoJoule’s website: https://ecojoule.com/ecovar/
