IKEA instals Australia's ‘largest commercial microgrid’ in Adelaide
Jonathan Spencer Jones
Posted on: 1 June 2023
IKEA’s eleXsys microgrid has been commissioned at its Adelaide store and able to deliver approximately 70% of its energy needs from solar generation.
IKEA’s eleXsys microgrid has been commissioned at its Adelaide store and is able to deliver approximately 70% of its energy needs from solar generation.
The Au$6.6 million (US$4.3 million) microgrid consists of a 1.2MW rooftop network of 3,024 PV panels and 3MW/3.45MWh of battery storage and forms part of the company’s drive to achieve 100% renewable energy use at the Adelaide store by 2025.
The facility, described as “Australia’s largest grid-connected urban microgrid”, was designed and built by solution provider Planet Ark Power and is owned and operated by the energy infrastructure company Epic Energy.
Other partners in its development were the regional utility SA Power Networks, and the South Australian government, which supported with a $1.95 million grant.
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IKEA Australia Sustainability Lead Peter Richmond said the company was thrilled to be hosting the microgrid at its Adelaide store.
“IKEA is committed to becoming a circular and climate-positive business, but we can’t do it alone. This microgrid project is the perfect example of collaboration between the business community, industry, and government to help shift the dial on clean energy production in Australia.”
The microgrid is managed by Planet Ark Power’s eleXsys dynamic voltage control platform, developed in Australia.
Its use is freeing up enough electricity to power approximately 370 homes per year.
In addition, the facility is helping to stabilise South Australia’s electricity network, with surplus clean energy stored in the microgrid’s battery traded into the South Australian network during hours of peak demand while also participating in the frequency control ancillary services markets.
Overall the microgrid is calculated to deliver 890t of CO2e savings each year.
In other recent developments IKEA Australia has joined other organisations in calling for a national zero emission truck strategy and in Sydney has started doing deliveries within a 10km radius of its Tempe store with a pair of electric tuk-tuks.
