Copywriting – Nicky Redl

Seeking Light in the Darkness: Jennifer Clement on Writing About Gun Violence

Nicky Redl — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 17:39:18 +0000

Gun violence and cartel kidnappings are not typical material for lyrical fiction. But for Jennifer Clement, they are the starting point.

Ms. Clement, president of PEN International and author of several critically acclaimed novels, is a key speaker at this year’s San Miguel Writers’ Conference in Mexico.

Her books explore urgent and controversial issues through lyrical storytelling, depicting harsh realities through the eyes of young, psychologically complex characters. Writing about current affairs in a fictional form does not require less research. If anything, it requires more.

“What the reader reads is a very small amount compared to what went into writing the book,” Jennifer Clement says.

Her latest book, “Gun Love,” took her seven years to research and write. For two years, Ms. Clement even received the daily local newspaper from a town in Florida to get a feel for the setting of her story. She describes the final work as the tip of the iceberg.

“I’ve been to the NRA twice, I’ve interviewed survivors of massacres, like, for example, some of the kids that were in the Batman movie [the 2012 Aurora shooting], and just all kinds of research and interviews. None of that ended up in ‘Gun Love,’ but I think the book sits on it. It sits on that research.”

While there is no shortage of tragedy, “Gun Love” seeks to avoid judgment, focusing instead on moments of light in even the most grotesque situations, Ms. Clement says.

“I go to these themes through the door of poetry. That means that in the greatest darkness, to try and find light, in where there is profanity to try and find the divine, so that where there is ugliness, I place beauty. That is my poetical intention.”

That approach is not always easy. American gun culture, she says, bewilders her.

“It’s hard to understand, and I find it also completely immoral, because it’s such a huge business.”

Arms trafficking represents a significant revenue stream for some gun dealers in the United States. A 2013 study by the University of San Diego found that 47% of U.S. gun dealers would go out of business if firearms were no longer trafficked from the United States to Mexico.

But strong emotions about these realities, she says, can drive a story. She wrote both “Gun Love” and “Prayers for the Stolen,” a novel about cartel violence and the abduction of girls from rural Guerrero, out of deep distress.

“In my case, I would say that at least these last two books of mine were written from a lot of pain, something that really hurts me on some level. I mean, to have little girls stolen in Guerrero, and then all this gun violence and the way it’s affecting Mexico. I’m horrified about what’s going on here now. And the guns play a big part.”

During the writing process, however, Ms. Clement says she focuses on her characters’ voices and their perceptions, rather than her emotions.

“In ‘Gun Love,’ it’s Pearl’s story, and it’s Pearl who’s speaking. It isn’t Jennifer Clement who’s speaking,” she says, referring to the book’s main character.

“She takes over in this mysterious way that happens when you write. Many, many writers talk about this happening to them, and I can say that it happens to me. I sort of hear her, and I kind of let her speak.”

To avoid telling readers what to think, she gave the draft to a fellow writer who is an avid hunter and gun enthusiast.

“I said, can you just read this book and make sure it’s okay if you’re a hunter reading it. And he said: yes, it was okay.”

The book’s settings also evolved as the writing progressed.

“A lot of people think that maybe I chose Florida because it has this reputation of being very exotic and full of strange people. But actually, that’s not the reason. I chose Florida because I wanted very much, and I didn’t know this until into the writing, very much the spirits of the native people to be in my book.”

The fate of Native American nations during European settlement plays a subtle but important role in “Gun Love,” accompanying the main characters through songs, references, and prophetic encounters.

“One thing that’s very clear is that no Indigenous population has ever been able to win against guns,” she said, noting that firearms were central to the violent displacement and destruction of Native American nations, many of whom lived in what is now Florida.

“They walked the Trail of Tears to try and get away. And so, in ‘Gun Love,’ the Trail of Tears is discussed and appears.”

The Trail of Tears refers to forced relocations of the Native American nations from the southeast of the United States to the area west of the Mississippi River under the Indian Removal Act in 1830.

The law was passed to enable the forced seizure of Indigenous lands for white settlement and cotton cultivation. At gunpoint, thousands of Native Americans were marched westward, and many died from disease, starvation, and exhaustion along the journey, or were killed resisting the theft of their ancestral territories.

Produced for the website of the international San Miguel de Allede’s Writers’ Conference & Literary Festival.

How to Get a Literary Agent: Tips on Platform, Pitch and Book Proposals

Nicky Redl — Sun, 13 Jan 2019 01:50:37 +0000

Thinking of getting a literary agent? That can be easier said than done, with agents sifting through hundreds or even thousands of proposals a month.

For many writers wondering how to get a literary agent, the answer goes beyond just finishing a manuscript.

Anna Knutson Geller is a literary agent who splits her time between New York and San Miguel de Allende in Mexico.

Specializing in spirituality, practical non-fiction, and inspirational memoirs with her agency Write View, Ms. Geller says that aside from a gripping sense of storytelling and a real authority over the subject matter, an author’s existing platform plays a big role.

“I’m looking at whether they blog, whether they send a newsletter, what their social media presence is like,” says Ms. Geller.

“I’m looking for someone who is not only able to write, but able to amplify that message out to a wider readership.”

You may have thought that once you’ve done all the hard work of writing your book, the marketing side would all be up to the publisher, but that is no longer the case.

These days, new authors are expected to have already built an audience for their work.

“It’s important because there are so many books published each year that unless your idea is so novel and compelling that it really will speak for itself and draw an audience to it, more and more publishers are really looking for an author who has laid that groundwork of getting a built-in readership, even before that book comes into the world,” says Ms Geller.

Aside from beefing up your social media presence and personal blog, there are several other steps you can take to make it easier to find an agent.

This includes doing your homework, knowing the name of the person you are addressing, what the agency specializes in, and why your work would be a good fit for them.

“If somebody is submitting a fantasy novel, you can see on my website that I really focus on non-fiction,” says Ms. Geller.

“I like to see that a prospective author has done their homework in terms of why they are submitting to me and not just doing a blanket submission to fifty-something agents.”

Having a firm handle on what your book is about is also crucial – and surprisingly rare.

“What I don’t see enough is authors who really know how to encapsulate the main idea of their book in a one- to two-sentence hook,” Ms. Geller explains.

“If you, as an author, can’t really grab someone’s attention by describing your book in a quick and pithy way, no one else is going to be able to do that for you.”

When approaching her, this short pitch should be right at the top of your email, because agents are busy and don’t want to read a whole page just to understand what you are inquiring about.

According to Ms. Geller, most also don’t want to open attachments from unknown contacts, to avoid viruses, so don’t attach your proposal in your first email. Rather, just send a short inquiry with that concise, enticing pitch, and hold the full proposal until you receive a response.

And for those who are ready to get their book out there and want to ensure their proposal does it justice, Anna Geller will be teaching a three-hour intensive workshop on proposal writing at the San Miguel Writers’ Conference on February 16, 2019.

Produced for the website of the international San Miguel de Allede’s Writers’ Conference & Literary Festival.

The Power of Wind Energy: Technology Shaping Our Renewable Future

Nicky Redl — Tue, 10 Oct 2000 01:01:00 +0000

If you’ve ever criss-crossed the waters on a sailing boat or flown a kite on a colourful day in autumn, you are perfectly familiar with the power of wind energy.

However, wind enables humanity to pursue a lot more than enjoyable pastimes like sailing. Harnessing wind energy is at the forefront of the renewable energy technologies that are driving change around the world at a rapid pace. Over the past five years, the capacity to generate electricity with wind has grown at an average 13 % annually, according to Professor of Engineering Andrew Blakers from the Australian National University. Renewables are on course to overtake fossil fuels in the long run, he said in an article in the independent non-profit media outlet The Conversation.

“Remarkably, because of the slow or non-existent growth rates of coal and gas, current trends put the world on track to reach 100% renewable electricity by 2032,” Professor Blakers and ANU Research Fellow Matthew Stocks wrote.

In this article

How did we get here
Why wind?
Australian Opportunities
Why make the switch?
What about jobs?
Understanding wind turbines
Types of turbines and wind farms

How did we get here?

Wind technology has come a long way. In itself, harnessing wind energy is nothing new – humans have been doing it for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians used wind to sail along the Nile River and more than 2,000 years ago the first wind mills were built in the Middle East and Asia to pump water and mill grain.

The first attempt to use wind for electricity generation took place in the late 19th century in Scotland. Admittedly, it wasn’t much of a success to start with. In the 1887, Scottish Professor James Blyth is said to have been the first person to successfully construct a windmill that could produce power. He built the project in his garden and used the energy to light up his cottage, kindly offering to do the same for his neighbours. This was not well received. The villagers considered electricity the work of the devil and wanted no part in it. Only the local asylum ended up accepting his offer of free power. These days, however, a modern commercial wind turbine doesn’t just produce enough electricity to keep a handful of light bulbs burning.

Blyth’s “windmill” at his cottage in Marykirk in 1891

A common onshore wind turbine with a 2.5-megawatt (MW) to 3 MW capacity can produce enough power for 1,500 average European households, according to the Belgium-based WindEurope association. And some countries are really charging ahead when it comes to meeting their energy requirements through wind power. Last year’s undisputed champion was Denmark, setting a new record by producing 43 % of its electricity through wind. That’s nearly half of the country being powered by wind energy alone!

Why wind energy?

Put simply, wind is air shifting around the surface of the earth due to changes in temperature and pressure. So what makes it such a great renewable energy source? Well, for one, it is a free, abundant and nondepletable. In addition, wind energy generation it doesn’t produce greenhouse gas emissions during operation. That is why worldwide investment in wind has been growing year after year.

“Many governments have understood that wind power brings great benefits to their societies, as it is emission-free, cheap, domestic and accessible and offers a very attractive pathway to achieving the Paris agreement. The general, robust growth of wind power around the world which goes hand in hand with further geographic diversification is very encouraging.” World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) Secretary General Stefan Gsänger said in a statement.

With its rising popularity, the cost of the technology is also steadily declining due to competition. According to  Bloomberg New Energy Finance’ s  Wind Turbine Price Index, wind turbines set for delivery in the second half of 2017 averaged USD 990,000 per MW, down from USD 1.15 million a year earlier.  In the second half of 2010, costs had still been in excess of USD 1.5 million per MW.  Other market analyses confirm this trend. “The growing cost-competitiveness of certain alternative energy technologies globally reflects a number of factors, including lower financing costs, declining capital expenditures per project, improving competencies and increased industry competition. The next frontier is energy storage, where continued innovation and declining costs are expected to drive increased deployment of renewables, which in turn will create more demand for storage,” said George Bilicic, Vice Chairman and Global Head of US financial advisory and asset management firm Lazard Ltd., in a statement. The upward trend is not expected to level off any time soon.

The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) forecasts wind generated power to increase 56 % to 840 gigawatt (GW) by the end of 2022.

“Wind energy is the most competitively priced technology in many if not most markets; and the emergence of wind/solar hybrids, more sophisticated grid management and increasingly affordable storage begin to paint a picture of what a fully commercial fossil-free power sector will look like,” GWEC Secretary General Steve Sawyer said in a statement. However, Lazard analysts believe a fully fossil-free power sector is not something we’ll see in the foreseeable future, as existing renewable energy capacities are not yet able to meet requirements, especially in developed countries. “Therefore, the optimal solution for many regions of the world is to use complementary conventional and alternative energy resources in a diversified generation fleet,” financial advisory firm Lazard said in a statement. With rapid investment growth in renewables though, that picture could change.

Australian Opportunities

Australia has abundant potential to further expand when it comes to renewable energies. For wind power to be harnessed effectively, you need low population areas with smooth landscapes. This increases wind speeds while limiting turbulent wind conditions that could damage turbines. Apart from Antarctica, Australia is the world’s least densely populated continent by far, and most of its centre is made up of desert. There is no shortage of flat areas with hardly any people around – it’s perfect! Of course, there is a bit more to finding optimal locations for wind power generation. “The best sites result from a combination of elevation, local topography and orientation to the prevailing wind,” according to the website of Geoscience Australia, a public sector organisation.

These ideal wind speeds can be found in the southern parts of the continent and reach a maximum around Bass Strait, according to the organisation. Overall, Geoscience Australia believes the country to have some of the best wind resources in the world. Transcendence’s Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development Advisor and former Deputy Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory, Simon Corbell, agrees with the assessment. “Australia is a renewable energies superpower. It has incredible renewable energy resources,” he said. Wind resources are particularly good in the states of South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, he added. “That is one of the reasons why we are seeing very significant wind developments in those states.”

When it comes to harnessing wind energy, there are certainly some exciting projects in the pipeline. The Australian state of Victoria, for example, will become home to the world’s first major crop farm project that is to be fully run on wind energy. Vegetable grower Nectar Farms wants to spend AUD 565 million on expanding its 10-hectare hydroponic glasshouse operation to 40 hectares, supplying produce locally and internationally. Initially, the required energy for this was to come from gas, but the cost turned out to be too high. Nectar Farms then looked into renewables, and a decision was made that all its electricity requirements would be met through a nearby wind farm.

Scheduled for completion by late 2019, the Bulgana Green Power Hub in Stawell in Western Victoria is building around 60 turbines on 7,500 hectares of private freehold land with a total generation capacity of nearly 200 MW.

According to Bulgana, that is enough to power 130,000 homes. And it’s also enough to supply Nectar Farms and all of its greenhouses with electricity. The project fits perfectly with the Victoria’s commitment to generate 40% of energy through renewables by 2025. The government is investing AUD 146 million to drive renewable energy projects, and its support has led to the development of two new wind farms that will contribute a total of 100 MW, according to Victoria’s Renewable Energy Action Plan.

Meanwhile South Australia has set a renewable energy target of 50% by 2025, and its Climate Change Strategy  2015 – 2050 foresees zero net emissions by 2050. The state is home to what last year became the world’s largest lithium ion battery storage facility at the Hornsdale Wind Farm. The battery was built by American energy company Tesla Inc. and the race to create an even larger battery has been on ever since. Another state is planning to achieve zero emissions even earlier than South Australia. Tasmania is targeting to meet all its electricity needs through renewables by 2022.

Why make the switch?

The key reasons driving change are environmental and financial. Switching to renewables makes economic sense, according to former ACT Deputy Chief Minister Simon Corbell. “Australia’s existing fleet of coal-fired power plants is approaching the end of its operational life,” he said.  “That generation has to be replaced by something new, and at the moment the cheapest form of new-build electricity generation available in the Australian market is wind or solar.” While we have seen some public debate on whether fossil fuels or renewables are cheaper, the crucial point is whether you talk about existing power generation or new-build.  According to a fact check by the The Conversation, coal works out cheaper if you focus on already existing energy generation.

“In 2017, the marginal cost of generating power from an existing coal station is less than AUD 40/megawatt hour (MWh), while wind power is AUD 60-70/MWh,” explained Ken Baldwin, Director of the Energy Change Institute at Australian National University (ANU) in the fact check. However, these figures change when you look just a few years ahead and focus on new-build power plants.  “The projected price for new supercritical coal power comes in at around AUD 75/MWh,” ANU’s Ken Baldwin said. “That is higher than recent prices for newly installed wind power of around $60-70/MWh over the 20-year contract period,” he added.

After all, construction costs are high for both renewables and fossil fuel power stations, but sun and wind are free, while coal and gas are not. And that makes fossil fuel power plants vulnerable to price fluctuations. “While coal prices remain in the medium range, in Australia gas is very expensive. We have some of the most expensive gas prices in the world,” former ACT Deputy Prime Minister Simon Corbell said.

For anything built in the future, wind and solar are projected to be the least expensive options.

The other reason to switch to renewable energies is environmental. The Paris Agreement, which entered into force on 4 November 2016, commits parties to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius this century, and work toward keeping the increase to 1.5 °C. As of 15 October 2018, 181 countries have ratified the agreement. “To achieve that outcome, the consensus of both the economic and scientific fields is very clear: it requires complete decarbonisation of advanced economies, and in particular the electricity supply sector,” said Mr Corbell. “The only way to decarbonise is to shift away from coal and gas as forms of generation and switch to solar, wind and a range of other renewable energy generation and electricity storage technologies.”

What about jobs?

Wind farms offer hundreds of jobs during the construction phase, but require little labour once a project is up and running. But there are still jobs to be had, and the potential is in the supply chain, according to former ACT Deputy Prime Minister Simon Corbell. “We have seen significant growth in areas of wind farm manufacture in Australia, such as towers,” he said. “For example, Portland in the southwest of Victoria is now seeing significant growth in tower manufacturing for wind farms, because of their physical location and their existing manufacturing capabilities.” So Australia is working toward taking advantage of opportunities in the supply chain, but a lot more needs to be done as many parts are still imported from overseas.

Understanding wind turbines

While the humble windmill marked the beginning of turning wind into mechanical power, today’s turbines are complex, state-of-the-art pieces of technology. But how exactly do they work? Harnessing wind energy requires, first of all, wind, of course. Just like a sailboat won’t move if the sails are slack, a wind turbine won’t generate electricity without wind. So you need to find is a nice, windy spot for your turbine. If you have ever walked on a high bridge or climbed a mountain, you will know that wind is often stronger higher up. Therefore, commercial wind turbines tend to have high towers to take advantage of faster wind speeds at altitude. These towers can be as tall as a 20-storey building. On top of those towers are usually three, and sometimes two, rotor blades. From far away, they can look too thin to ideally capture wind. In reality, though, they can measure up to 60 metres, offering a huge surface that is shaped to perfectly utilise wind to make the blades turn.

In fact, it is the blade size that determines the amount of electricity a turbine can generate. Little turbines with shorter blades designed to power a single house, for instance, may only have a capacity of 10 kilowatt (KW). The largest turbines can generate up to 8,000 KW – you see, the difference is huge. Not only wind speed and blade size matters, though, but also wind direction. A turbine can only work optimally if it faces into the wind at the right angle. To ensure it does, a sensor on top of the turbine transmits data on wind speeds and direction, and the blades position themselves accordingly.

If wind speed is too high and could cause damage, such as during a storm, the blades can also be turned out of the wind. When operating, a turbine’s rotor blades turn around a shaft, setting it in motion. That rotation alone is too slow to generate electricity yet. That is why the shaft first connects to a gearbox, which works similarly to transmitters you find in cars. Set between the rotor blades and the generator, the gearbox increase the number of rotations from up to 60 rotations per minute (rpm) to as fast as up to 1800 rpm – enough to produce power.

The electricity then travels to a transformer. Transformers can increase or decrease voltage. To allow electricity to be transported over long distances with minimal loss, it might be increased to as high as 500,000 V. Later at the point of destination, other transformers will lower the voltage for the average household, which requires only between 110 and 240 V, depending on the country.

Types of turbines and wind farms

The two main types of wind turbines are divided into those with a vertical axis and a horizontal axis. The blades of a vertical axis turbine rotate around an axis that runs perpendicular to the ground. This type is less common. With horizontal axis turbines, the blades rotate on an axis that is parallel to the ground. Most commercially available wind turbines are horizontal axis turbines. They are better able to utilise higher wind speeds at altitude. To make optimal use of a good wind area and the required infrastructure, turbines are often grouped into wind farms across a large area of land or water.

A giant project that operates off the coast of England has 87 turbines. The Walney Extension wind farm with a total capacity of 659 MW produces enough to power nearly 600,000 homes, according to Danish co-owner Orsted, the world’s largest offshore wind developer. Another example of a huge wind farm is situated in Texas and includes 420 wind turbines across 57,000 acres of land. The Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center’s combined capacity is around 735 MW. But wind turbines don’t all have to look the same, and they don’t have to be huge. In Paris, for instance, several “wind trees” with tiny green, leaf-shaped turbines on branches are to generate enough power to light up parking spaces in the French capital.

Surely, you can’t get any greener than a wind turbine tree!

***

Created for the Australian Maoneng Group’s Transcendence Network for publication on October 9, 2018.

Utility-Scale Battery Storage: Safety, Fire Risk and Community Impact

Nicky Redl — Sun, 30 Jul 2000 22:16:00 +0000

A battery energy storage system (BESS) (Source: Maoneng)

With renewable energy generation on the rise, energy storage systems, such as utility-scale batteries, have become crucial for managing the shift toward wind and solar. Renewable energy is not always accessible when it’s most needed, and batteries ensure availability during peak hours.

But what exactly are the risks? We all know we are not supposed to pack them in our luggage when flying, and there have been some highly publicised cases of batteries causing fires.

What exactly are the risks, and is having them in our neighbourhoods a good idea? Will there be noise, what is the visual impact, and how is fire danger mitigated?

Before we address those questions, let’s clarify what kind of batteries we are talking about.

What Are Utility-Scale Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)?

Utility-scale lithium-ion batteries are essentially many smaller batteries bundled together into a bigger unit, comparable to a shipping container. To provide the storage capacity needed, you may have anywhere from a couple to more than a thousand such containers in a fenced yard or building. The facility is then connected to the grid or power-generation assets.

The largest battery storage system currently is a 1,200 megawatt-hour (MWh) facility in Monterey County, California, that can power about 225,000 homes during peak electricity demand. The site is the size of three football fields.

In Australia, renewable energy developer Maoneng is building a much smaller pilot project in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. The 480 MWh utility-scale battery energy storage system can power about 40,000 homes during peak demand.

A battery energy storage system (BESS) (Maoneng)

Battery Energy Storage System Safety and Fire Risk

And while energy storage offers clear advantages, safety must be the top priority.

“Any battery has a risk of malfunction. In the case of industrial-scale batteries, the concern would be of the battery overheating and beginning a fire, and that fire potentially having a cascading effect on other batteries within the same facility,” said Maoneng’s Director of Development Allison Hawke.

“But while everything has a risk to it, any form of construction or cladding on a building, the risk is incredibly small, and the level of regulatory protection is quite strict,” added Ms Hawke.

How Fire Risk Is Managed in Utility-Scale Lithium-Ion Battery Facilities

To manage potential risks, batteries undergo rigorous assessment and testing before installation and are monitored 24/7 to ensure the system is switched off if they overheat.

“They have inbuilt redundancy and cooling systems where they depower if they reach a certain temperature,” Ms Hawke said.

Strict hazard assessments further ensure that batteries are installed only on sites that are set back from residential areas, workplaces, or sites where fire is likely to spread easily, should anything go wrong despite the numerous safety procedures.

Visual Impact and Noise Concerns Around Battery Storage Facilities

Aside from safety, communities may be concerned about the visual impact of storage systems and the noise they generate.

Maoneng Director of Engineering Michael Tran said the visual impact will depend on the site’s location.

“If the battery is sitting on flat land, and the neighbours are also on flat land, you are not even going to notice, because you will have trees obstructing the view.”

“However, if the site is downhill and the neighbours are uphill, then yes, they may be able to see part of it.”

But Mr Tran also pointed out that battery storage sites are significantly smaller than solar farms, and much quieter and cleaner than mining operations.

“It doesn’t create a lot of noise. It’s a relatively quiet site,” he said.

Community Benefits of Utility-Scale Battery Storage Projects

And there is plenty of upside to having an energy storage system nearby.

“Batteries bring benefits. During construction, you are going to have a lot of people in town who can get involved,” said Mr Tran.

“A lot of jobs are going to be created, and then during maintenance, you are looking at bringing TAFE qualifications to workers in town to train them up to maintain the batteries.”

As with anything new, it is understandable that people have questions about how it will impact their lives, and it is important to continue working with communities to address concerns and provide information.

Battery Recycling, Carbon Emissions and the Environmental Impact of Energy Storage

There are still many problems to be solved, such as the appropriate recycling of batteries and reducing carbon emissions associated with battery manufacturing.

However, what we do know is that, compared to renewables, the negative impact of fossil fuels on human health and the environment is by far worse and detrimental to our future. Investment in renewable energy and battery storage will be essential to building a reliable, lower-emissions electricity system for the future.

Created for the Australian Maoneng Group’s Transcendence Network for publication in August 2021.

Australian Electricity Prices Fall as Renewable Energy Increases Supply

Nicky Redl — Sat, 03 Jun 2000 14:52:00 +0000

Image by Freepik

Electricity prices are trending downward, and lock-downs due to Covid-19 aren’t the only reason.

In the second quarter of 2020, the average spot wholesale prices in the National Electricity Market (NEM) were down by 48% to 68% compared with the same period in 2019.

In 2021-2022, prices are expected to fall even further for residential consumers, by 4.6% to 7.9% depending on location, says the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) in its draft Default Market Offer.

Among the key drivers of this development is the influx of renewable energies, according to the Australian Energy Market Organisation (AEMO).

At 70%, coal still generates the majority of electricity used in Australia, but renewables, including hydro, are on the rise, with a contribution of close to a quarter of total power generation in 2019-2020. And that is helping to push down prices.

“The largest price reductions occurred in Victoria, falling from $79 per megawatt hour (MWh) in Q1 2020 to AUD25/MWh, and in New South Wales, falling from AUD86/MWh to $38/MWh,” states AEMO’s Quarterly Energy Dynamics 2021 report.

National Electricity Market Price Volatility and Wholesale Price Limits

Lowering power prices and the country’s carbon footprint is a desirable outcome. For the electricity market and investors, however, the rise in renewables also poses challenges, particularly regarding price volatility. And in Australia, volatility can hit extremes.

The Australian National Electricity Market (NEM) sets limits but leaves plenty of room to move. The market floor price is -$1,000 per megawatt-hour (MWh), and the maximum spot price is $15,000 per MWh, a whopping $16,000 difference.

“The extraordinary thing is that the NEM achieves those boundary conditions on a regular basis,” says Ashleigh Antflick, finance and risk director at Australian renewable energy company Maoneng. Investing in a market like that can get a bit nerve-wracking.

Essentially, volatility comes down to supply and demand, explains Mr. Antflick. When everyone needs electricity on a hot day with air conditioners on, high demand pushes up prices. Meanwhile, during times of low demand but high supply, prices drop.

With fossil fuels, it is easier to cater to these changes in demand. Generators produce more electricity when it is needed, and less when requirements are low.

Renewable Energy Supply Challenges in Australia’s Power Market

The issue with renewable energy sources is this – they are difficult to predict.

“Who knows whether a large cloud will park itself over the ACT and cause the solar farms in the ACT to reduce their output,” Mr. Antflick says.

Therefore, one of the most crucial aspects of reducing volatility as Australia moves toward a renewable energy future is electricity storage.

If a solar farm produces energy at a time of day when none is needed and the NEM has set prices at -$1,000 per MWh, generators must pay the grid to take the electricity.

However, if they can instead store energy when prices are low and sell it when prices are high, they make money – and so does anyone who invests in renewable energy producers.

Battery Energy Storage Systems Key to Stabilising Electricity Prices

And there is still a significant shortage of storage, with battery energy storage systems contributing only 0.06% to generation last year.

More is urgently needed. As Australia turns toward renewables, the unpredictable nature of wind and solar will otherwise increase volatility and put pressure on the grid.

“Batteries can mitigate grid congestion and defer the need for new power lines,” according to strategic research provider BloombergNEF. And with costs for battery systems plummeting, they are becoming an increasingly viable option.

“While grid costs are rising or remain flat, the cost of a four-hour duration lithium-ion battery system is expected to drop by 68% to $104 per kilowatt-hour by 2050, from $320 per kWh in 2020,” reports BloombergNEF.

The solution to keeping volatility at bay and power prices low is clear. The question is whether investment in storage systems will keep up with the accelerated growth in the renewable energy sector.

Created for the Australian Maoneng Group’s Transcendence Network for publication in June 2021.

As Battery Prices Fall, Utility-Scale Energy Storage Becomes Viable in Australia

Nicky Redl — Wed, 31 May 2000 15:28:00 +0000

Image source: Freepik

Energy storage is becoming a prime concern in Australia. In its 2021/22 budget, the Federal Government announced it would invest AUD1.6 billion in priority technologies, including clean hydrogen and electricity storage.

Meanwhile, the cost of batteries is dropping sharply. Battery pack prices were recently reported below USD100/kWh for the first time, although the average remains higher.

“Lithium-ion battery pack prices, which were above USD1,100 per kilowatt-hour in 2010, have fallen 89% in real terms to USD137/kWh in 2020”, research company BloombergNEF (BNEF) reports.

“By 2023, average prices will be close to USD100/kWh.”

Development in this field is taking place at breakneck speed, as energy storage solutions are increasingly significant in moving toward a renewable energy future.

Utility-Scale Battery Storage Project Costs in Australia

Renewable energy developer Maoneng in Australia is working to install utility-scale batteries at costs ranging from USD80 million for the smallest to USD150 million for the largest, to power Australian homes.

Various factors aside from scale can influence capital expenditure.

One driver is the stringency of the specifications for the battery components, according to Maoneng Director of Engineering Michael Tran.

Batteries that need to operate 24/7 will have different safety specifications than batteries that only operate during certain hours.

“It requires more monitoring equipment, and a more rigorous operation and maintenance regime has to be implemented,” Mr. Tran explained. And that drives up cost.

Some risks and liabilities need to be accounted for, such as potential delays during the construction phase, issues with grid connections, or environmental clearances that need to be obtained.

Maoneng’s 480 MWh Battery Energy Storage System in Victoria

Maoneng’s current pilot project is a 480 MWh utility-scale battery energy storage system in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, designed to power 40,000 homes at peak hours. The project is scheduled for completion in 2022 and is expected to cost roughly USD120 million.

According to BNEF’s forecast, the cost of such large-scale solutions will continue to decline, albeit not as dramatically as the cost of batteries.

The actual battery accounts for only 50% to 60% of the total cost of a turnkey solution. The remainder includes engineering, transport, installation, connecting the battery to power control units, and testing. These costs are likely to remain stable.

However, renewable energy, combined with viable storage solutions, is already cheaper than electricity from fossil fuels.

Regional Australia Embraces Renewable Energy and Battery Storage for Reliability

Even small country towns are embracing a combination of renewable energy and battery power, with Yackandandah in northeast Victoria having recently shipped in its first battery to connect to solar. In remote communities, batteries not only provide cheaper power but also security.

“If the main electricity line does go down, we can still keep running essential services for a period of time. So, it’s about reliability, it’s about resilience,” Totally Renewable Yackandandah president Juliette Milbank told the ABC in a recent story about the take-up of renewable energy in regional Australia.

Created for the Australian Maoneng Group’s Transcendence Network for publication in May 2021.