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TasNetworks opts for specialist cable solution

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +1100

TasNetworks has worked with Swedish specialist cable producer Amokabel to install lightweight covered conductor in the Neika area south of Hobart. The aim is to increase network resilience and reliability in an area previously known for vegetation-related outages.

Amokabel said the installation is the first full-scale installation of the new generation of covered conductor in Tasmania.

The technology consists of conductive wire surrounded by an insulating jacket made of advanced lightweight insulation materials that improves reliability and adds minimal weight. This means that it can be restrung on existing poles to save the distributed network service provider (DNSP) — and therefore the consumer — the cost of replacing or adding infrastructure. The solution was approximately one-tenth of the cost of undergrounding in the same area.

In addition to the cost benefit, lightweight covered conductor is much more resilient than bare wire and easier to install than older covered conductor technologies, such as CCT, Amokabel said. It is highly resistant to dropped tree branches — a common cause of outages — and safer for people and wildlife.

It can also help to reduce the risk of bushfire by 98.8% compared with bare wire, the company said. This is because, unlike bare wire, an overhead line using covered conductor doesn’t produce sparks when it contacts dry foliage or other objects.

TasNetworks aims to compare the new technology with its existing methods while immediately improving network resilience in the Neika area.

“The Amokabel covered conductor system allows us to mitigate many of the potential risks that traditional open wire networks pose at a very reasonable cost, making it a viable standard replacement alternative. These include customer outage or firestart due to vegetation or animals contacting the conductors,” said the TasNetworks team who installed the conductor.

Steve Rutland, Managing Director of Amokabel Australia, said it was a pleasure to watch the TasNetworks team carrying out their first installation of the new-generation covered conductor. “Ably assisted by our local partners Groundline Engineering, who provided supervision and training, the installation went very smoothly, a testament to the preparation done by the project team,” Rutland said.

“The area in question is rugged and heavily treed, a perfect location for our products. Our covered conductor offers a range of benefits in terms of resilience, reliability and safety, making it a clear choice for widespread deployment — especially with the effects of climate change creating a challenging environment for our networks.”

Above and top image: Installation of lightweight covered conductor in Neika, near Hobart. Images courtesy of Amokabel.

Boosting women in solar

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +1100

Brighte, an Australian financial institution specialising in renewable energy plans, has announced the two recipients of its Women in Energy Scholarships in Tasmania. Brighte is the exclusive administrator of the $50m Energy Saver Loan Scheme (ESLS).

This year the scholarships have been awarded to Chey Sullivan, a NECA Education & Careers apprentice who is hosted to Contact Group, and Erin Kingston, from Derwent Electrical.

The Brighte Women in Energy Scholarships are an extension of Brighte’s partnership with the Tasmanian Government and are aimed at supporting the growing local green energy sector while also boosting women in the industry.

“To meet our ambitious net zero targets, we’re going to need thousands of electricians skilled up to help power the green revolution — and many of those must be women,” said Brighte Founder and CEO Katherine McConnell.

Valued at $3350, each scholarship includes assistance with the costs of the training course and funding for the first year of the Clean Energy Council’s accredited solar installer fees. Recipients must be apprentices with a proven commitment to studying and to furthering their knowledge of renewable energy.

“Studying a course in renewable energy was always something that I wanted to pursue,” Sullivan said.

“With government mandates and procedures moving toward a cleaner, greener state, I think new energy jobs represent an opportunity to be at the forefront of some of technology’s most exciting advancements.”

TasTAFE CEO Grant Dreher said TasTAFE was proud to support the Brighte Women in Energy Scholarships and their promotion of renewables.

“We are starting to see more women taking up apprenticeships in traditional trades, but there is still work to do. We are working with industry and businesses such as Brighte to proactively encourage more women into trades,” he said.

During her announcement of the successful award recipients, McConnell made reference to the recent Senate Inquiry into Residential Electrification where Electrical Trades Union workers’ rights director Katie Hepworth noted that Australia would need 32,000 additional electricians by 2030 to meet its renewable energy target — and further, that only 2% of electricians today are women.

“With our extensive network of vendors both in Tasmania and nationally, we want to use our influence to encourage more women to join the industry and to be part of this transformative growth story,” McConnell said.

Image caption: Chey Sullivan (left) and Erin Kingston (centre) with Brighte Founder and CEO Katherine McConnell.

"New era" for Aust solar installers and designers

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +1100

The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) has recently appointed Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) as the new solar installer and designer accreditation scheme operator under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).

The SRES is an Australian Government program based on tradable certificates called small-scale technology certificates (STCs). Eligible installations of rooftop solar PV are entitled to STCs, creating a subsidy for households and businesses that install these renewable energy technologies.

“This is a significant milestone in our shared commitment to enhancing standards, transparency and accountability across the solar energy sector,” said Stephen Robertson, Chair of SAA.

“Today marks the beginning of a new era for Australia’s dedicated and highly skilled solar installers and designers, with the launch of an independent, not-for-profit and single-purpose entity to support compliance and raise standards across the industry. SAA is committed to ensuring integrity, accountability and responsible practices within our industry,” he said.

The SAA stated that it will work collaboratively with industry, government bodies and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the accreditation scheme promotes best practice, encourages continuous professional development and supports a growing workforce to deliver smart energy solutions for Australian households and businesses.

The CER’s announcement was welcomed by industry organisations including the Smart Energy Council (SEC) and Master Electricians Australia (MEA).

“The industry wanted to see a collaborative whole-of-industry approach to accreditation delivered by a separate and independent body,” said John Grimes, Chief Executive of the Smart Energy Council. “That is what SAA is delivering … to support the federal government’s ongoing commitment to program integrity.”

Master Electricians Australia President Peter Matthews said the MEA was pleased to support the creation of a new independent solar designer and installer accreditation service provider.

With the SAA’s accreditation scheme now in effect, the Clean Energy Council’s (CEC) accreditation services have ceased. Accredited persons must transfer their CEC accreditation to SAA by 29 May 2024 to maintain their accreditation and STC eligibility.

Image credit: iStock.com/zstockphotos

Ground broken for Osaka data centre

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +1100

Hyperscale data centre company AirTrunk has begun construction of its 20 MW data centre in west Osaka, AirTrunk OSK1. The company specialises in creating a platform for cloud, content and large enterprise customers across the Asia–Pacific & Japan (APJ) region.

A traditional jichinsai groundbreaking ceremony was performed by a Shinto priest at the site in order to ritually prepare it for safe and smooth construction. Australian Consul-General and Senior Trade Commissioner in Osaka Trevor Holloway attended the ceremony along with AirTrunk Head of Japan Norihiro Matsushita.

Senior executives at the OSK1 groundbreaking ceremony.

Other special guests were AirTrunk Deputy CEO Michael Juniper, Chief Development Officer Paul Slaven, Chief Safety Officer Zak Markovic, Chief Marketing Officer Lise Kay and Development Director Eric Price. They were joined by senior executives from Nishimatsu Construction Co., Nikken Sekkei, Kinden Corporation, Shinryo Corporation Kansai Electric Power Co. and Mitsubishi UFJ Banking Co.

AirTrunk said that OSK1 will support Japan’s digitalisation by providing critical digital infrastructure to power the region’s acceleration to cloud technology.

Top image caption: AirTrunk Head of Japan Nori Matsushita and Deputy CEO Michael Juniper with a Shinto priest at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Belated electric shock report leads to $12K fine

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +1100

An electrical contractor in Mandurah, WA, has been fined $12,000 after taking six weeks to inform authorities about an apprentice’s electric shock.

Ballantyne Commercial Property Services had been contracted to carry out electrical work at a premises in Beckenham on 21 February 2022. One of the three employees who attended the site was a third-year electrical apprentice, who received an electric shock after touching live wires while disconnecting cables in the ceiling space.

The electric shock was reported to Building and Energy on 1 April 2022 by a Ballantyne employee who contacted the safety regulator because the company’s managers had not reported the incident as required by law. A Ballantyne director later informed the network operator, Western Power, on 11 April 2022.

At Armadale Magistrates Court on 9 February 2024, the company pleaded guilty to not immediately reporting an electrical accident to the network operator as required by WA’s electrical licensing regulations.

While noting the apprentice was not seriously injured, Magistrate Clare Cullen said that this was a matter of good luck rather than good management. She added that the company directors would be aware of their reporting obligations and it was a “brave act” by the employee who first reported the incident.

Cullen acknowledged Ballantyne’s guilty plea, remorse and prior good character, as well as the low risk to the public, but added that the six-week reporting delay had an impact on inquiries and safety actions related to the incident.

WA’s Director of Energy Safety, Saj Abdoolakhan, said that electrical incidents must be reported immediately to ensure the area is made safe and an investigation can commence as soon as possible to address any underlying issues.

“It is incredibly fortunate that the apprentice was not seriously injured and no one else received an electric shock while this incident was unreported. Above all else, safety must be the primary consideration for everyone involved in the electrical industry,” he said.

Image credit: iStock.com/DNY59

ABB appoints new Australian distributor

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +1100

Amber Technology, a company distributing high-tech audiovisual solutions, has been chosen to be a technical distributor for ABB in Australia. The new strategic partnership is for the distribution of building automation and lighting control systems. It officially commenced on 12 February 2024.

Amber Technology has offices and representatives in all major Australian capital cities and is supported by a comprehensive national network of installers across the residential and commercial sectors.

“We are thrilled to welcome Amber Technology as a new partner supporting ABB,” said Christian Schiemann, business manager of building and home automation systems, ABB Australia. “Amber Technology will help expand ABB’s reach into the market, representing our Commercial ABB i-bus KNX portfolio, as well as the ABB-Welcome Door Intercom offering.”

Amber Technology’s Managing Director Peter Amos said the company was delighted at the commencement of the significant partnership with ABB.

“This strategic alliance marks a pivotal moment for our company as we expand our offerings to include ABB’s whole building automation and lighting control systems.

The partnership aligns seamlessly with our company’s vision of delivering high-quality, innovative solutions to our customers. Together with ABB, we look forward to driving positive change and shaping the future of our industry.”

Image caption: (L-R) Mario Macri, ABB Head of Smart Buildings and Smart Power Divisions; Nathan Brady, General Manager Amber Technology; and Christian Schiemann, Business Manager for ABB Building and Home Automation Systems group. Image courtesy of Amber Technology.

Ampcontrol keeps it local with offshore wind venture

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +1100

Ampcontrol is partnering with Australian offshore wind developer Destiny Wind on a proposed floating wind farm off the NSW Hunter Coast. Destiny Wind is led by the team behind Star of the South — an offshore wind farm planned for Gippsland, Victoria, that is currently in the project development phase.

While Ampcontrol is a global business, its head office is in the Hunter, where the company has over 800 local employees. Ampcontrol has more than 50 years’ experience working within the energy, infrastructure and resources industries.

Ampcontrol Managing Director and CEO Rod Henderson with Destiny Wind Acting Project Director Erin Coldham.

Destiny Wind Acting Project Director Erin Coldham said the partnership with Ampcontrol is an example of how offshore wind can draw on the strong history of traditional energy generation in the Hunter Region.

“This partnership is an easy decision for us — we need local businesses and suppliers like Ampcontrol be part of Australia’s offshore wind industry,” she said.

“We’ve identified some key collaboration areas from both a local and national perspective — it’s exciting to see what could be possible.

“Offshore wind would continue the long history of industry excellence in regional areas like the Hunter — local experience and know-how will play a big role in advancing this new Australian industry,” Coldham concluded.

Ampcontrol Managing Director and CEO Rod Henderson said key industry partnerships play an important role when developing energy solutions of scale.

“Collaboration is essential to bring together the brightest minds so we can think radically to challenge the status quo and disrupt the future of energy,” he said.

The partnership will focus on innovations that could be used in the Hunter region and across Australia’s emerging offshore wind industry.

Image credit: iStock.com/zetter

Synergy apprentice receives prestigious award

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +1100

A Synergy apprentice has been recognised as Skills Centre Student of the Year at the 2024 Apprentice and Traineeship Company Awards.

Chelsea Smith, a third-year electrical instrument fitter apprentice at Muja Power Station, was commended for her outstanding work ethic and trade skills competency.

Yanqiu Lou, Acting Executive General Manager, Thermal Generation, congratulated Chelsea on winning the prestigious award.

“Throughout her apprenticeship, Chelsea has continually displayed an outstanding level of integrity in her role as an Electrical Instrument Fitter,” Lou said.

“It has been a pleasure to watch Chelsea learn to operate in the energy field safely and effectively while gaining the skills and technical knowledge she needs to achieve a trade qualification.”

Smith was delighted to be recognised for her efforts during her electrical apprenticeship.

“It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing, applying for the apprenticeship. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after high school, but I am so glad I ended up in an apprenticeship at Synergy,” she said.

“I like problem-solving and the hands-on side of my job. I enjoy how my role challenges me and leaves me with a sense of achievement when I go home.”

Synergy offers both mechanical and electrical apprenticeship opportunities at Muja Power Station. During the program, apprentices are supported in their career development and are given both on- and off-the-job training.

Each apprentice is allocated a mentor from their first day at Muja Power Station, to assist them in developing the necessary skills to work safely and productively in a complex environment.

Image credit: iStock.com/VISION4RY-L4NGU4GE

Saul Griffith to kick off community energy event

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +1100

The Coalition for Community Energy (C4CE) will be holding a Community Energy Congress from 6–7 March at the International Convention Centre in Sydney. The event will bring together leaders from communities, government, infrastructure companies and business to discuss community participation in the energy system.

With community energy projects, communities are directly involved in developing, producing, distributing, selling and buying energy assets and their output. Projects can take various ownership forms, including full community control or collaborating with public and private enterprises.

Community energy can encompass household electrification and efficiency programs, small-scale cooperatively owned solar PV installations, a community energy retailer, bioenergy or hydro systems, or a large-scale, community-owned wind farm. They are volunteer-run and help support the local community.

Last year, 55 community energy groups raised $74.5m for energy infrastructure, with another $6m in value from in-kind support and volunteer hours.

“We’d like to see consistent support from governments to grow this workhorse of the energy transition. Homes, businesses and whole communities won’t transition to renewable energy without trusted, independent and custom advice and help,” said C4CE Chair Heather Smith.

Topics that will be discussed at the congress include community batteries and microgrids, finance, partnerships and energy resilience. Rewiring Australia founder Saul Griffith will deliver the keynote speech.

The theme for this year’s congress is “Fast, Fair, and Vital”, highlighting the speed of transition, the values and outcomes that communities want in the energy transition, and the vital nature of energy to everyday lives and businesses.

Tickets for the Community Energy Congress are available now via Humanitix. The congress is being held on the sidelines of the Smart Energy Expo, so attendees also need to register for the expo to enter the event.

Attendees can also take part in the congress virtually thanks to support from the Victorian Government.

Image credit: iStock.com/SolStock

Vic apartments get solar boost

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +1100

A joint initiative of the Australian and Victorian Governments will bring more affordable solar panels to Victorian apartment buildings.

About 12% of the state’s 2.5 million households are apartments, with 63% of these occupied by renters.

Applications are now open for the first round of the $16 million program, which aims to make it cheaper and easier for apartment residents to install rooftop solar PV. Successful applicants will receive rebates of up to $2800 per apartment, or up to $140,000 per building for up to 50 apartments to install rooftop solar PV.

Owners will have the choice of installing multiple individual solar PV systems, a single large system coupled with solar-sharing technology or a combination of both.

Round 1 applications are open until 15 April.

More information is available on the Victorian Government’s Solar for apartments page.

Image credit: iStock.com/RossHelen

Ampcontrol welcomes largest apprentice cohort yet

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +1100

Ampcontrol has accepted 56 new applicants into its 2024 Apprentice Program. This is the largest intake of apprentices in Ampcontrol history, the company said, up 115% on the previous year.

Undertaken over a nominal four-year period, the Apprentice Program combines part-time study with structured work experience in trades such as electrotechnology, fabrication, electronics, electrical fitting, mechanical fitting and engineering.

The Apprentice Program makes up one stream of Ampcontrol’s Career Pathways Program, which aims to help students acquire the necessary skills and experience for a career in the field of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Ampcontrol said its Apprentice Program has a high retention rate, with 93% of apprentices who started in 2020 and finished in 2023 now in trade roles across the company.

“Ampcontrol is expanding our operations throughout Australia, and we highly value the support provided by our apprentices to serve our customers better,” said Leigh Stefanszyn, Ampcontrol Executive General Manager – People and Engagement.

“We are encouraged to see our highest number of female apprentices ever within the program, paving the way for women in STEM. With our Pathway Programs continually expanding, we are helping to grow the workforce of the future, fostering new thinking within our business and delivering innovative solutions to our customers.”

Ampcontrol 2024 apprentices in Mackay, Qld.

Of the 56 apprentices who joined the 2024 Ampcontrol Apprentice Program, 38 have started their apprenticeship in New South Wales, nine in Queensland and nine in Western Australia. Of the entire cohort, nine are women.

The 2025 Ampcontrol Apprentice Program intake will open for applications in May 2024. For more information, visit: https://ampcontrolgroup.com/work-with-us/career-pathways.

Top image caption: Ampcontrol 2024 apprentices in Kewdale, WA. Images courtesy of Ampcontrol.

What can be learnt from Victoria's severe storm event?

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +1100

Experts from Monash University have offered insights into the extreme disruption of Victoria’s power system last week due to a severe storm.

On Tuesday, 13 February, AEMO reported that a significant power system event had occurred in Victoria in the early afternoon. The Moorabool to Sydenham 500-kilovolt transmission lines had tripped, multiple generators disconnected from the grid and a huge number of consumers experienced a loss of electricity supply.

To keep the power system secure, AEMO directed AusNet Services to enact ‘load shedding’ — the last-resort process of temporarily cutting off parts of the system so as to protect system security and prevent long-term damage to system infrastructure.

At peak of the event, 530,000 homes and businesses suffered from a loss of power.

With strong winds and fallen trees estimated to have damaged hundreds of powerlines and power poles, network crews battled challenging weather conditions, unstable trees and access issues to repair damaged powerlines and critical energy infrastructure.

Given the widespread damage, AEMO estimated that it might take weeks to restore the system completely.

Describing the storm’s impact, Associate Professor Roger Dargaville, Director of the Monash Energy Institute, said that along with the many localised power outages due to low-voltage powerlines being damaged, several towers supporting the parallel 500 kV lines between Melbourne and Geelong were destroyed.

“The effect of losing that vital infrastructure was to ‘trip off’ the Loy Yang A power station,” Dargaville said.

“As in the case of South Australia in 2016, we have seen instances where an entire state’s grid was impacted leaving everyone statewide without power. The fact that the Victorian grid did not completely fail is a testament to the resilience in the system and the safety mechanisms in place to protect vital infrastructure,” he continued.

Dargaville said that distributed renewable energy systems were on the one hand more vulnerable, due to having more infrastructure spread over wider areas, but on the other hand offered additional resilience, as losses of individual powerlines don’t have the same impact as losing large centralised power stations.

“As a result of climate change we are bound to have more wild weather conditions in the future and our energy systems must learn to adapt and grapple with such situations more often. Additional system security measures such as redundancy, ie, extra energy generation beyond just what is forecast to be required, and fast response storage technologies will help make the system more robust,” he advised.

Australia’s gas lobby was eager to make the point that there were no outages or faults to Victoria’s underground pipeline or gas distribution networks.

“Victoria’s gas generators prevented a worse outcome from occurring,” said Australian Pipelines and Gas Association (APGA) Chief Executive Steve Davies.

“There aren’t any low-cost alternatives that can rapidly provide a third of a state’s electricity in response to an emergency event. We must secure this future capability by including gas in the Capacity Investment Scheme.

“As the energy transition progresses, there’s no guarantee gas will be there when it’s needed in future as it was on Tuesday if it continues to be excluded from energy investment policies,” Davies cautioned, adding that in future, renewable gas could be used in the pre-existing, underground network.

Associate Professor Behrooz Bahrani, from Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering at Monash’s Faculty of Engineering, said that the severe storm, amplified by a global temperature increase of 1.5°C, underscored the need to integrate renewable energy into Australia’s grid.

“Building on the urgency highlighted by Victoria’s power outages, it’s clear that accelerating the adoption of renewables is not just an environmental imperative but a strategic necessity for energy security. The transition to green energy sources is key to mitigating future climate risks and ensuring a sustainable power supply,” Bahrani said.

“The challenge now is not only to embrace renewables but to master the complexities of integrating them into our existing grid. This involves advancing smart grid technologies to enhance flexibility and reliability.

As we move forward from Victoria’s storm event, our focus must be on creating a robust, adaptable energy infrastructure capable of surviving the impacts of climate change while supporting our transition to a low-carbon future,” he concluded.

Image caption: The intense storm passed over Richmond in Melbourne on 13 February 2024. Image credit: iStock.com/FiledIMAGE

Melbourne trials ambitious energy storage project

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +1100

The City of Melbourne is launching the first stage of an ambitious energy storage project that aims to accelerate the city’s transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030, while simultaneously delivering more affordable renewable energy to residents and businesses.

The pilot stage of Power Melbourne will see three battery energy storage systems — with a combined capacity of 450 kW/1 MWh — installed at Library at the Dock, Boyd Community Hub and a Council House site.

The batteries will charge during the day when there is a higher proportion of renewable energy in the grid. Stored energy from the batteries will then be released back into the grid when it’s needed most.

“Storage is the missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to providing residents and businesses with access to affordable renewable energy,” said Environment portfolio lead Councillor Rohan Leppert.

The project’s pilot phase will test the Power Melbourne model, gaining insights to inform the expansion of the battery network and retail offering in the future.

More than 85% of Melburnians surveyed by the City of Melbourne supported the installation of community batteries in their local area. The majority of residents and businesses also agreed that urgent action is needed on climate change.

Following a rigorous tender process, Origin Energy was selected to partner with the council to install and operate the batteries. This work will be undertaken by the energy company’s Origin Zero team, which works with large businesses and councils.

“Partnerships are crucial to the success of innovative projects like this — that’s why we’ve teamed up with Origin Energy to build and operate this flagship battery power network,” said Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp.

“Power Melbourne will benefit residents who live or work in apartment buildings and can’t install their own solar panels, while driving new investment and creating jobs.”

The City of Melbourne is also working with The University of Melbourne, RMIT University and inner-city councils to ensure the Power Melbourne model can be replicated across greater Melbourne and beyond. It will continue to consult with residents and businesses as it tests the initial network.

All three batteries in the Power Melbourne pilot network are expected to be installed by mid-2024.

Image credit: iStock.com/2630ben

Bat-related outages still a problem in SA

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +1100

Adelaide’s rapidly growing grey-headed flying fox colony continues to present a challenge for SA Power Networks, especially at this time of year. From late January to early April, a new brood of young get on the move, causing a large number of bat-related outages.

Customers can experience either extended outages when an animal gets caught on powerlines, or short ‘momentary’ outages, as equipment reconnects power after an animal temporarily contacts overhead powerlines.

These outages tend to occur in the early hours of the morning when the young tire while foraging for food and land on electricity pole tops for a rest.

SA Power Networks said it had been consulting with animal and environmental experts on potential options to minimise the number of outages while also protecting the flying foxes.

“In 2023, we had more than 55 instances of ‘sustained’ bat-related outages, impacting about 72,000 customers, with numerous additional momentary outages,” said Head of Corporate Affairs Paul Roberts.

“Given the rapid growth of the colony now totalling about 46,000 animals, we expect the number of outages to increase in early 2024 as juvenile bats become more active and forage for food. This is a significant issue for us and our customers, though thankfully most outages occur in the early hours of the morning while most of us are sleeping.”

Bat-related outages occur randomly across the metropolitan area and in the state’s south-east, where a second colony has formed.

In response, SA Power Networks crews are continuing to install animal guards on high-voltage (HV) powerline pole tops at locations where bat-related outages have occurred, as well as whenever other work is being undertaken on poles.

“Installation of the animal guards is now business as usual when undertaking pole-top work. We also have a program underway to install additional switch points on powerlines, which has helped reduce the number of customers impacted when these bat-related outages occur,” Roberts said.

“We will do everything we can to minimise the impact, but given the colonies are growing and we have hundreds of thousands of poles, we have a lot of work to do over the next decade installing animal guards and covering more of our powerlines to be able to significantly reduce what tend to be randomly located bat-related outages.”

SA Power Networks is installing animal guards to reduce power outages caused by animals.

Top image credit: iStock.com/CraigRJD

Safety breach leads to electric shocks

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +1100

In August 2022, an electrical line worker and a second-year apprentice line worker travelled to Gorge Rock — around 250 km east of Perth — to repair a fire-damaged network power pole for Western Power.

Prior to beginning work, the line worker, Darren Scott Hardy, had completed safety paperwork, including certification that protective earths were fitted to the power poles. These earths protect line workers against contact with live electricity if the installation becomes unexpectedly energised.

A court heard that the apprentice climbed a ladder and reported he had received an electric shock while removing wires from the damaged pole. He then adjusted the ladder and returned to work, but sustained another electric shock — this time falling unconscious with burns on his hands and knees.

Hardy drove the apprentice to Kondinin Hospital and from there the injured worker was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital. He later required several skin grafts.

A Western Power investigation found Hardy did not follow mandatory work practices outlined in the network operator’s safety rules. Despite Hardy’s certification, earths had not been fitted to the power poles. The apprentice was not wearing adequate protective clothing and a required test was not carried out to ensure the site was de-energised.

At Narrogin Magistrates Court on 23 January 2024, Hardy pleaded guilty to breaching WA’s electricity network safety laws following prosecution by the safety regulator Building and Energy.

Hardy had contravened the Electricity (Network Safety) Regulations 2015 by failing to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that a prescribed activity carried on a network was carried out safely. In addition to a $10,500 fine, Hardy was ordered to pay $439.24 in costs.

Magistrate Erin O’Donnell acknowledged Hardy’s guilty plea, remorse and lack of other workplace incidents, noting he was no longer working at Western Power. Nevertheless, she emphasised the need for general deterrence, because “shortcuts cannot be taken when it comes to avoiding electric shock” due to the serious outcomes.

WA’s Director of Energy Safety, Saj Abdoolakhan, said the apprentice was incredibly fortunate to have avoided a more serious or even fatal injury. “There is no place for complacency when the stakes are so high,” he said.

“It is unacceptable to sign off documentation without completing the corresponding tasks, especially when supervising an apprentice. In this case, straightforward checks would have highlighted the danger before anyone was placed at risk.”

Image credit: iStock.com/SteveLuker

Ukrainian utility opts for Australian switchgear

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +1100

Ukrainian utility CEK, based in Dnipro in the country’s east, has installed reclosers from Australian company NOJA Power in order to minimise outage durations for disrupted power assets.

Pole-mounted reclosers are devices used to protect and control the electricity distribution grid. This technology allows Ukrainian utilities to rebuild damaged portions of their network, while minimising outages when faults or further damage occurs.

With support from local NOJA Power distributor Recloser LLC, the utility developed innovative techniques for installation of these reclosers, connecting the switchgear to transmission network poles via underground cables.

NOJA Power’s OSM Recloser, which is used in over 105 countries, is designed for operation in harsh environmental conditions, with build options to -60°C. With this capability, it is well able to stand up to Ukrainian winters.

The OSM Recloser is also a modular designed product, with modular spares that can be changed in the field. This means that damaged units can be rapidly brought back to service through minor part replacement, without the need for specialist tools.

“Congratulations to CEK on the innovative use of our products to increase reliability for their customers and safety for their staff,” said NOJA Power Group Managing Director Neil O’Sullivan.

Image caption: Traffic light and power pole in the city of Dnipro, Ukraine. Image credit: iStock.com/Victoria Kotlyarchuk

1000 NSW energy workers walk off job

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +1100

More than 1000 workers from energy generator Transgrid and distributor Endeavour Energy are striking for 24 hours while calling for a pay rise in line with inflation.

From 9.30 am, Thursday, 8 February, Electrical Trades Union members are rallying at Parramatta Square for a wage deal that keeps pace with the living costs that have skyrocketed since the pandemic.

The ETU reported that at Endeavour Energy, wages have risen 10.5% since 2019 while inflation is up 18%. At Transgrid, wages have only increased 8% over the same period. In contrast, Endeavour Energy’s corporate overhead costs are in excess of 400% for the same period, the ETU said.

“These privatised energy operators are raking it in, while workers’ pay has plummeted in real terms,” said ETU NSW/ACT Secretary Allen Hicks.

“Workers simply cannot afford to keep going backwards. Pay rises have moved at half the rate of inflation. Take home pay is shrinking.”

The protected industrial action will push out the companies’ maintenance backlog and disrupt operations, including at Transgrid’s 900 km, $2.3 billion electricity interconnector, EnergyConnect.

“We’ll continue ramping up industrial action until these bosses agree to sit down and agree to a pay deal that recognises the surging cost of living,” Hicks said.

“The deal we are after for members will help energy workers catch up. Inflation is coming under control, and workers need a fair go.”

Endeavour Energy operates the electrical network from Ulladulla in the NSW Shoalhaven region up to Waterfall and western Sydney. It is partly privatised, with the NSW Government retaining a 49.6% stake. Transgrid was privatised in 2015. Its largest owners are the Utilities Trust of Australia, Spark Infrastructure and Tawreed Investments.

Electrician fined after leaving live switchboard in classroom

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +1100

An electrician contracted to install air-conditioning units at a Sunshine Coast school has been fined for leaving a live switchboard exposed in a classroom.

The contractor had been instructed to cease work in one of the temporary classrooms, but he ignored the instruction and started live testing on the switchboard inside.

For a short period of time, he left the live switchboard unattended, with the escutcheon panel removed and live terminals exposed.

QBuild officers who were at the school at the same time saw the switchboard open and reported the offence to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.

The electrician pleaded guilty to offences under the Electrical Safety Act including failing to conduct his business in a way that was electrically safe and exposing individuals to risk of death or injury.

The presiding magistrate noted this was a serious offence as schoolchildren who are “naturally inquisitive” and “unpredictable beings” could easily have been exposed to risk.

Mitigating factors in the case included an early guilty plea and the fact that this was a first offence. The defendant also voluntarily agreed to undertake a retraining course, and further courses mandated by the Electrical Licensing Committee at a cost of $1000, as an expression of genuine remorse.

Based on the mitigating factors presented, Magistrate McLaughlin said that he would ordinarily have sentenced the defendant to a $15,000–$20,000 fine. However, taking into account the defendant’s very limited income over several years, which the magistrate equated to “minimum wage” earnings, he imposed a fine of $10,000. No conviction was recorded.

Image credit: iStock.com/wesvandinter

Sydney lab showcases liquid cooling for data centres

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +1100

Data centres consume approximately 1% of all electricity generated globally, or about 200 terawatt hours per year. Much of this power consumption comes from cooling and environmental control requirements, as the server CPU and GPUs used for cloud computing generate large amounts of heat. As server chips become more powerful in coming years, the energy needed to cool them will also increase.

In order to address this issue, Australian-owned and -operated cloud service provider ResetData has opened a test and simulation lab for its liquid-cooled data centre server technology in the Sydney CBD.

Operated in collaboration with infrastructure from Dell Technologies and Intel, it is one of the first facilities in the Asia–Pacific region capable of testing and simulating workloads in a liquid-cooled environment, allowing local businesses to access more sustainable, high-performance infrastructure as a service (IaaS) for demanding applications including artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Traditional data centres use air cooling, requiring high-performance air conditioning to maintain an optimum temperature. Those data centres also consume large amounts of water as part of their operation.

ResetData uses immersion cooling, which suspends the server racks and their processors in liquid. By using liquid cooling, the company reportedly delivers an approximate 45% reduction in CO₂ emissions as well as an estimated 40% reduction in overall cloud cooling computing costs to end users compared to traditional air-cooled data centres.

“The reality is, traditional data centres consume a lot more energy than they should,” said ResetData co-founder and Managing Director Bass Salah.

“By working with high-performance technology providers such as Dell Technologies and Intel, we are developing the next generation of data centre technology at our test and simulation lab. We’re able to showcase how the partnership between the technology and cooling system uses far less power and water than traditional solutions, yet is still able to meet customer needs for high-performance cloud workloads, like artificial intelligence and machine learning.”

According to ResetData, liquid cooling has the additional benefit of reducing the overall size of the data centre due to the efficiency of the cooling technology. This leads to lower real estate expenditure and allows data centres to be located in places not otherwise suitable for traditional data centre infrastructure.

Image caption: ResetData co-founders Marcel Zalloua and Bass Salah at the ResetData Test Lab.

Qld to amend electrical safety laws

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +1100

The Queensland Government intends to significantly strengthen the state’s electrical safety laws following a 2023 review of Queensland’s Electrical Safety Act 2002.

The review and subsequent public discussion paper, which involved extensive consultation with industry, registered unions and the community, had a particular focus on the electrical risks posed by emerging technologies.

“Queensland’s Electrical Safety Act was introduced in 2002 and the way we use and interact with electricity has changed dramatically since then,” said Minister for Industrial Relations Grace Grace.

“The amendments we are proposing will ensure the Act stays ahead of rapidly evolving electrical technology, keeping safety front and centre so we can enjoy the benefits it brings.”

The government intends to legislate to expand the definition of “electrical equipment” to include some high-risk extra-low-voltage items; consultation identified items such as solar PV modules and some lithium-ion batteries as being of particular risk.

It is also seeking to update the definition of “electrical installation” to ensure it covers modern energy generation systems, as well as new and emerging technologies such as battery energy storage systems.

Additionally, a working group will be established to ensure the legislative definition of “electrical work” is clear, fit for purpose and adaptable to ongoing technological advancements.

Separate to the review, a roundtable chaired by the Commissioner for Electrical Safety has been convened to consider safety improvements for those who work on electric vehicles, with outcomes to be referred for national consideration later this year.

For more information, visit https://www.oir.qld.gov.au/public-consultation/electrical-safety-act-2002-review.

Image credit: iStock.com/zstockphotos