Port of Brisbane has signed a new contract that will allow it to continue sharing excess solar across its sites through a Virtual Energy Network (VEN) for a further 33 months.
Momentum Energy’s VEN leverages the Enosi Powertracer Platform to facilitate the seamless virtual transfer of the benefits of locally generated solar energy across Port of Brisbane sites.
The VEN enables commercial and industrial customers to virtually “share” the benefits of their excess solar between multiple sites, financially offsetting their energy consumption from the grid. The VEN is expected to soon be available to small business customers as well.
Momentum Energy’s VEN is particularly suited for organisations that produce more solar than they can use at a single location and want to “share” that across locations that can’t host a solar array; that want to reduce power costs with solar; and that prefer to trade their own solar than purchase and transfer large scale generation certificates (LGCs).
The Port of Brisbane is Momentum Energy’s first VEN customer. When Port of Brisbane built its International Cruise Terminal in 2020, it installed an 800kW rooftop solar system, which generated more electricity than it could use at the passenger terminal.
Under the VEN, Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd (PBPL) can now virtually share the benefits of that locally generated solar across its other PBPL-operated sites at the Port.
Momentum Energy said that instead of Port of Brisbane receiving a small feed-in tariff, the utility financially offsets that excess solar production against the energy used at other PBPL-operated sites, which has led to significant energy cost savings and greater utilisation of solar generated.
Port of Brisbane Executive General Manager Sustainability & Corporate Relations, Brendan Connell, said PBPL was pleased with how the initial phase had progressed and had extended its contract with Momentum Energy for a further 33 months.
“The Virtual Energy Network is an innovative but easy to use tool to more effectively utilise our onsite solar assets.
“When we built the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal, we installed an 800kW rooftop solar system but it generated more electricity – around 1,400MWh – than we were able to use at the terminal itself.
“Now the VEN is established, we’re sharing the benefits of that solar power across our own facilities. It’s supporting our net zero ambitions and demonstrating our sustainability commitment to our customers and stakeholders.”
Momentum Energy Managing Director, Lisa Chiba, said that while the Port of Brisbane VEN was about maximising the benefits of an existing solar installation, other businesses might utilise a VEN to invest in larger solar arrays than originally planned.
“With a faster return on investment, Momentum Energy’s VEN might incentivise C&I customers to invest in solar on a much larger scale than they normally would.
“Momentum Energy is proud to support our C&I customers embrace the benefits of large scale solar and help them play a part in the energy transition.”
Momentum Energy said that the VEN uses the Enosi Powertracer Platform, which delivers solar energy traceability, running on data collected from smart meters at all sites, matched every 30 minutes.
Participation in the VEN is currently open to eligible commercial and industrial customers who have an energy contract with Momentum Energy. In the Port of Brisbane’s case, they have a corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) through which they purchase renewable energy certificates (LGCs) from the Granville Harbour Wind Farm in Tasmania.
Featured image: An image of the solar installation at Port of Brisbane. Image credit: Momentum Energy.
