Going off-grid with solar storage solutionsCase study

BAI CommunicationsBringing the connection to your world

“The longer-term outcome of this

project will prove beneficial for

our customers in many ways, as

we’ll be able to provide them

with a lower carbon footprint,

more cost certainty and

improved reliability against the

grid in remote locations.”

JIm Hassell

CEO BAI COMMUNICATIONS

The project

BAI Communications (BAI) and solar power

solutions provider Photon Energy have joined

forces to trial a renewable energy based

solution to powering one to BAI’s television

and radio broadcast antennas, located in the

small regional town of Muswellbrook, New

South Wales.

The trial has the potential to transform

hundreds of remote communications

infrastructure sites into more sustainable, cost-

effective and reliable services.

BAI and Photon Energy – with funding from

the German Energy Agency (dena) – is

replacing the former grid-linked power

system with a German-made, 215kWh solar

PV powered battery system which features

sufficient power generation and storage

capabilities to provide the antenna with

constant, 24-hour power.

The potential

More than 300 BAI broadcast and

telecommunication sites in regional and

remote Australia would benefit from a

successful trial. Renewable-energy powered

sites give BAI the potential to uncouple

these towers fromexternal market forces and

provide our customers with a cheaper, more

reliable service.

“The potential for solar PV in the

replacement of conventional energy

sources is substantial and will bring

cost benefits and emissions savings

for Australia in the coming years

and decades.”

Michael Gartner

PHOTON ENERGY AUSTRALIA

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Our Australian broadcast and

telecommunications infrastructure transmits

from 622 sites in metropolitan, regional

and remote locations, reaching more than

98% of the Australian population. We’re

committed to providing Australians with

cheap, reliable access to terrestrial TV, radio

and telecommunications services wherever

they are.

The solar PV system

The solar PV system powering the tower at

Muswellbrook is German-engineered and

designed, featuring:

• 96 solar panels producing 39kWp (peak power)

• 24 BAE batteries producing 215 kWh

• 3 SMA inverters

• Monitoring system

• 8kVa diesel back-up system (for emergencies)

The tower

Broadcasting and telecommunications

towers are critical pieces of communications

infrastructure, powering emergency

communications, television and radio

broadcasts, and mobile telecommunications

throughout Australia.

Location

Muswellbrook, New South Wales, approx.

250km north of Sydney

Capabilities

500km projection through medium wave

signals transmission

Services provided

Communications services including local radio

People serviced50,000

The project could improve BAI’s service delivery in four key ways:

GRID POWER(CURRENT)

1. RELIABILITY Inconsistent regular power outages

High & unpredictable expensive regional electricity and diesel prices

Low power is generated & maintenance conducted by external entities

High burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and diesel

Uninterrupted 24-hour power generation

Fixed & potentially lower power, setup and maintenance. Costs are known

High power is generated and maintained by BAI

Low to zeroharnessing renewable energy

2. OPERATIONAL COSTS

3. BAI CONTROL

4. CARBON FOOTPRINT

SOLAR POWER (FUTURE)

BAI Communications

We design, build and operate highly available

communications networks – broadcast, radio,

cellular, Wi-Fi, digital - for our customers

across the globe. We are keeping people

connected with information, entertainment

and each other, every hour of every day.

Contact

Level 10, Tower A, 799 Pacific Highway

Chatswood NSW 2067

AUSTRALIA

Phone: +61 2 8113 4600

www.baicommunications.com

Photon Energy

Photon Energy NV is a global solar power

solutions and services company with five

divisions of expertise that together cover the

entire lifecycle of solar power systems.

www.photonenergy.com

www.dena.de

www.renewables-made-in-germany.com

This project is part of the worldwide dena

Renewable Energy Solutions Programme

coordinated by Deutsche Energie-Agentur

GmbH (dena) – the German Energy

Agency – and co-financed by the German

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs

and Energy (BMWi) within the initiative

“renewables – Made in Germany”.