GemLife Virtual Power Plant, Australia
The Challenge
GemLife is an over-50s lifestyle resort developer creating high-end residential estates along the East Coast of Australia. GemLife required a solution that would better utilise the power being generated by the solar arrays on home and facility rooftops to reduce resort running costs and provide lower electricity bills for homeowners.
The Solution
Prospecta Utilities created a solution that turned a cost center – supply and installation of solar panels – into an income-producing resource while fulfilling the brief of reducing resort running costs and electricity bills for homeowners. The Virtual Power Plant links rooftop solar to a bank of commercial-grade batteries using smart AI-driven technology which predicts demand for energy use by the resort and the external electricity grid.
“The Virtual Power Plants shield our homeowners from soaring electricity prices, offering bill consistency, which is vitally important for our residents, the majority of whom are on fixed incomes. This renewable energy insets a new benchmark for the development industry, and particularly land lease communities, when it comes to forward-thinking sustainable design, and we hope the broader industry will follow suit.”
Adrian Puljich – Director & CEO
Estate-wide Connectivity
Risk – Reduced exposure to price and supply fluctuations in the electricity grid. Provides greater control over energy supply, ensuring uninterrupted operations even during power outages.
Efficiency – Real-time monitoring of electricity usage includes evaluation of weather conditions.
Community – Dwelling owners receive low or no-cost electricity bills.
Environment – The VPP makes GemLife communities up to 90 percent energy independent using renewable electricity generation and demonstrates responsible environmental stewardship.