Tesla Commercial Battery Storage Provides 100% Renewable Energy to Townsville Catholic Diocese

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A north Queensland solar and storage project will install 8MWh of Tesla battery storage, in a bid to power the Townsville Catholic Diocese with 100% renewables. The project received the blessing of the Pope.

Queensland-based commercial solar company GEM Energy has won a tender to supply Tesla battery systems with a total capacity of 5.1MW of solar power at 27 sites owned by the Townsville Catholic Education Office, One Step Off The Grid reported.

The project is worth over $20 million. It aims to use a blend of behind-the-meter PV generation, storage, and the remaining balance of grid-based energy through an off-take agreement with a renewable generator.

Tesla batteries will also be powered by smart management software that will operate as a virtual powerhouse with FCAS market participation from the end of 2020, generating a significant steady stream of revenue. Thanks to revenues from solar, storage and FCAS, the project is expected to pay back some schools in less than 5 years.

Source: Townsville Catholic Diocese

“This holistic strategy effectively hedges electricity costs for at least the next 10 years but more crucially, it will help break important environmental milestones,” said GEM Energy CEO Jack Hooper in a statement.

“Rethinking how energy is generated and procured shows real commitment to the messages in Laudato Si’, a key Catholic belief of a broader commitment to caring for our common home. ”

Laudato Si is Pope Francis' encyclical--or letter--sent in 2015 to the world's 5,000 Catholic bishops and 400,000 priests, calling for “swift and unified global action” on climate change, including through the adoption of renewable energy.

Article edited by @SmokeyShorts, you can follow him on Twitter