Pilot study targets solar and battery access for apartments

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra, with Sydney-headquartered clean tech companies Voltval and JT Solar Technology, is conducting a Sydney-based pilot study to deploy and test an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered modular power portal system (MPPS) to improve energy flow between apartments.

Answering the need of 2.5 million Australian apartment dwellers nationwide, including one in three in NSW where just 3.5% of apartment dwellers have access to rooftop solar, and regulatory hurdles render plug-in balcony solar systems illegal, the pilot is using an MPPS developed by Voltval and JT Solar Technology, which forecasts energy generation and demand, coordinates distributed energy resources, and balances electricity flows between apartments in real-time.

The pilot will involve multiple sites across Sydney, including commercial and residential sites.

Backed by a AUD 1.2 million ($830,000) grant from the Australian Department of Education’s (DoE’s) Trailblazer Recycling & Clean Energy (TRaCE) program, the UNSW Canberra researchers’ advanced AI layer will better predict and improve energy use across multiple properties, making the platform smarter, more efficient and ready for real-world use.

UNSW Canberra School of Systems and Computing Project Co-lead Associate Professor Huadong Mo said their work is expected to increase use of renewable energy and lower operating costs for participating buildings by as much as 30%.

“The next phase of Australia’s clean energy transition will depend on ensuring that apartment residents can participate in the benefits of distributed energy resources,” Mo said.

JT Solar Technology Director Jason Jiangang Xiao said the UNSW partnership gives the research depth to properly validate what has been built and the confidence to take it to market.

“The same barriers holding back clean energy adoption in Sydney’s apartments and strata developments exist in dense urban environments worldwide,” Xiao said.

“We believe the MPPS can help rapidly decarbonize buildings at scale and contribute to a more resilient and inclusive energy future.” 

The pilot is also made possible through the contributions of other key partners including Beaumont Strata Management, Ocean Building Management, Piper Alderman, SAJ Electric, Squared-X and One Stop Warehouse.