Home / Uses / Backup power for businesses on Kangaroo Island

Island businesses at the end of a long line

Kangaroo Island's tourism and food businesses depend on a power supply that reaches them from the mainland, and on long rural lines across the island. This page looks at hydrogen backup for them.

Long lines and fire weather

Much of the island is served by long rural lines through farmland and bush. In fire weather, lines can be switched off to reduce ignition risk, and storms can bring them down. The Black Summer bushfires showed how quickly island communities can be cut off. For a farm stay, a cellar door or a cafe, an outage in peak season means lost bookings, spoiled stock and guests in the dark.

What it would keep running

Guest accommodation hot water and lights
Tank water pumps
Cellar door fridges and coffee machine
EFTPOS and internet
Kitchen refrigeration

What a tourism business needs

A farm stay or boutique lodge runs hot water, refrigeration, lighting, water pumps from tanks and the internet that guests expect. A cellar door adds wine fridges, a coffee machine and EFTPOS. A 15 kW system covers that mix, with an instant switch-over so nothing resets when the line drops, then the fuel cell carries on from stored hydrogen.

A winery's crush equipment and large refrigeration plant during vintage draw much more than 15 kW. That part of the operation would need a larger setup sized in the pilot, or another solution, and we would say so before anyone spends money on it.

How it works →

The H2OME loop: an electrolyser splits water into hydrogen, the hydrogen is stored in a tank for weeks, a fuel cell turns it into electricity for your home, and the water returns to the loop.

Charging and cost

On the grid, the system charges on off-peak power and holds hydrogen at 30 bar or less for weeks. Properties with a wind turbine or a stream with fall can charge from those too. Round trip efficiency is 30% or less, so this is about keeping trading through outages, not about lowering power bills.

Questions

Can it run through a fire danger power shutdown?

That is exactly the kind of outage it is designed for, switching over instantly and running from stored hydrogen. It would be sited with fire risk in mind, in a cleared, protected spot agreed with the installer and following local fire guidance for the property.

Will it run a winery during vintage?

Not the whole winery. Crushers, presses and large refrigeration plants draw far more than 15 kW. It suits a cellar door, office and accommodation. Vintage processing would need a larger setup sized in the pilot, or a different approach.

Can it charge from wind on the island?

Yes, wind is one of its designed charging sources. The turbine would need to produce enough to cover round trip losses of 30% or less, which a measured wind assessment on the property would confirm before any install.

Elsewhere

Every use →

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