August 16, 2023

Endeavour Energy and University of Wollongong extend partnership to reach 30-year milestone focused on clean energy solutions

Endeavour Energy announced it has signed a new three-year agreement with the University of Wollongong, to reach a 30-year partnership milestone.

The agreement with the University’s Australian Power Quality Research Centre (APQRC) will involve new research focused on driving improvements to customer-led renewable energy solutions, that will support Endeavour Energy’s transition to a clean energy grid while ensuring a safe and reliable electricity supply for customers.

The continuation of the partnership was announced at the Illawarra Clean Energy Summit and Expo on Monday, hosted by Business Illawarra, Endeavour Energy and Oceanex. The summit presented expert discussions on opportunities for making the Illawarra a future clean energy, renewables and clean manufacturing powerhouse.

Chief Executive Officer, Guy Chalkley, said the extension of the partnership until 2025, would enable Endeavour Energy to leverage the latest research, technology and data to build the foundations of a rapidly evolving electricity network.

“As the electricity distribution network that’s been powering Wollongong for more than 100 years, we regularly engage with our customers to understand their changing energy needs and priorities. We know from extensive research that our customers value resilience, reliability, affordability, and planning now for a future grid is a priority. This partnership will help us deliver better renewable energy solutions for our customers while ensuring our grid is prepared for the rapid energy transition taking place,” he said.

“Universities are at the forefront of research into renewable energy, and this collaboration will help us develop solutions so our customers can confidently and affordably move to an electrified clean energy future.”

Mr Chalkley praised the enduring partnership that has delivered critical programs for Endeavour Energy which include vital modelling to build an electricity network that can host the rapid uptake of renewable energy from solar expected over the coming years.

“There is a long list of impactful initiatives that have come from this collaboration including the centre’s work in helping us develop the Customer Energy Resource (CER) strategy, a critical component that is helping our network connect renewable energy. We were able to leverage this work in the development of the first community microgrid of its kind in NSW, at Bawley Point and Kioloa, which will be operational by the end of this year,” he said.

“This is such a critical partnership and I look forward to the exciting work we will deliver together over the next three years to help us drive our aggressive road map to decarbonise the grid.”

Since the partnership’s inception, the APQRC has trained more than 100 Endeavour Energy employees in the integration of renewable energy technologies into electricity supply through projects including evaluating the impact and performance of solar inverters. It has also delivered an extensive suite of research, data and analytics for Endeavour Energy’s research and development projects.

UOW Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Patricia M Davidson, said the partnership reaffirmed one of the University’s strongest ties to industry and acknowledged the first and only power quality research centre in Australia, which is recognised globally.

“The APQRC is a shining example of the power of collaboration for the benefit of customers, the community and industry,” Professor Davidson said.

“Robust partnerships between academia and business are essential to Australia’s move towards a green energy future.

Over the next three years Endeavour Energy and APQRC will work together on future grid projects that include the network impacts of electric vehicles, microgrids, energy storage, and building energy resilient communities.

About Endeavour Energy

• Endeavour Energy is one of Australia’s best performing electricity distributors, powering some of Australia fastest growing regions and sustaining jobs and lifestyles of 2.7 million Australians. We first turned the lights on in Wollongong over 100 years ago and are now rapidly transitioning from a traditional network business to a business that is known for its innovative, customer-centred approach to lighting homes and streets, powering businesses, keeping communities safe, driving economic growth, and facilitating the rapid adoption of clean energy technology.
• Endeavour Energy’s network spans more than 25,000 sq km and includes communities in the Illawarra and South Coast of NSW, Blue Mountains to Greater Western Sydney and the Southern Highlands.
• We are delivering the first community microgrid of its kind in NSW in Bawley Point and Kioloa on the NSW South Coast to ensure energy resilience in these coastal communities.
• Our critical electricity infrastructure includes more than 430,000 power poles and streetlight columns, 207 major substations and 32,600 distribution substations connected by nearly 60,600 Kms.  The network also integrated with renewable energy sources, including 220,000 residential solar connections, industrial solar and large-scale batteries.
• We are transforming the way we plan, design, and build electricity networks to ensure we can enable our customers access to the grid of the future. By 2030, 1 in every 2 households will have solar on their roof and 1 in every 4 households will have an EV.

About Australian Power Quality Research Centre

• The Australian Power Quality Research Centre (APQRC) at the University of Wollongong's Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC) is an internationally recognised centre of excellence which supports research, education and consulting in distribution and transmission system power quality, reliability and renewable energy systems.
• The focus of the APQRC is to work in conjunction with industry to improve the quality and reliability of electricity supply for the benefit of all consumers. This focus is achieved through education, research and consulting activities.