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ENERGY MANAGEMENT MARK HOOPER – EXECUTIVE PROJECT MANAGER, ECHUCA REGIONAL HEALTH, AUSTRALIA


Virtual power plant –a hand-in-glove approach


Echuca Regional Health is widely recognised for its holistic and progressive approach to energy management and sustainability, with a proven innovation track record. The hospital is using a new approach to its backup generator testing with virtual power plant participation, where it tests its redundancy systems under true emergency conditions, and earns new revenue for supporting the power grid.


Exterior of Echuca Regional Health.


Echuca Regional Health (ERH) in regional Victoria, Australia features one of the largest solar thermal arrays in Australia, providing not only heating but also absorption cooling to the hospital’s high efficiency HVAC system, 1.2MW of thermal energy storage which is utilised for peak demand management, and a new 500kW solar photovoltaic array that is currently underway.


ERH has also been utilising its backup


generators to participate in a virtual power plant (VPP) – a collection of distributed energy assets including backup generators, batteries, and flexible


loads that work together to provide additional dispatchable capacity to the grid – since 2017. VPPs are called into operation for


short durations when large power stations suddenly fail, when demand outweighs supply, or when climatic events threaten grid stability.


VPP participation is a natural fit for the hospital, helping it to enhance site resilience in the face of a weakening grid, and earn a significant new revenue stream which can be reinvested into backup power infrastructure to further enhance system reliability.


Mark Hooper


Mark Hooper has been the executive project manager at Echuca Regional Health (ERH) since 2004 and has over 20 years’


experience in engineering and infrastructure management. He has provided guidance and leadership to the board and


executive and has overseen the hospital’s capital redevelopment requirements from master planning through to construction. Mark’s role has involved engagement with the Department of Health and Human Services and external consultants together with the local community, staff and patients at ERH.


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Protection from unplanned grid disruptions The rapid uptake of renewable energy and retirement of coal fired power plants is impacting grid reliability. Now more than ever, the grid needs additional flexible capacity from alternate sources such as VPPs to help stabilise the grid, reduce power prices and prevent broader power outages. For hospitals, VPP participation provides a unique benefit of advanced notification of potential grid disruptions. We expect the grid to be reliable and clearly it is not. We need to ensure our facility is available for its core purpose of providing primary healthcare 24-7-365. With participation we get advanced warning of instability on the grid, which is an advantage because it means we can prepare for a grid event and do not have to experience a break in power if an outage occurs. We view VPP participation as another


way of keeping our patients safe, because there is not going to be an interruption to power if we know that there is a response request coming. It allows us to fire up our generator and get off the grid.


IFHE DIGEST 2021


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