Busselton, Western Australia

The CellCube FB10-100 was installed at an agricultural property south of Busselton in 2016.

The FB10-100 can deliver 10kW of power and stores 100kWh of energy. It is a fully integrated containerised vanadium flow battery (VFB), and was the first of its kind to be installed in Western Australia. The CellCube was installed alongside a 15kW solar PV (photovoltaic) system, allowing the client to store their unused solar energy and for use when solar power is unavailable.

The storage capacity of 100kWh means up to 10 hours of power can be provided. The client expects to be up to 90% self-sufficient for their power needs, but will remain connected to the grid.

The property previously received grid electricity from a Western Power single-phase power line. The client operates an irrigated native tree nursery. They are also planning new developments that will incorporate additional residential and commercial elements and increase the amount of power required, including the need for 3-phase power. To best meet these increased power requirements, the client decided to install a 15kW solar PV system, (expandable to 30kW), attached to a CellCube FB10-100 VFB system.

The CellCube battery meets Western Power SWIN (South West Interconnected Network) standards. The system configuration allows the existing single phase Western Power line to stay in place, with the battery able to deliver 3-phase power to the site. The CellCube FB10-100 battery is capable of being charged by the solar PV system, as well as from the grid in off-peak hours if required.

In a 2019 interview, the property’s owner shared her experience with the VFB: