Renewable energy solution reduced cost for food and beverage maker

The production operations of nutritional food and beverage manufacturer Noumi were being challenged by fluctuations in the quality of power from the network. Small and very short duration (sub one second) disturbances in voltage can disrupt critical processes resulting in high-cost wastage and lost production. Noumi was seeking a solution to isolate its critical production operations from these supply fluctuations.

The challenge was compounded by the fact that the low-voltage electrical system was at capacity, so any solution needed to operate on the high-voltage supply. Noumi was also looking to surpass the requirements set out in its internal sustainability plan to reduce the environmental impact associated with its business activities.

The solution

Acacia Energy, with expert support from its Engineering Procurement and Construction partner AEES Group, completed a detailed analysis of Noumi’s situation and developed a bespoke solution comprising:

• 2 MWh of Tesla battery storage
• Voltage optimisation
• 8 MW of solar PV

The battery storage system and voltage optimisation equipment work together to protect Noumi’s critical production operations from supply fluctuations. This complex high-voltage installation sits behind the meter but in front of the user’s transformer, identifying and remediating power fluctuations before they enter the low-voltage system.

Acacia Energy’s analysis also identified that a 3.8 MW solar system was ideally suited to Noumi’s facility. This solar system provides charge for the Tesla battery storage as well as displacing expensive grid-sourced energy, delivering significant operating cost reductions. The solar system also provides a substantial contribution to Noumi’s CO₂ reduction targets. At the time of installation, 3.8 MW of solar PV was claimed to be the largest behind the meter rooftop solar PV installation in the country.

The result

Acacia Energy’s renewable energy solution for Noumi delivered a threefold impact in the first year:

1. The combination of the Tesla battery and the voltage optimisation equipment protected critical operations from the impact of supply quality disturbances on five occasions, substantially improving the operational efficiency of the plant.
2. The 3.8 MW rooftop solar PV offset 5589 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.
3. Noumi’s electricity costs were reduced by $1.5m.