Utility Magazine February 2019

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AFROM THE EDITOR

ustralia’s future energy system, like many others around the world, is expected to look very different to the one currently in place.

This transformation is being driven not just by energy policy, but by broader trends in technology and digitisation, as well as consumer desire for security and lower costs of living.

To help drive this change, a WA Economics and Industry Standing Committee has been formed to investigate and report on the emergence and impact of microgrids and associated technologies, in both metropolitan and regional WA.

The committee is expected to report on the potential for microgrids (and associated technologies) to contribute to the provision of affordable, secure, reliable and sustainable energy supply and is due to table its findings by 28 March 2019.

Deloitte’s 2017 Innovation in Electricity Networks report recognised the state’s two network operators (Western Power and Horizon Power) as leaders in electricity network innovation.

In this edition of Utility, we have a piece from Horizon Power’s Technical Visionary, David Edwards, discussing the utility’s deployment of Australia’s first fully fledged Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) into three of its 38 regional microgrids, as it begins the next phase of its evolution as a manager of Advanced Microgrids.

Horizon Power isn’t the only utility embracing technological innovation either. Evoenergy, which operates and maintains the ACT electricity and gas network, is undertaking a Gas-Plus Smart Home Trial, which will gather gas consumption data from a number of different household appliances, and information on the home’s external and internal climate condition.

This trial highlights forward-thinking, change-embracing and innovative new systems for the collection of previously unseen data. Big data is one of the

major features in this edition of Utility, and in addition to Evoenergy’s exciting project, we also have an excellent article from Accenture on how data is key to winning over tech-savvy consumers who are demanding faster and more personalised services.

From a water perspective, South East Queensland bulk water provider, Seqwater, is discovering the benefits of drone technology, particularly in assisting with asset and water catchment management. Sydney Water also outlines the different technologies it is using to manage its networks, including artificial intelligence and advanced robotics.

Emerging technologies are one of the themes of our upcoming event, Digital Utilities 2019 , which is being held from 21-22 March in Melbourne.

The full program is now available and features a range of thought-leading presentations from some of Australia’s most innovative water and energy companies. The four targeted streams will provide opportunities for interesting and lively discussion around the key challenges and solutions related to digitisation, with some of the most respected figures in the industry sharing their insights.

Many utilities see the digital revolution as a threat to their business model, but massive opportunities await those ready for transformation, such as improved efficiency, lower costs and a more satisfied customer base.

At Digital Utilities 2019 , delegates will hear from the industry’s leaders — those who are taking the action required to turn their organisations into modern, dynamic utilities, equipped to provide customers with the services they expect, at the times they demand and at a price they are prepared to pay.

I look forward to seeing you at the event and celebrating the winners of the 2019 Digital Utility Awards together.

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A WORD FROM ENERGY NETWORKS AUSTRALIA

ANDREW DILLON CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER – ENERGY NETWORKS AUSTRALIA

The rise of solar PV in Australia has been blamed for high electricity voltage levels. While high penetration of solar does present challenges for networks, it is certainly not the only issue.

Voltage is a bit like pressure in a water pipe. It’s not surprising that voltage/pressure varies across different parts of the network, as the voltage at an individual house depends on its distance from the distribution substation or pole top transformer. Customers close to the substation or transformer will be supplied with voltages at the higher end of the allowable range to ensure customers further away can be supplied with voltage above the minimum allowed voltage — especially at peak times.

THE CHALLENGE OF SOLAR FOR NETWORKS

It is a priority for networks to keep pace with the increasing numbers of solar homeowners wanting to connect and export surplus energy back into the grid, but some of these customers occasionally find their inverters cut out due to higher voltages. Networks are being asked to rectify the situation, but it is difficult to manage the voltage variations caused by solar PV exports and at the same time cater for high demand at non-export peak times.

In locations where solar PV penetration levels are high, careful planning is undertaken and every connection request is carefully considered to take into account current network capacity limitations. In a small number of cases, limit exports on customer inverters are needed to ensure voltage variation remains within regulatory limits (i.e. 230V with allowances for an additional ten per cent and a reduction of six per cent).

To complicate matters further, some solar installations are exporting more than their inverter size (without agreement), which increases voltage rise within the network. There are also many thousands of solar PV connections that were installed before smart inverters were mandated, and therefore do not comply with the current Australian Standard AS 4777.

HOW ARE NETWORKS DEALING WITH EXCESS SOLAR PENETRATION?

When total customer capacity requirements on any particular feeder exceed the limit of the transformer, the traditional solution has been to upgrade the transformer. However, as we confront increasing solar PV connections across the system, this is an unacceptably costly solution

that is ultimately paid for by all customers, not just those with renewables connecting to the grid.

Smarter solutions are required, and the options include:

• Managing export limits – undertaking voltage impact assessments as part of the application process. In a small number of cases, limit exports are placed on customer inverters

• Network sensing and monitoring – networks have been applying to the Australian Energy Regulator to obtain approval to fund technology investment to provide better visibility of the distribution system, and tools that would make it easier for customers to export solar and use batteries, removing constraints where possible. This includes the possible installation of extra voltage controllers, sensors and systems to forecast and manage the low voltage network

• Smart meters – smart meters allow networks to build an analytics platform to investigate and respond to supply quality issues that may be caused by high penetration of solar on the low voltage network. While already rolled out to Victorians, accelerated roll out is needed in other jurisdictions

• Innovation – networks are undertaking a number of initiatives to better understand and plan for the expected growth in penetration of solar PV in the future using analytics, trials and smart inverters

• Forecasting and planning – networks conduct regular assessments to forecast potential growth of solar systems in certain locations and plan accordingly

• Voltage management – in areas where networks have identified voltage issues related to high penetration of solar PVs, networks try to adjust their voltage settings as much as currently practicable to manage the issue and enable the absorption of greater amounts of solar capacity

To better manage these voltage issues and integrate increasing levels of solar and storage into the system, Energy Networks Australia and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) are redesigning the management of distributed energy resources through the Open Energy Networks project. We look forward to sharing more information on this throughout 2019.

A WORD FROM WSAA

In early 2018, I visited New Zealand to discuss the WSAA submission to the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs for its reform program — Three Waters Review. After working through some of the usual issues with Colin Crampton, who leads Wellington Water in the ‘coolest little capital’ in the world, Colin leant back in his chair and said, “Well, you know there’s something bigger, something more important than customer first.” Colin went on to talk to us about:

Te mana, e te mouri, o te wai

I’m hoping to give this statement justice, but it sums up the existential powerfulness and spirituality of water to the Maori people. Ki uta ki tai: from the mountains to the sea, the unbroken water cycle, a catchment-based approach that over the years we have ‘adjusted’ from a Western perspective. Colin is deeply passionate that the reform program in New Zealand captures these core Maori beliefs in their water planning and delivery.

This is a segue into a confronting and powerful trip I made to the Northern Territory for the opening of a new water treatment facility at Borroloola. The town of Borroloola, located on the McArthur River, about 1000km from Darwin near the Gulf of Carpentaria, has a population of around 1000 people. During the wet season it can be cut off from land access for many weeks at a time. The bore field raw water available has a low pH (around 4) and high dissolved CO2, terrible to treat

and terrible for pipes.

Power and Water Corporation has been working over an extended period of time to upgrade the water quality delivered to the town. It commissioned Suez to design and construct a compact water treatment facility resilient to the ravages of the brutal climate up there. Suez did a fantastic job designing the facility, building it in Darwin, semi-commissioning the plant, taking it apart again, and transporting it to Borroloola and reassembling on site.

What impressed me the most was the engagement program Power and Water Corporation pulled together, particularly with the local school. The project manager, Eric Vanweydeveld, spent at least 18 months talking to the school and the local community about the water quality issues and ways in which the community would view the facility as part of the ‘infrastructure’ of the town, something to protect.

Eric was recently awarded Gold in the Young Project Manager of the Year Awards. What he and Power and Water Corporation have delivered is very powerful — the water treatment kit is literally covered in artwork the local kids completed at school. The artwork mostly depicts water life from the local McArthur River. Given the site is unmanned for long periods of time, and with 13 months of no vandalism, it’s been a tremendous start.

Michael Thomson, Managing Director of Power and Water Corporation, is keen to see similar models of engagement rolled out across the many other remote indigenous communities it services (together with the Department of Housing). It was a valuable visit, the kids were super excited with yo-yos, handballs, water bottles and a quick site tour, which sadly contrasted against a population with large rates of suicide and unemployment.

The local Mabunji Aboriginal Resource Indigenous Corporation has just constructed a new crèche and other vital works around the town, services that support and add to the water treatment facility to help uplift

the health of the local community. As Maria, the local indigenous school teacher (beaming with pride as she wandered around looking at the artwork), said, “It’s one less thing to worry about, one more thing to be happy about.”

The WSAA Liveable Communities Committee has been looking closely at remote and indigenous services and we are very pleased to be partnering with University of Queensland, Griffith University and the Institute of Sustainable Future to scope out remote indigenous community needs for water and sanitation through a lens of values and equity. All of these partners have been involved in the past in co-designing water programs with indigenous communities to deliver services that make a tangible difference to the health and wellbeing of these communities.

This leads us to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the commitment many WSAA members have made to achieving Goal six: Clean water and sanitation by 2030. In conjunction with the Australian Water Association and WaterAid, we are collaborating to make a difference in Australia, New Zealand and in Southeast Asia. I invite anyone to join the journey — as we work together with our indigenous communities here in Australia and embrace our own Te mana, e te mouri, o te wai

AERIAL PHOTO OF BORROLOOLA TREATMENT PLANT. POWER AND WATER CORPORATION.

WSAA announces ROSS YOUNG SCHOLARSHIP

Following the passing of Ross Young, Water Services Association of Australia’s (WSAA's) Executive Director from 2003-2011, WSAA has established the Ross Young Scholarship for its Young Utility Leaders Program.

The scholarship is a way to ensure the contribution Ross made to WSAA and the broader urban water industry is appropriately remembered. Ross was a thought leader for the national water industry, particularly during the Millennium Drought and also with the advent of the National Water Initiative. He was a passionate supporter of

WSAA members and had one of the quickest wits you would find.

WSAA’s Young Utility Leader Personal Development Program is now in its second year with six candidates currently in positions. The Ross Young Scholarship will be attached to the program and will provide participants with the opportunity to pitch to the WSAA Board on their learnings and how they would invest $5000 for future personal development.

The current six program participants will be the inaugural candidates for the scholarship.

AUSTRALIA’S FIRST 100 PER CENT HYDROGEN

ATEST FACILITY

ustralia’s first test facility to trial 100 per cent hydrogen has been welcomed by the energy industry as it prepares for hydrogen use by appliances and in existing gas distribution networks.

Energy Networks Australia CEO, Andrew Dillon, who spoke at the launch of Evoenergy’s Hydrogen Test Facility in Canberra, said hydrogen offered the prospect of zero-emission energy supplies and energy storage capacity to back up renewable power, utilising existing gas networks.

“Hydrogen is carbon free and can be produced from excess renewable energy, for example during sunny and windy days when generation is high and demand is low,” Mr Dillon said.

“This offers a stable, carbon-free energy resource that can be stored for use on demand.

“We know from our work with the CSIRO on the 2018 National Hydrogen Roadmap that hydrogen represents significant and exciting opportunities for Australia, well beyond its potential as an export fuel.”

Evoenergy and the Canberra Institute of Technology partnered to build the Hydrogen Test Facility to understand how hydrogen gas could be used in the future to power homes using the existing natural gas network.

While many gas networks are embarking on hydrogen-related projects, the Evoenergy Hydrogen Test Facility will be the first in the country to test up to 100 per cent hydrogen in household appliances.

The use of hydrogen as a household energy resource aligns with the ‘green energy’ target set by the ACT Government to reduce emissions to zero by 2045.

The need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions has seen hydrogen plans developed throughout the world.

In Europe particularly, hydrogen is growing as an energy source and as a transport fuel, with the world’s first hydrogen passenger train now operating in Germany.

Hydrogen in Australia could eventually be used for domestic cooking, heating and hot water, for

powering passenger vehicles and even public transport.

“As the Gas Vision 2050 report has demonstrated, hydrogen’s scope is impressive, with potential to widen a customer’s power options, improve and increase renewable generation and even create a new energy export market,” Mr Dillon said.

“Perhaps best of all, the sophisticated, intricate infrastructure needed for hydrogen technology already exists for us in Australia — our natural gas networks.

“Most of Australia’s gas distribution networks are compatible with hydrogen and could deliver better outcomes for Australian households and businesses, the environment and the economy,” Mr Dillon said.

“I congratulate Evoenergy and its partners who are instrumental to the innovation this facility supports.”

THE FUTURE OF MELBOURNE’S SEWERAGE SYSTEM

Greater Melbourne’s sewerage network, which has been operational for over a century, is set to see sustainable change with the introduction of resource management and recovery to support the city into the future.

The Melbourne Sewerage Strategy — collaboratively developed by Melbourne Water, City West Water, South East Water, Western Water and Yarra Valley Water — highlights the current and future challenges and opportunities for the provision of sewerage services, and outlines how the sewerage system will be managed to enhance its contribution to public health and the environment, and affordable customer services.

Melbourne is facing a number of complex challenges over the next 50 years as population grows, climate

change takes effect and the pace of urban development accelerates. Technology advancements and customer expectations will play an important role in responding to these challenges.

Using an innovative approach, the strategy includes a framework for making ‘best for community’ decisions.

Melbourne Water General Manager, Integrated Planning, Chris Williams, said that the strategy is not an infrastructure plan, rather it provides a framework for the evolution of the features and functions of the sewerage system to serve the coming generations.

“Working together, we can ensure our sewerage system is well positioned to address the challenges and opportunities of the future, remaining a valued community asset that supports

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a prosperous, liveable Melbourne,” Mr Williams said.

“With Melbourne’s population expected to more than double over the next 50 years, we need to think about the legacy we will leave future Melburnians. This strategy provides a roadmap for creating a resilient and adaptable system which will support the needs of a growing and changing community."

The strategy includes ambitious goals to support the 50-year vision for a liveable, thriving Melbourne, and describes the importance of evolving the sewerage system from one that is viewed as a waste disposal system into one which will play a critical role in sustainably managing resources such as nutrients, water and energy.

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NORTHERN GAS PIPELINE COMPLETE

Jemena’s 622km Northern Gas Pipeline (NGP) has been completed, allowing the transport of gas from Northern Territory gas fields to Mount Isa in north-west Queensland.

The transported gas will be used as a crucial feedstock by local businesses — including Incitec Pivot Limited’s Phosphate Hill and Gibson Island Facilities, as well as mining and other commercial operations throughout Queensland’s north west.

Commercial operations were due to commence between 29 December 2018 and 10 January 2019.

Jemena’s Managing Director, Frank Tudor, said that around 80 per cent of the NGP’s capacity has been contracted; testament to the real need for additional gas across Australia’s east coast.

“Today we have taken a significant

step towards ensuring Australian homes and businesses have the gas they need, when they need it,” said Mr Tudor.

“I commend the Northern Territory Government for commissioning the NGP project in 2015 and am proud that the Territory is now well-placed to become the home of Australia’s gas industry alongside Queensland.

“We know that the Northern Territory has enough gas to meet Australia’s future supply needs for the next 200 years or more, and our pipeline is the crucial missing link that will connect this gas with Australian homes and businesses.”

Mr Tudor said Jemena was welladvanced in planning the expansion and extension of the Northern Gas Pipeline so that it further integrates with the east coast gas market.

“Provided gas is proven as

commercially viable in the Northern Territory, Jemena will be able to increase the NGP’s capacity from around 90TJs a day up to 700TJs a day. To put this in context, this is enough gas to meet the average daily gas needs of Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide combined.

“The foundations we’ve laid in the Territory mean we will be able to complete this work at an expedited schedule while creating around 4000 jobs and investing approximately $3 to 4 billion.

“This investment is the answer to Australia’s future gas needs.”

KEEPING COSTS DOWN FOR CUSTOMERS

Mr Tudor said the NGP will help to lower gas prices for Australian homes and businesses.

“Jemena was awarded the right to build, own and operate the NGP following an extremely competitive tender process involving a number of other businesses. The strength of our submission was that it outlined the best — and most efficient — way to bring additional gas to market at the most competitive price for our customers.

“While at this stage the NGP principally supplies industrial customers, Jemena has a strong history of lowering its portion of household gas bills, and in 2018 announced that we were lowering distribution costs across the New South Wales Gas Network for the fifth year in a row.

“We are doing our part to ensure Australians have reliable and affordable energy by building new infrastructure, while also introducing efficiencies into our existing assets so as to continue to place downward pressure on prices.”

SUPPORTING LOCAL COMMUNITIES

As part of Jemena’s Local First policy, around 75 per cent of the more than 1100 jobs which were created throughout the construction, planning and commissioning phases of the NGP were filled by people from the regions surrounding the pipeline route.

Jemena extended this policy to its procurement processes with contracts worth more than $52 million being awarded to local businesses.

“We know when you employ local people and use local companies that the whole community benefits either directly, or from the flow on effects associated with greater

economic activity,” said Mr Tudor.

“Jemena would like to thank the people of the Northern Territory, especially those in the Barkly region, and also the people of the Mount Isa region for their interest in and support of us and the project over the past few years.

“Projects like the NGP are demonstrating the benchstrength of people and businesses from the Barkly and Mount Isa regions. I am very confident that these communities have a promising future as the opportunities associated with Australia’s gas industry continue to bear fruit.”

JEMENA NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

As the NGP transitions into its operational phase, Jemena will continue to support the communities surrounding the pipeline route through the Jemena Northern Development Program.

“We’re really excited to have been welcomed as a member of the communities surrounding the NGP and are keen to continue to provide either direct financial or in-kind support to businesses and organisations which are making a real difference in regional Australia,” said Mr Tudor.

“As the project moves into its operational phase, we will also leverage the success of the NGP’s development program so we can offer local people an opportunity to participate in training that equips them with the skills they need to get a job either in the oil and gas industry or another industry of their choosing.”

SA WATER'S SMART WATER NETWORK RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL PRIZE

Innovative smart water network technology used by SA Water has been recognised with the 2018 Customer Service Award at the Institute of Asset Management’s global awards in London.

The technology has already prevented around 30 water main breaks or leaks from impacting customers.

Competing with utilities from around the world, SA Water’s smart water network also claimed runner-up in the Project Achievement Award category.

SA Water’s Chief Executive, Roch Cheroux, said he was thrilled the team had been recognised for its pioneering adoption of smart technology for the benefit of customers.

“We are the first water utility in the world to implement a range of Internet of Things-enabled sensors at scale within a defined geographic area, and recognition like this award provides a platform to share the knowledge we’ve built and improve water network management practices,” Mr Cheroux said.

“Awards like this are a credit to our highly capable team, which developed this technology with our customers

in mind, along with smart technology solutions that will continue to expand to other parts of our network across SA.”

Implemented in a $4 million trial across Adelaide’s Central Business District, SA Water’s smart water network combines acoustic sensors, pressure and flow data, high-speed transient pressure sensors, smart meters and water quality sensors to identify potential leaks and trigger intervention before leaks or breaks escalate to impact customers or commuters.

Around 300 smart meters are also being installed at residences and businesses in Penneshaw, with a further 35 pressure sensors, 19 flow meters, 120 acoustic leak detection sensors and two water quality sensors currently rolling out across Athelstone, North Adelaide and Port Lincoln.

Following the success of the technology in its water network, SA Water has now expanded its program to wastewater, with around 185 level sensors, odour detection sensors and weather stations in its wastewater network in Gawler and Stonyfell.

“The combination of technology across both types of network, a

world-leading analytics platform and the expertise of our team will give us a more detailed view of our underground systems and how we can best manage them for the benefit of our customers,” Mr Cheroux said.

The award follows a number of other accolades for SA Water’s smart network in 2018, including two awards at the 2018 Australian Internet of Things Awards, a bronze prize at the International Water Association’s Project Innovation Awards, and title of 2018 Australian Digital Utility of the Year at the Digital Utility Awards.

A SOLAR TRADING TRIAL FOR CUSTOMERS

Anew peer-to-peer renewable energy trading trial in Western Australia is allowing a limited number of households with rooftop solar to trade excess energy with their neighbours.

About 40 residential properties across the City of Fremantle are taking part in the trial, which runs until June 2019.

The trial gives households the flexibility to determine how much they are willing to buy and sell solar energy for, and then make the purchase via a blockchain-enabled platform.

A fixed-use residential tariff and a new billing system has also been developed for the trial, allowing households to engage in discrete, time-based energy transactions.

The RENeW Nexus project is managed through Curtin University and is supported by the Australian Government through the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program.

The RENeW Nexus project includes the following partners: Curtin University, Murdoch University, City of Fremantle, Landcorp, Synergy, Western Power, Water Corporation, Power Ledger,

energyOS, CSIRO/Data 61 and CISCO.

WA State Energy Minister, Ben Wyatt, said, “The trial represents an innovative solution to virtual energy trading that may have implications for energy utilities working to balance energy supply and demand all over the world.

“These households are believed to be the first in the world to be taking part in an active, billed, peer-to-peer trading trial that allows them to effectively buy and sell solar energy generated by their rooftop system across the grid.”

SERVICE STREAM ACQUIRES COMDAIN INFRASTRUCTURE

Service Stream has entered into a binding agreement to acquire Comdain Infrastructure for $161.7 million.

Comdain Infrastructure is a major provider of integrated asset lifecycle services to Australia’s utility asset owners and operators. It’s a provider of engineering, design and construction, as well as operations and management of gas and water infrastructure services.

As part of the acquisition, Comdain Infrastructure’s Chairman, Tom Coen, has been invited to join the Service Stream Board as Non-Executive Director.

Peter Coen will remain in his role as head of Comdain Infrastructure’s operations to support ongoing growth, success and integration of the business, with Jim Gaha to remain in place as Chief Operations Officer to

support the transaction.

The acquisition is consistent with Service Stream’s strategy of diversifying and increasing annuity-style revenues, leading to a relatively even distribution of group revenues from the utility and telecommunications sectors.

Comdain Infrastructure operates across well-known utility markets and shares a familiar client base with Service Stream. This presents opportunities for expansion across additional areas, growing future service offerings and broadening the scope of works to cover other utility networks.

An integration plan has been designed to manage the transition and support the continued growth of Comdain Infrastructure, leveraging the learnings from the recent TechSafe integration process.

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At the time of going to print, the acquisition had an expected completion date of either 2 January 2019, or 1 February 2019, upon satisfaction of conditions. Transaction costs of up to $2 million were expected to be incurred by Service Stream.

RECOGNISING THE BEST IN

ENERGY NETWORKS

REPRESENTATIVES FROM ESSENTIAL ENERGY

ACCEPT THE CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT AWARD FROM ROSEMARY SINCLAIR.

Every year this gathering of network professionals is facilitated by Energy Networks Australia, the association representing and advocating for network businesses. The gathering takes place in the form of an Annual Dinner and Awards evening, last year staged in Canberra in November at the truly impressive and humbling Australian War Memorial.

The evening is a chance to gather and reflect on the year that was, network with colleagues, and make new industry connections.

But most importantly it’s a chance to acknowledge the incredible work that is happening right across the network industry. In total, three awards were handed out — recognising innovation in the sector, outstanding customer engagement and individual industry contribution.

In 2018, the awards were attended by Federal Energy Minister, Angus Taylor, along with a host of senior executives working for networks business around Australia.

RECOGNISING INNOVATION: THE KEY TO INDUSTRY GROWTH

Four finalists were recognised in the Innovation category:

• Essential Energy, for its Quality Assurance Lab

The critical role of energy networks in the lives of every Australian cannot be understated; and yet sometimes, outside the industry, it’s a case of out of sight, out of mind. For this reason, it’s so important that representatives from Australia’s energy network businesses gather each year to refect on the work they do, share their stories and recognise some of the industry’s best people and projects.

• Evoenergy, for its demand reduction program, incorporating the ACT Virtual Power Plant

• Jemena, for its demand response trial Power Chargers

• TasNetworks, for the CONSORT Bruny Island Battery Trial

After reviewing all of the projects, the judging panel deemed TasNetworks to be the winner of the Innovation Award for 2018. The trial helped 34 customers install solar generation and a battery on their homes to test the ability of distributed generation to be an alternative to a diesel generator during periods of peak holiday demand.

JENNIFER HARRIS FROM POWERLINK

ACCEPTS THE INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTION

AWARD FROM BEN WILSON FROM AUSTRALIAN GAS NETWORKS.

“The trial has shown how a modest number of residential PV and battery systems are able to provide a disproportionately large benefit to the grid,” said Energy Networks Australia Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Dillon. “Diesel usage is down by about 30 per cent, but more generally, the project delivers optimisation of distributed energy resources, which increases grid reliability."

TasNetworks Chief Executive Officer, Lance Balcombe said, “This project has demonstrated innovation across many facets of the energy sector. “It is a key step in our vision to be

ATTENDEES FROM A SESSION OF ESSENTIAL ENERGY’S AWARD-WINNING CUSTOMER AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM.

trusted by our customers to deliver today and create a better tomorrow.”

According to TasNetworks, customers were the key to the success of this solution. The project was founded on customer behaviour, which has been central to the project’s design and implementation.

In particular the concept of customer choice, overlaid with the technical requirements to manage a network problem, are embodied in the Network Aware Coordination (NAC) algorithm. This algorithm works in conjunction with the Reposit system to automatically and optimally coordinate the large number of batteries involved in the project.

The NAC algorithm, while developed prior to Energy Networks Australia’s Open Energy Networks consultation, actually foresaw many of the issues discussed in this paper, and in this way, the CONSORT Bruny Island Battery Trial is a ‘living laboratory’ to test these concepts.

Runner-up for the Industry Innovation Award was Jemena, for its Power Chargers demand response trial.

ENGAGING CUSTOMERS: MISSION CRITICAL

In a time where consumer trust towards the energy industry is lagging, it’s never been more important to actively engage with customers.

Five projects were named as finalists for the Energy Networks Australia and Energy Consumers Australia 2018 Consumer Engagement Award:

• Essential Energy, for its customer engagement regulatory proposal

• SA Power Networks, for its deep dive workshop program regarding its regulatory proposal

• TransGrid, for its Powering Sydney’s Future proposal

• The joint Victorian distribution businesses (CitiPower, Powercor, United Energy, Jemena and AusNet Services), for their joint consultation on Network Pricing Design, under which they committed to a joint approach to pricing for residential and small business customers until at least 2025

• Western Power, for its community

engagement during the evaluation and development of a microgrid for Kalbarri

Energy Consumers Australia CEO, Rosemary Sinclair, said the projects provided a snapshot of an industry sector that was increasingly recognising the value of engaging with consumers as partners to solve big challenges around affordability, trust and transformation.

Ultimately, the unanimous choice of the judging panel for the Consumer Engagement Award was Essential Energy.

Prior to submitting its proposal to the Australian Energy Regulator for building, operating and maintaining the electricity network over the period 2019–2024, and the proposed network charges, Essential Energy conducted an extensive customer and stakeholder engagement program, to share and gather information, insights and feedback and ensure that it could be confident its proposal reflected customer needs and expectations.

The engagement took place in four phases over more than two years, and ultimately delivered a true understanding of the priorities and expectations of customers.

“Rebuilding trust with consumers in the energy sector will take time and must come from the top,” said Ms Sinclair. “The leading businesses are entering into a new dialogue with consumers and taking responsibility for the issues they’re raising to deliver more affordable outcomes.

“Essential Energy showed they had proactively engaged with their consumers to better reflect their views and priorities and allow that to shape services,” she added.

The judges for the consumer engagement award compiled a report after the process and congratulated all businesses who had made an application for the award.

“We congratulate the change-makers — the businesses who have entered this year — and encourage these businesses to continue to be leaders.”

Western Power received a highly commended from the judges for its Kalbarri Microgrid project.

THE PATH FORWARD

The awards evening also provided the opportunity to recognise an individual for their personal, and substantial, contribution to the industry over several years.

In 2018, the Industry Contribution Award went to Powerlink’s General Manager Network Regulation, Jennifer Harris.

“This award recognises Jenny’s significant contribution to our industry and her clear focus on the customer driven transformation of our networks,” said Mr Dillon.

All three award winners gave attendees plenty to think about in terms of their own current and future contributions to the network industry; along with plenty of inspiration for how their businesses might be able to achieve innovation and customer excellence in 2019 and beyond.

THE TEAM FROM TASNETWORKS ACCEPTING THEIR NETWORK INNOVATION AWARD.

TURNING ON THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION TAP FOR UTILITIES

The digitisation of utilities is the greatest challenge currently facing the sector, with much to do to modernise existing networks, work practices and ways of interacting with customers. But it’s also an area of great excitement and opportunity for those utilities willing to be brave, and step boldly into a new paradigm.

Nigel Watson, Group Information Services Director at northern England’s Northumbrian Water, said that digitisation can provide many benefits for utilities, particularly in the areas of improving customer experience and operational resilience.

“We have been very careful to make sure that we complement our knowledge of the network with our machine learning initiatives,” Mr Watson said.

“We’re especially focused on ‘learning’ how to deliver a better and more personalised customer service, and are working hard on enabling greater resilience through better informed and more targeted maintenance and operational regimes.”

According to Mr Watson, utilities who ignore the movement toward digitisation risk missing the chance to eliminate inefficiencies — which can carry both regulatory and operational consequences.

“The regulators are keen to make sure that household bills are affordable,” Mr Watson said.

“I think that most organisations have historically implemented Six Sigma or Lean or some other program that has driven out an amount of inefficiency.

“Tapping into further savings is likely to require more digital customer and employee experiences.”

GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT PUTTING CUSTOMERS FIRST

With an array of new technologies primed to change the way that utilities do business and interact with customers, Wayne Pales, GM Technology Strategy at the Australian

Energy Market Operator (AEMO), believes that current energy operating models will require major revisions to be compatible with the grid of the future.

“The fact that our industry has created the term ‘behind the meter’ shows we have a very long way to go,” Mr Pales said.

“The phrase places the utility at the centre of the universe, with the consumer being ‘behind the meter’.

“The consumer is the centre of the universe, so we need to come up with terms that reflect that we are serious about putting the consumer first.”

An important step towards putting the consumer first is recognising the integral role that consumer-centric technologies, such as distributed energy resources (DER) and the connected home, will play in the grid of the future.

“In parallel to a distributed grid, we have aging power plants scheduled to close, and these closures may be accelerated if future governments get tough on emissions targets,” Mr Pales said.

“Given that the vast majority of people will invest in green technologies if it is financially beneficial for them to do so, tariff structures and demand-side programs are where I would focus my time to get the biggest ‘bang for buck’.”

LEARNING FROM THE INDUSTRY’S BEST

Both of these industry leaders will be speaking at Digital Utilities 2019 , a two-day event that provides delegates with the tools to use digital technologies to accelerate and transform their organisations.

An effective digital strategy can revolutionise all areas of the utility sector, and embracing new technologies and business models is vital for optimising asset management, improving network operations and keeping up with changing customer demands.

Digital Utilities provides a platform for utility leaders to share and discuss the challenges of digital transformation, and learn from those already seeing the benefits.

The expert speaker lineup features Managing Directors, Chief Information Officers and Heads of Digital at Australia’s major water and energy utilities, as well as digitisation experts and government representatives.

The full program is now available, and day one of the conference will see thought-leading presentations on:

• Becoming the world’s most digital water company

• Demand Response — crossing the chasm from pilots to operations

• Water utilities and emerging technologies: where’s the killer app?

• Lessons learned from large-scale transformation

• Digital transformation — we are doing it wrong

Day two takes this a step further and splits the conference into dedicated streams, so delegates can delve deeper into their chosen area of interest or specialty.

This year’s streams are:

• The connected customer — staying relevant in a changing world

• A new core — unleashing the digital potential in utility operations

• Innovation in electricity networks — building the grid of the future

• The smart water utility — improving water management

These streams will run as moderated panel sessions, with senior industry figures providing delegates with information specific to the digital challenges and solutions for that topic.

The conference is then rounded out with a Super Panel that brings back the speakers from across the two days to summarise some of the key discussions and answer any burning questions from attendees.

Digital Utilities is pleased to announce digital leader Bentley Systems as the Event Partner for 2019. Bentley's infrastructure asset management software is used around the world to aid utility projects, and their in-depth knowledge will be a fantastic resource for attendees.

EXHIBITION AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

In addition to the conference presentations and panel sessions, the event also features an exhibition where digital and technology related companies will be showcasing the latest innovations in the sector. Delegates will be able to find out about new and emerging technologies, and how to integrate digital solutions within their organisation.

The ability to establish meaningful connections is one of the main drivers behind conference attendance and

Digital Utilities offers access to senior decision makers from water and energy utilities across Australia.

There are multiple speed networking sessions designed to get conversations flowing and guarantee delegates introductions to colleagues within the industry. These formal sessions are in addition to the numerous opportunities to connect with other attendees during the lunches and breaks.

Delegates will also have the chance to mingle with senior leaders and experts from within the utility community at the Digital Utilities gala dinner on Thursday 21 March, where the winners of the 2019 Digital Utility Awards will be announced and celebrated.

The Digital Utility Awards recognise the utility industry’s greatest achievements in the digitisation of utility networks, processes and practices across Australia.

Six awards will be handed out in total, in the following categories:

• Digital Utility of the Year - Energy

• Digital Utility of the Year - Water

• Utility Innovator of the Year

• Young Digital Leader of the Year

• Best Customer Innovation

• Best Use of New Technology

Digital Utilities is hosted by Monkey Media, the publisher of Utility magazine. More than just a magazine, Utility brings the whole industry together through its integrated print, digital and event channels, inspiring utility professionals to learn and grow better together.

The conference programs are put together by Utility’s knowledgeable editorial team with a strong emphasis on providing useful information and creating genuine discussion around topical issues.

Digital Utilities is the premier event for anyone working with or for utilities, and grappling with the momentous impacts digital technologies are having on the industry.

The early bird gets the savings! Register before 18 February and enjoy 20 per cent off regular ticket prices. Visit www.digitalutilities.com.au for more information.

NIGEL WATSON

WAYNE PALES

AUSTRALIAN ENERGY PROVIDERS GET PERSONAL– DATA AS A KEY ENABLER FOR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

With energy prices at a historic high, Australian energy retailers have struggled to gain and retain the trust of the consumer; an issue the Australian Government is currently addressing through industry consultation, along with new policy and regulation.

Australian energy providers get personal – data as a key enabler for customer experience BIG

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) recent retail electricity inquiry report highlighted the need to enhance the customer experience and lower costs, in a bid to restore consumer confidence.

The reality is customer expectations are shifting, and there is a new ‘normal’ in what is expected from the service provided by energy suppliers. Consumers are balking at one-size-fits-all approaches that create confusion, and increasingly, dissatisfaction. What was once considered an acceptable level of service is rapidly shifting and evolving, which is true for energy retailers and industries beyond.

To transform the customer experience, energy providers must focus not just on touch points but on ‘trust points’. Data is central to winning over tech-savvy consumers who are demanding faster and more personalised services.

Accenture’s New Energy Consumer research found that most consumers (92 per cent) would be more satisfied if their energy provider could personalise their overall customer experience. What’s more, 78 per cent would use more digital channels if this offered them a personalised experience. There is a clear demand for customers to learn more about their energy consumption and to directly manage usage over time, driving down cost and their environmental footprint.

A staggering 2.5 quintillion bytes of data is produced every day across the globe. In addition to providing businesses with information about consumer behaviour, this data is fuelling unprecedented opportunities for more sophisticated analytics to further understand their habits, and also anticipate future behaviour. Energy retailers should therefore fully leverage the vast amounts of customer data they hold to create a richer and more valuable experience, driving retention and trust.

Energy companies in Australia are already working to become more personalised retailers. AGL, for example, is using data platforms as a foundation for personalisation, exemplified through its Energy Insights feature, launched this year. Electricity customers across Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales have been given smart meters to provide greater insight into how energy is being used in their homes, breaking down consumption through categories such as heating, cooling and even home entertainment. This data is equipping customers with relevant information to make informed decisions about how they expend energy, and improving customer satisfaction.

Similarly, Origin Energy has made large strides in understanding the role data and analytics play in creating an improved customer proposition. Sandra Hogan, Head of

Analytics at Origin Energy, has revealed the provider’s plan to use data to create a targeted customer offering through a complete redesign of the framework used to analyse data to develop in-depth customer insights.

EMBRACING BIG DATA OPPORTUNITIES

Customer interactions such as these new innovations nurture trust by reinforcing the energy retailers’ image as helpful, efficient, proactive and reliable. To get there, energy providers must clearly define opportunities to build and rebuild consumer confidence.

This might include promoting new products and services, product comparison and purchase, or optimising the everyday user experience, through customer touch points such as issue resolution, regular payments and invoicing. Energy providers should develop their data strategy to ensure customers leave each interaction with a positive, trust-building impression.

However, despite the rising strategic importance of data, enterprises are still challenged in exploiting the full potential due to internal mis-alignments and conflicting priorities. Accenture has outlined five key characteristics for energy providers to embrace in order to be truly data driven in their pursuit of new value sources and building customer trust.

1. UNTAP NEW AND EXISTING DATA

Energy providers must tear down information silos and unlock ‘dark’ data, that is, data managed outside the knowledge of the IT department. Successful companies are harnessing real-time data streams (e.g. customer demand signals) with the Internet of Things (IoT). Companies like Origin and AGL are delivering data-led business strategies, such as product design, and leveraging new data science and digital methods such as intelligent automation.

2. CREATE NEW VALUE

Data should be viewed as a propeller to re-imagine the core business. Insights gained from internal and external data can lead to opportunities for new business models and customer services, and the transparency gained in enterprise operational efficiency and costs enable a relentless and on-going strive for efficiency and growth.

3. PLACE BUSINESS BEFORE TECH

Technology architecture must evolve to be in-line with business priorities. When it comes to unleashing the potential of data, it’s important that energy providers adopt value-driven approaches to prioritise analytics use across the enterprise.

4. EMBRACE NEW CULTURE

Attitudes to data and technology must shift to reflect the new age of digital in customer service.

Energy providers need to start treating data as everybody’s business and as an enterprise wide asset. This can be achieved through championing an insights-driven culture, embracing new types of talent, and driving organisation-wide consensus across business and IT on the role and purpose of the data and analytics agenda.

5. OPERATE WITH NEW AGILITY

Energy providers should start embracing the ‘Do-Learn-Do’ approach without fear of failing.

Governance needs to be a daily agreement between stakeholders, with clear owners and responsibilities. The creation of blended ‘pod’ teams (including a mix of employees with business and technology skills) will help energy providers achieve agility.

ADAPTING TO CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS

Australia’s energy system will be in a period of transition for many years to come, impacted by digital technology,

proliferation of DER, changing customer expectations and continued policy uncertainty. Energy retailers need to be acutely aware of how to adapt to customer requirements and the role that data will play to compete effectively.

As we transition to the future of far more personalised services, data presents a critical opportunity to empower consumers and providers alike. With the Consumer Data Right to be introduced to the electricity sector, providing customers with greater insights and trends on their usage data will lead to more informed decisions about energy consumption, as well as improved user experience.

Moving to a data insight-driven culture is a significant opportunity to generate new streams of revenue as energy retailers introduce more personalised and innovative product and service offerings.

Creating a meaningful energy consumer experience via personalised trust points won’t happen overnight and Australian providers must take deliberate steps to build a firm base of trust. Whether an energy retailer is seeking to be an innovator in the market or a trusted energy provider for its customers, data is — and will remain — a fundamental value lever in the new energy ecosystem.

This article was co-authored by Simon Mezger and Jeroen Wortel. Simon Mezger is Accenture’s Utilities Lead in Australia and Asia Pacific; Jeroen Wortel is a Senior Manager in Accenture’s Technology Strategy Practice.

READING BETWEEN THE LINES OF LARGE - SCALE DATA

Detecting leaks, infrastructure planning and accurate billing are the obvious benefts of smart meters and IoT sensors. But if you dive a little deeper into the data, there's a lot more that can be learnt by reading between the lines.

Some of the real value of big data comes when you stop looking at individual sensors or meters and start comparing relationships between different types of data.

Even more interesting is when machine intelligence can learn what the "normal" behaviour of a network is, and send out an alert when something changes. For example, in many tropical regions, high rainfall events can lead to wet weather overflows from the sewer. If a 40mm rainfall event is typically needed to trigger a sewer overflow, but in subsequent events, the amount required to trigger the overflow reduces to 30mm, then 20mm, this points to a change in the capacity of the sewer network.

For one North Queensland utility, this apparent pattern in decreasing performance led the team to go out and flush the pipe to discover that it had been blocked by building rubble. This type of monitoring of data becomes impossible to do manually when there are hundreds, or even thousands, of sensors in the network, and it is only achievable when using specialised software that can sort and analyse such large volumes of data.

This analysis gets even more complex when analysing data across multiple types of sensors. For example, when tracking the source of odour complaints, data from weather stations about wind speed and direction, H2S concentrations in the air, and flow and level data from the sewer network can provide the utility with the information required to identify the source and cause of the odours, and take corrective actions such as changing pumping patterns or dosing levels.

The nature of data analysis is changing. Scada systems tend to generate alerts when a single sensor moves out of a defined range, but IoT systems can generate data from thousands of sensors. It is only by applying big data tools and techniques that the real insights will be identified.

BOOSTING QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH DIGITISATION

Digitisation has an important fow-on efect for projects, impacting everything from safety to productivity. Novade’s Quality module, which is being used for Unitywater’s Kawana Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrade Project, ofers a unique solution that facilitates collaboration and improves productivity — all while capturing and delivering data in real time.

Novade’s Quality module is currently being used for defects management and equipment commissioning on Unitywater’s Kawana Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrade Project. This complex multidiscipline project includes civil, mechanical and electrical construction, as well as work on buildings, with multiple work fronts and teams involved. With so many components, a trusted digital management tool is integral to the successful identification and close out of defects on the project.

“Unitywater’s existing defect management solution wasn’t mobile-ready and didn’t allow the flexibility to manage a range of defect types. They need to be able to manage defects for a piece of equipment, as well as building and civil construction defects,” Novade’s Country Manager, Robert Zasadzki, said.

According to Mr Zasakzki, most systems are quite rigid in the way they deal with defects, and the reporting is not as detailed as it needs to be.

“What we’re offering is a solution which allows them to manage their ITP and ITC processes to quality control their principal contractor,” Mr Zasadzki said.

Delivering real-time data and access to construction verification forms, along with the added creation of a site diary, Mr Zasadzki said that the module is serving the project well. He puts this down to its ability to improve quality and facilitate asset handover.

IMPROVING QUALITY DURING CONSTRUCTION

Novade’s Quality module is part of an enterprise mobile platform, designed to manage quality and defects management. While there are numerous applications already in the market, Mr Zasadzki said that the Quality module has a distinct point of difference. It can easily scale to enterprise level while being flexible and fast to deploy.

“With Novade, data in the field is accessed and synchronised in real time. The data captured helps streamline site processes,” Mr Zasadzki said.

Novade works on all major mobile devices. If a user is offline, data will sync when an internet connection is next available. Users can get started with the app right away, and a project can be deployed in a short period of time.

The configuration of Unitywater’s modules were based on close collaboration with project managers, quality managers and the executive team.

The digital platform is used to improve quality during construction, and facilitate the commissioning and defect management process. Being highly configurable, Mr Zasadzki said that the module is ideal for companies trying to streamline processes and improve productivity.

During construction, Novade’s Quality module imposes a thorough quality inspection process in the field with digital forms. Digital checklists can be used for the entire lifecycle of the project, from excavation to handover, and a custom workflow can be deployed for each checklist.

With Novade, quality assurance personnel in the field can complete digital forms and checklists remotely with their mobile devices, and forms can be signed off digitally and archived for easy retrieval. This decreases the likelihood of losing documents, and means that management and project teams can track and monitor the status of all forms in real time using a standard web browser. This gives further oversight of the project, complimenting the work carried out by the field staff. Depending on the user’s role in the project, information is available at the right time in the right location.

FACILITATING ASSET HANDOVER

Inspection teams can easily complete inspections and lodge defect information with customisable digital checklists, and contractors can be given access to the system to enable the quick rectification of defects.

This streamlined system makes it possible for management and project teams to track the status of all inspections, with dashboards and reports automatically generated. This eliminates what could potentially be hours of work spent preparing reports.

By using standard definitions and digital forms, a user can analyse data, identify trends, draw correlations and ultimately improve quality on projects, all while reducing costs.

DATA HEATING UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR GAS EFFICIENCY

At a time when driving down energy prices is high on the agenda, reliable data is more important than ever in developing new systems to maximise energy efciency. With little known about the quantity of gas required to power a house, a new family home on the ACT border could be the key to understanding gas efciency in the Canberra climate.

Evoenergy, which operates and maintains the ACT electricity and gas network, is currently working with the Toscan family whose home in Googong will be mainly powered by gas.

The Googong Gas-Plus Smart Home Trial — the first of its kind to be built and trialled in Australia — will gather real-time gas consumption data from several household appliances to understand usage patterns, appliance efficiency and the efficiency of gas in the Canberra climate in order to advance natural gas appliance and system solutions.

REAL-TIME DATA FROM REAL PEOPLE

Head of Gas at Evoenergy, William Yeap, said that Evoenergy was eager to be involved in the unique real-time trial.

“We know that every time you turn on gas or electric appliances, you’ll use energy. What we don’t know is how much it uses. When it’s minus five degrees, like in Canberra, and you try to heat up your house to 20 degrees, how much energy is needed?” Mr Yeap said.

“With energy prices being at the top of many people’s agenda, this is our chance to use real-time data to learn the real

cost of energy, with the aim of using these learnings to help people to manage their costs. This trial is unique in the way that it’s done using a real family, real appliances and a real climate.”

The family were selected for the trial after being recommended by the boutique builder who was building their home. Having met Evoenergy’s requirements and agreed to provide access to their data over a period of three years, the trial has only just begun, with the family moving into the house in November 2018. Data will be collected remotely and processed in collaboration with the Australian National University (ANU).

As the trial progresses, the Toscan family, and any other families who later build a gas-plus smart home, will have access to an energy management system and smartphone app where they can see the data on their appliances’ energy consumption.

“The family can see almost real-time consumption data of all the key appliances used in their home so they will be able to see, for example, the amount of gas used for their gas log fire and how much that changes when they adjust the temperature setting,” Mr Yeap said.

“The smart home also has a weather station outside and inside, so it knows the barometers, wind, temperature and other factors.”

With access to the detailed data, the family will be able to understand how much money is involved in their consumption and adjust their appliance usage accordingly.

EFFICIENCY, EMISSIONS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

While the trial is heavily focused on improving affordability, gas efficiency also plays a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Mr Yeap said that the trial is just one of the small steps needed in reducing emissions and becoming more gas efficient.

“Hopefully we will drive a community that’s a bit more educated, and collectively will do certain things – change certain appliances at home, change the way they operate to effectively use less energy,” Mr Yeap said.

“When you use less energy, it means you will need to buy less energy from the supplier that at certain times isn’t enough to meet demand. You will also expend less of your network. It’s just like a freeway, where if you have more cars on the road, you need to expand your freeway to accommodate more cars. The incremental cost of building a road and adding another lane next to it is much more expensive.

“If you can reduce the traffic, and find a better way of managing your energy, then the cost will go down without sacrificing the reliability of the assets. You’ll also reduce greenhouse emissions.”

This is just one of the innovative initiatives that Evoenergy is looking at across both its electricity and gas network to move to a renewable future and help people manage their energy more efficiently. Other initiatives include looking at the decarbonisation of the gas network, with a vision to one day see hydrogen become the primary gas source in the network.

Evoenergy also recently created a virtual power plant,

which brings over 400 members of the Canberra community together using excess stored energy from their solar battery systems which can be remotely dispatched back into the grid during periods of high electricity usage.

DATA SHARING

While three years is the minimum amount of time that Evoenergy wanted to take to conduct the trial, Mr Yeap said that 12 to 18 months’ worth of data will likely be enough for the company to start sharing its findings.

“We’re not going to wait until the end of three years to do something about it. I’m hoping that even once this coming summer and winter is finished, we’ll have the first set of data and that data set will only get richer as time goes on and more homes come online,” Mr Yeap said.

The data, which is collected remotely, will be put through a database such as a cloud system. Access will then be given to ANU, which will analyse the data and share the information with Evoenergy.

“It’s all part of how we educate Canberrans to manage their energy, but we also want to share the data with the broader industry,” Mr Yeap said.

“We’ll go to the Canberra community, the councils and other gas companies to let them know that ‘this is the result of this’. We can tell them that when Canberra is minus five degrees, you actually need this much energy to heat up the house, and if you reduce some of the settings, this is how much you can save.”

While the trial is currently on a very small scale, involving only one family, it will eventually require widespread involvement.

“It’s about data sharing and education. We’re not going to be able to do much without participation from essentially everyone in Canberra. When the next minus five or 40 degree day hits Canberra, then hopefully we will get people to be a bit more conscious of how to reduce consumption.”

BUILDING A CULTURE OF SECURITY RESILIENCE

Trying to out-fox criminals is a demanding challenge, and while being open and transparent with security sounds counterintuitive, Jemena’s Operational Delivery Risk Manager, Justin Morghem, insists this type of collaboration and cooperation makes corporations and communities more resilient to crime.

Mr Morghem knows a thing or two about security.

With nearly 25 years in the intelligence industry, he has served on police forces in the UK and Australia, and worked with the coalition forces in Iraq, training the National Police. His career has taken him from a ‘Bobby on the beat’ to managing major incident rooms and operating in war-torn military zones.

“It’s not about being paranoid or jumping at shadows, but we have to acknowledge that we are operating in a particularly sensitive sector – energy. We have a duty to protect the nation’s energy networks and ensure communities, including our employees, are safe,” Mr Morghem said.

“Until recently, we, like many other companies, worked in isolation. Sharing news was thought to be a sign of weakness. But technology has changed the way we operate. It has opened the door to some negative changes, such as cyber-crime, hacking and data breaches, but it has also enabled real-time information, high performance soft and hardware and greater connectivity.

“Today, technology has encouraged greater openness and transparency and we find we regularly share information across different platforms with partners, which is a significant change in mindset.”

INDUSTRY SHARES, COMMUNITY BENEFITS

In a recent example of greater collaboration, Jemena installed new high-tech surveillance software at one facility and was so impressed by its connectivity that it recommended the system to other energy companies, some of them considered rivals.

This has enabled a compatible network of like-minded organisations, acting as eyes and ears not just for themselves, but for each other, and beyond.

Utility companies, infrastructure developers, transport organisations, governments, agencies and a whole gamut of critical infrastructure providers are increasingly becoming connected. As the net widens, the knowledge deepens and the resilience increases.

“The availability of critical infrastructure can no longer be considered in silos. We are all in the same fight against threats and criminality, so we are stronger by working together in an interlinked environment,” Mr Morghem said.

And Jemena has seen an important flow-on effect to the group at the heart of its activities – its customers.

“We have had customers, who were initially hesitant about new security systems being installed on assets near their home, now thanking us, because criminals who had targeted the area have now moved on,” Mr Morghem said.

“CCTV, sirens and facial recognition cameras are just some of the systems we deploy. We openly share this information as we want would-be criminals to know they will be identified and arrested.“

FIGHTING CYBER-CRIME

Jemena is a member of several formal industry bodies dedicated to Critical Infrastructure Resilience, and cyber security has emerged as one of the key discussion points within these networks.

After high-profile cyber attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid in late 2017 and the UK’s National Health Service mid-2018, cyber security has become one of the leading challenges of today.

In addition, the last twelve months saw a number of cyber ransom campaigns, whereby systems were compromised and payments demanded from victims to regain access. In many cases, companies didn’t know they had been infiltrated until months after the initial breach.

“The impact of data and online breaches can be devastating, and we take them seriously. But security is a 360 degree approach and it is about ensuring all defences are equally strong and well supported. Investing in cyber response capabilities is vital, ignoring the risks can have serious consequences,” Mr Morghem said.

And that is why, when Jemena established a new cyber security unit, it was important for it to collaborate across other internal security areas to share intelligence, information and resources.

“We are a data rich organisation and we rely on online technology, therefore it is essential to constantly review and update our security measures. The lessons we learn will be fed into training across our corporate resilience approach, and shared with industry,” Mr Morghem said.

MORGHEM’S WATCHWORDS: COLLABORATION, TEAMWORK, AND TRAINING

Collaboration and teamwork are Mr Morghem’s watchwords. As is training – and for good reason.

As a fresh-faced Metropolitan Police recruit in London, two weeks after leaving cadet college, he was travelling in a police car when a chase with a stolen car began. Quickly, the pursuit became a foot chase, and, with his two colleagues running after two of the car’s occupants, the rooky set off after the driver. With no handcuffs and only an old fashioned, standardissue wooden truncheon to protect himself, he successfully arrested the culprit and in the process, received the first of many commendations in a highly decorated career.

“Even though I was wet behind the ears, I was confident. I knew the law, I knew the procedure and I knew I was physically and mentally ready for a situation like that. My training had given me the capacity to do my job in a challenging situation. That’s why I am so passionate about training of any type. Training is the time to ask questions, push limits and test knowledge because you never know how soon you’ll need it,” Mr Morghem said.

Jemena runs a number of in-house training exercises throughout the year to test processes and build internal

capability. The exercises are kept as realistic as possible by combining a risk-based approach, using case studies and real-life scenarios.

“Like most working environments, we have a number of internal security protocols, which are constantly reviewed and tested. For us, it is imperative that staff have the tools they need to recognise threats and follow protocols. New starters receive building and access security advice during their induction and we empower our employees to assess risk and report suspicious behaviour,” Mr Morghem said.

“For us, these skills are not just for the benefit of the company, but they are life skills which benefit the individual and their community. Personal resilience is just as important to a company as firewalls and CCTV cameras and essential as corporations develop a culture of all-round systems of resilience to detect and deter crime.”

And when it comes to online security, Mr Morghem’s team keep a constant vigil.

“If there’s a change in a data pattern, we ask ourselves, what does it mean? From this we can consider the severity of a situation and implement well-rehearsed procedures. We conduct regular drills and exercises to ensure all stakeholders know what to do and when,” Mr Morghem said.

MATURING CORPORATE SECURITY

Organisations such as Jemena work closely with a range of national and state-based agencies both in terms of cyber security issues, as well as physical and corporate threats.

Mr Morghem says that across the board, there is a better understanding that stand-alone approaches can create gaps, whereas multi-functioning, highly connected and technologyled systems are more efficient and effective.

“When you then add the increasingly positive attitude towards collaboration with communities, industry and agencies, you start to see that what was once a patchwork of security measures, is now a big picture approach,” Mr Morghem said.

“This is exciting, and while there will always be ‘bad guys’ out there, we should have confidence that we are well equipped, well informed and well trained to continue to protect our national assets.”

ABOUT JEMENA

Jemena is an $11 billion company, owning and managing some of Australia's most significant energy assets, including the recently completed $800 million Northern Gas Pipeline from Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory to Mount Isa in Queensland; 25,000km of natural gas pipeline in New South Wales and the Jemena electricity network in Victoria, servicing over 330,000 customers.

In addition to offices in Sydney and Melbourne, Jemena owns several other properties across three states and territories, employing approximately 1500 people.

ABOUT US

WORKING AT HEIGHT: AERIAL ASSET MANAGEMENT IN THE WATER INDUSTRY

Drone technology is creating exciting opportunities across the water industry. South East Queensland bulk water provider Seqwater is indeed discovering the benefts of drone technology, both internally and working externally with service providers and customers, particularly in assisting with asset and catchment management.

Working at height: aerial asset management in the water industry

Seqwater’s program of drone operations to date has mainly been used to assist planning for the protection of water catchments - or what Seqwater refers to as source protection.

Seqwater Project Definition Planner, Julian O’Mara – who has been championing the use of drone technology within the organisation –said drones were becoming increasingly important in day-to-day operations.

“As the program gains momentum and success, other areas of Seqwater

are finding opportunities to utilise drone technology to improve employee safety and productivity,” Mr O’Mara said.

“The organisation is seeing a return on investment very quickly through productivity measures alone. The cost of drone hardware is typically covered within months of purchase.”

During Seqwater’s trial process for using drones, numerous case studies were developed and demonstrated how the application of this technology could significantly benefit various areas of the business.

“During the development of the program it has been important to set organisational conditions of use for operators and cover off on important aspects of the program such as insurance and training,” Mr O’Mara said.

“Once the parameters of operation are set, then it’s simply a matter of providing this tool to the experts in different areas within Seqwater, so they can identify ways to apply the technology for the benefit of the organisation.”

IMPROVING CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT

Seqwater began its drone program with just four employees using the technology in 2017. Since then, 12 more Seqwater employees have been upskilled and equipped with drones. Drone training and certification continues to support employees in their work.

“Even though more and more Seqwater employees are being trained to use drones, we do still engage private consultants to complete more complex work,” Mr O’Mara said.

At this stage, Seqwater primarily uses drone technology to assist the day-to-day work by the Source Protection Planning team. This work includes carrying out condition assessments planning and monitoring for investment in Seqwater’s water catchments.

One of the challenges faced by the Source Protection Planning team is the sheer scale of the monitoring and management of Seqwater’s catchments.

Unlike the management of an asset such as a water treatment plant which has a relatively small footprint, the source water catchments managed by Seqwater cover more than 17,000km of waterway across South East Queensland. This presents a challenging environment for the planning and prioritisation of Seqwater’s investment program.

“Aerial imagery and other data captured from drones significantly assists our planners in gathering timely, high quality data at a low cost, empowering the decision making process,” Mr O’Mara said.

“With drone technology available, each trip into the field now results in the acquisition of data that has much greater value to the immediate planning process as well as future assessments of investment.

“As a result, this improves the effectiveness and efficiency of the benefits realisation processes.”

Beyond the Source Protection space, Seqwater has trained and equipped Rangers and Dam Operators with drones to improve the safety of their roles in the field. Seqwater Hydrographers and Project Managers are also using drones to assist them in their roles.

A VARIETY OF BUSINESS APPLICATIONS

Moving forward, Seqwater has a number of other employees looking to incorporate the technology and are also trialling specialised equipment to build on the program. Seqwater’s application of drone technology is currently being used to provide information for:

• Condition assessments of built assets

• Monitoring of equipment in difficult to reach locations

• Up-to-date imagery of project sites for project managers

• Remediation planning and monitoring of landslides that impact water quality in the Lake Baroon catchment on the Sunshine Coast

• Weed management along rivers

• Data acquisition for a dairy agricultural practice improvement program, which is aimed at reducing risks associated with pathogen pollution in source waters

• Management of erosion around source catchments and looking at the impacts of floods

• Seqwater is also looking at opportunities to implement drone technology to assist with water sampling, biosecurity, fire management and high risk in-field activities such as weed spraying on dam walls

The advantages of Seqwater applying this technology include:

• Safety: The use of drones can be used to minimise risks associated with field work and asset inspections. Avoiding working at heights in some instances and facilitating access to areas in the field that present safety risks (snakes, slips/trip, steep eroded river banks etc)

• Efficiencies: The use of drones can achieve both time and economic efficiencies for the company, making employees more productive and reducing the cost of outsourcing for simple drone-based tasks. In some instances, the use of drones can avoid the need for some manual tasks altogether, such as working at heights for asset inspections.

• Innovation: There are countless opportunities for water industry employees to improve upon current practices from the use of drones – and find new uses to better manage assets. This can be achieved by providing this tool to experts in their field and allowing them to discover how they can apply it

The initial barrier in incorporating drone technology at Seqwater was understanding the regulations, with significant training and licensing required in the past to establish inhouse programs. Fortunately, recent changes to regulations by the Federal Government have enabled industries to adopt this technology with beneficial outcomes.

When developing an in-house drone program, it’s vital to have clear safety protocols and management of the drone program established early to reduce risk and make sure employees adhere to the protocols on the job.

Large data sets are produced using drones, so it’s important the organisation has put systems in place to manage the data generated in acquiring aerial imagery.

Cloud processing of imagery is a powerful tool in producing maps and other data, so it’s also important that licenses and agreement with suppliers of these services are understood.

For Seqwater, the use of drone technology is steadily becoming part of normal work with different departments within the organisation exploring its application, and looking to equip different employees with drones as part of their toolkit.

For Seqwater’s Source Protection Planners in particular, drones have become a powerful tool, providing a rich source of data when in the field that assists with decision making for their investment program.

Working at height: aerial asset management in the water industry

DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES LIFTING AUSTRALIA CLOSER TO A CLEANER, FAIRER AND MORE EFFICIENT ENERGY FUTURE

Since its creation in 2006, Horizon Power has been on a mission to increase renewable energy penetration into its portfolio of regional microgrids. Reliant on government subsidy to bridge the gap between the cost of regional power delivery and the price it can charge under the uniform tariff structure, renewable energy has long held the promise of reducing the cost of energy delivered into the networks of its highest cost to serve towns.

Exploring innovative Power Purchase Agreements to encourage Independent Power Producers (IPP) to supply higher levels of renewable energy; signing Western Australia’s first supply contract with a privately-owned solar farm; and experimenting with flywheel and battery technologies in regional towns are all examples of how Horizon

by David Edwards, Technical Visionary, Horizon Power

Horizon Power is about to deploy Australia’s frst fully fedged Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) into three of its portfolio of 38 regional microgrids to leverage the phenomenal pace of advancement in renewable energy technology, and begin the next phase of its evolution as a manager of Advanced Microgrids.

Power has tackled the problem from the traditional utility supply side perspective. However, adapting to the rapid uptake of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) such as solar PV by its customers is where Horizon Power has proven its ability to innovate and act decisively.

Many eastern state distributors operate with basic system control tools within the context of an ‘infinite pool’, where the network operator effectively sees the power system as an endless supply of energy and interconnectivity amongst loads and supply sources. Horizon Power does not have that luxury. The microgrids it operates are small, and as such, technical challenges are encountered long before larger grids see the same problems.

With the exception of its North West Interconnected System, the

geographic isolation of Horizon Power’s microgrids, and their lack of interconnectivity to larger systems presents an operational challenge when penetration of fluctuating renewable energy sources into the network push the boundaries of the available spinning or operational reserve required to cover their variability. Horizon Power has become the canary in the coal mine as it were, developing solutions to manage increasing penetration levels of solar PV and of necessity has found itself at the vanguard of microgrid developments both technically and operationally.

SMOOTHING OUT INCREASING VOLUMES OF SOLAR PV

In 2008, pushed by the appetite for solar PV from its customers, who by virtue of WA’s disposition as the sunniest

DAVID EDWARDS

part of the country have airconditioned-driven power bills that even the wisest men of the east would cringe at, Horizon Power was faced with impending and unacceptable levels of risk to power quality by the volume of solar PV being connected and the amount of energy being exported into its networks.

Development of a comprehensive PV Hosting Capacity methodology for its geographically isolated microgrids, and detailed targets published on its website in 2009 set clear expectations in regional communities of how much rooftop solar PV could be connected to each microgrid.

The adoption of solar smoothing, using energy storage as a shock absorber for PV during cloud events, and Feed-in Management for larger PV systems as a means to make more hosting capacity available, coupled with the most generous Feed-in Tariffs in the country to stimulate PV uptake in diesel-powered towns, followed in 2010.

Similar to the Hawaiian Islands’ utilities, Horizon Power has pushed efficiency in the management of its portfolio of microgrids as far as it can. It is now using the advanced meter infrastructure across its entire service area, and its status as the country’s last vertically integrated utility to leverage its wealth of data and emerging technologies to further decrease costs.

Horizon Power’s Smart Sun trials in Broome are proving the value of combining appliance control with solar PV, energy storage and demand management. This will reduce energy bills for customers and provide land developers a way to reduce infrastructure head works cost. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) funded DER trials in Carnarvon are developing control and forecasting techniques to manage third party DER aggregators and Virtual Power Plants, to gain visibility and control of DER so that those resources can eventually contribute ancillary services to improve network power quality.

DEVELOPING BLUEPRINTS FOR DECENTRALISED MICROGRIDS

In 2013, Horizon Power established its System Blueprint project to determine the most economical way to deliver energy to each of its service areas. Working with the CSIRO on ‘Horizon Power specific’ future scenario planning, the System Blueprints body of work has produced a series of sensitivity analyses and planning models, which consider ongoing BAU, CAPEX and OPEX, asset replacement and fuel supply projections against the declining costs of solar PV, energy storage technology and data capture plus business intelligence. With a blueprint for each microgrid, it is now possible to begin the work of progressively transforming them away from predominantly centralised to predominantly decentralised Advanced Microgrids by identifying and quantifying key drivers that can be tested to avoid asset impairment, and ensure a cost-effective investment glide path that balances return on investment, reduced government subsidy and a low carbon energy supply.

At a high level, this transformation is being driven by the combined forces of the three D’s: decentralisation, digitisation and decarbonisation. From an industry, or wholeof-system standpoint, the transformation is occurring in an increasingly ad hoc, and at times chaotic, manner, disrupting traditional business models and the electric grid operating philosophy. This is because traditional incentives were never designed to encourage customer DER investments that support whole-of-system optimisation and our electricity systems are now increasingly being stretched beyond their original architectural boundaries.

These changes, also being experienced around much of the world, are driving the need for entirely new system architectures designed to harness the full potential of a high-DER future. In this context, Horizon Power is leading

Distributed Energy Resources lifting Australia closer to a cleaner, fairer and more efcient energy future

the development of Advanced Microgrids as a fundamental building block of low-cost, high-DER electricity systems. Advanced Microgrids achieve this by maximising reliance on intermittent renewable generation, better balancing supply and demand, reducing extreme peak demand, and increasing service reliability. Advanced Microgrids are powered by integrating centralised power generation with high levels of DER (30 per cent or more), either located on customer sites or directly connected to the distribution network. They enable customer DERs to provide optimisation services to the grid in exchange for a financial benefit and support energy trading of ancillary services. Distributed energy resources as part of the solution rather than the problem is akin to every pearl starting its life as an irritation.

INVESTING IN CUTTING-EDGE DER TECHNOLOGY

At the heart of the Advanced Microgrid lies the DERMS, designed to manage and optimise the technical operations of thousands of grid-connected DER to dynamically manage supply and demand, maintain system stability and optimise long-term economic efficiency. Horizon Power is currently focused on developing and adapting these systems in its portfolio of microgrids.

Horizon Power’s investment in the System Blueprints — along with trials with leading innovators and the creative culture fostered within the company — has yielded returns with opportunities to develop new tariff structures such as MyPower, new customer engagement models, modern service level agreements with technology providers, and operational experience in cutting-edge DER technology, allowing it to procure a DERMS package as an informed customer with a deep understanding of the impact of this breed of control system on its operational, safety and engineering practices, and its business model.

As an active champion of the CSIRO/ENA Network Transformation Roadmap, Horizon Power’s rich history of innovation and the blessing of vertical integration positions it perfectly to take advantage of international advances in smart inverter technology, the adoption of open industry standards such as the Sunspec protocol and IEEE 2030.5, and the latest developments in DERMS technology to deliver savings to government with lower cost energy supplied through Advanced Microgrids.

Following a procurement process in 2018, Horizon Power selected PXiSE Energy Solutions, LLC, a unit of Sempra Energy in California, to supply a DERMS solution for deployment into the towns of Onslow, Carnarvon and Esperance throughout 2019. PXiSE has partnered with Australia-based Green Technology Solutions (GTS) to provide on-site support during project implementation.

The PXiSE DERMS application currently controls DER

at a number of renewable energy projects in Hawaii and California, including at Sempra Energy's headquarters in San Diego and a winery in Sonoma County. During the procurement process, PXiSE demonstrated an impressive understanding of the operational constraints that Horizon Power faces, the rapid march to a high DER future underway in Australia and a keen enthusiasm to work with Horizon Power on the next generation of Advanced Microgrids

The PXiSE DERMS will enable otherwise disparate DER systems to be managed (monitored, controlled and optimised) as a coordinated system monitoring and controlling utility-scale assets such as battery storage systems of solar farms, using third party aggregators to manage Virtual Power Plants or reaching customers’ homes or business’ via a secure gateway device that can communicate with their PV/Battery systems and nominated loads such as airconditioning or heat pumps.

USING DATA TO ENABLE BETTER GRID AWARENESS

The DERMS will integrate with Horizon Power’s SCADA systems (PowerOn Fusion and Citect) to enable bidirectional data transfer and control, and with key IT/OT systems to dynamically update the network connectivity model, equipment ratings and parameters, power flows, generation and load profiles, weather and customer data, facilitating a level of ‘grid awareness’ unprecedented on Horizon Power’s microgrids to date.

For this round of deployment, and until more experience is gained with the DERMS package integration into isolated microgrids, a microgrid supplied by a power station with generators, a central solar PV, and energy storage owned and operated by Horizon Power will continue to operate the generators autonomously in load following mode. The DERMS will not directly control the generators, it will manage DER systems which indirectly influence the loading on the generating units while treating any technical limitations in the centralised generation as a ‘constraint’. However, in some instances, the DERMS will integrate with the power station Master System Controller and coordinate with control schemes identified to be impacted from DERMS control of DER systems in the microgrid.

Where a microgrid is supplied by a power station owned and operated by an IPP, the power station will continue to operate autonomously in load following mode. Again the DERMS will not directly control generating units, it will manage directly controllable DER systems which indirectly influence the loading on the generating units. The DERMS will monitor the output parameters of the IPP power station and the directly controlled DER, and monitor the supply as a network constraint, ensuring that delivered energy and power quality objectives are consistent with contractual obligations.

Distributed Energy Resources lifting Australia closer to a cleaner, fairer and more efcient energy future

The DERMS software and components will be installed and configured into Horizon Power’s Operating Technology Infrastructure hosted on the SCADA server environment. The DERMS software includes core integrations with SCADA systems and IT systems to provide continuous, high-resolution visibility into the operations of the solar panels, batteries and generators. This will enable us to automatically respond to changing conditions and use the available portfolio of energy storage and renewable energy generation to correct any real-time disturbances to ensure a smooth, two-way flow of electricity across its systems.

The PXiSE Active Control Technology platform runs on a standard Microsoft Windows platform, analysing and responding to grid data from numerous power resources. The continuous higher-resolution visibility and artificial intelligence balances a mix of renewable energy, storage and traditional generation on the electrical grid.

FIRST STEPS TO CREATING THE POWER GRID OF THE FUTURE

Horizon Power operates a wide array of power system equipment with small diesel and gas generators, hybridised thermal power stations augmented with renewable energy, large combined-cycle gas turbines, small distribution lines, large transmission lines and terminal substations, and a variety of connected customer facilities, providing ample future opportunities for the DERMS platform to reduce Horizon Power’s operational government subsidy and carbon intensity by progressive optimisation of key assets.

The future holds orchestration of distributed assets as the key to a fair exchange of DER value between the utility and its customers, and allowing them to actively participate in supplying their community’s energy needs.

Horizon Power is striving to make that possible through investing in DERMS and Advanced Microgrid technology.

So what’s next for the ‘hipster utility who isn’t just a dinosaur dressed in Lycra’? Horizon Power has recently

formed the International Microgrid Association with a number of key industry players to “provide economic growth, through purposeful cross-sector collaboration across the global microgrid value chain, starting with the utilisation of one of the world’s largest ‘living lab’ microgrid networks in Western Australia”. Its goal will be to identify key operational, technical and market issues, educate stakeholders and foster the development and adoption of microgrid solutions to enable a transformed electric power system.

In addition we can also expect higher penetrations of renewable energy into Horizon Power’s microgrid portfolio; embracing third party DER aggregators to manage Virtual Power Plants and respond to locational pricing signals; customer-friendly tariff options and home automation load control products to create an environment that encourages Horizon Power’s customers to invest in renewable energy and storage technology and rewards them for doing so…exciting times ahead.

CIVIL | MINING | GAS

HELPING KEEP THE LIGHTS ON FOR HALF A MILLION AUSTRALIANS

In January 2018, Zinfra commenced working on the operations and maintenance contract for the entire United Energy electricity network in Victoria. This contract reinforces Zinfra’s position as a leading provider of power services in Australia.

The contract covers the 24/7 operations and maintenance of the United Energy electricity distribution network, servicing over 670,000 customers in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs and the Mornington Peninsula.

While Zinfra had delivered operations and maintenance services to the northern region of the United Energy network since 2012, this agreement, signed in late 2017, sees Zinfra as the single service provider across the utility’s full network.

According to Zinfra’s Operations Director, Michael Green, “The main achievement in this first year of the new contract has been the successful integration of the two regions under one contract, while maintaining the high level of service required.”

In the Australian Energy Regulator’s latest benchmarking report, United Energy was ranked as one of the most efficient networks in the country, rising in the rankings from eighth in 2017 to fourth in 2018.

ENSURING A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH

“The contract has been constructed in a way that drives a collaborative relationship encompassing safety, quality, commercial, relationships and

performance,” Mr Green said.

A high degree of focus was placed on preparing the network in high bushfire risk areas ahead of summer, in line with regulatory requirements.

Zinfra and United Energy have also been working collaboratively on technology projects. The latest trials of drones and asset inspection technology have provided great opportunities to continually improve the service provided by both organisations, together with a drive to reduce cost to customers.

“The success of the program of work that we have executed is largely due to strong collaboration with United Energy, and having an open and transparent relationship to plan and measure what is required to achieve the level of service and results expected under the contract,” Mr Green said.

THE SUCCESSFUL TRIAL OF ZINFRA’S WORK ORDER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

A key contract milestone has been the successful trial of Zinfra’s Work Order Management System (ZWOMS) to enable the efficient scheduling of work to field crews. ZWOMS is a fully customisable mobile and cloud-based IT solution that connects to multiple devices and applications.

ZWOMS gives Zinfra the ability to track and understand what is happening in work programs on a realtime basis. Daily reports are viewed alongside on-screen dashboards, which allows decision making to be based on the latest up-to-date information.

This trial is just one of the ways that Zinfra has been working closely with United Energy to ensure a high focus on quality and safety, and deliver better outcomes for customers.

Mr Green said that the next two years of the contract will involve looking for opportunities to continuously improve performance.

“In the first half of 2019 we will implement a full multi resource scheduling system and work order management system that will provide efficient and effective work scheduling. Over the two years there will also be the ongoing focus on the most productive cost model.”

Zinfra attributes its success in winning this contract to its safety record, achievement of KPIs, the quality of its people, innovation in delivery and its vision for the future.

For more information on Zinfra's services and capabilities, please visit www.zinfra.com.au.

PREVENT YOUR SWITCHGEAR FROM OVERHEATING

Many fast-paced modern businesses often fall into the trap of delaying the routine service of critical electrical switchgear in order to avoid lengthy power shut downs. Unfortunately this can result in the deterioration and premature failure of switchgear contacts, conductors and connections.

Consequently, the switchboard and switchgear starts to overheat. This abnormal heating can lead to premature failure of switchgear and also constitutes a potential fire hazard, leading to unexpected power and financial losses for the site.

There are many technologies available today which can help detect abnormal temperature conditions in a switchboard; however, most of these have significant limitations. For example, many power critical applications, such as data centres, hospitals, utilities and mining sites, use technology such as thermal imaging to help identify overheating in switchboards, but this method is only valid during that specific ‘snapshot’ in time.

INNOVATIVE PROTECTION

Modern Air Circuit Breakers (ACBs) use an electronic trip unit for protection, which mainly monitors current and voltage. Knowing the critical effect of overheating, the innovation team at Terasaki, a leading manufacturer of power distribution systems and circuit breakers for industrial and marine applications, adopted fully integrated temperature condition monitoring systems.

These systems continually check for overheating abnormalities that could be due to issues with the main contact, connections and conductors. Terasaki named this temperature monitoring methodology ‘3C’.

3C overheating protection detects the abnormal temperature within the contacts area, and activates the

alarm in the trip unit. The ACB trip unit can be configured by the site engineer to ‘trip’ or just ‘alarm’ (i.e. just show a notification on the LCD screen, which can be indicated via volt-free output contact, the data communications network or both) if overheating occurs.

The 3C overheating alarm can help the facility manager develop predictive maintenance plans to minimise downtime and secure power availability. Furthermore, Terasaki has recently upgraded the 3C overheating protection system, with temperatures now able to be viewed in real time. This allows end-users to extract the continual contact temperature for reporting and analysis purposes.

The implementation of condition monitoring techniques such as 3C can be equally applied to older installations as well as new ones. As sites consider retrofit solutions to replace aging switchgear with new ones, they can also take advantage of that extra dimension for switchboard protection to reduce the risk of sudden failure to the site.

Innovation reduces your Arc Flash incident levels

The consequences of an arc fash can include signifcant damage to switchgear, conductors and the switchboard. The worst consequence of such electrical faults is the injury or death of electrical maintenance staf who frequently work within electrical switchrooms.

To help reduce the efects of a low voltage switchboard arc fash, NHP and Terasaki have developed the Arc LogiX system. This system uses the concept of ‘active circuit breaker suppression’. Potential arc fash incident energy is reduced by automatically adjusting down the short circuit protection settings of the incoming Air Circuit Breakers (ACBs).

The Arc LogiX system utilises the Terasaki TemPower 2 ACB which can clear a short circuit fault in less than 30ms thanks to its patented double break contact design. 30ms is the fastest total short circuit clearance time available from any ACB on the market today.

For more information, visit nhp.com.au/more/arclogix

NHP ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING PRODUCTS

1300 NHP NHP

Mr. Andrew Mortlock Aquasol Pty Ltd.

The flow rate through the filter has increased dramatically and the very discoloured and silty river water is coming out of the filter with a turbidity well below 1 NTU – which is very impressive. The clients are very happy! “

“

Advantages of using DMI-65® for Power Generation: Pretreatment for Boilers and Cooling Tower Water

IRON AND MANGANESE BUILDUP

Build up of iron and manganese in boilers and cooling towers results in very high maintenance overheads, loss of production and potentially system failure. DMI-65® eficiently removes dissolved iron to the almost undetectable levels as low as 0.005mg/L and manganese to 0.001mg/L as well as particulate, efectively removing this risk.

REDUCED COSTS

The total cost of the iron and manganese removal water filtration system is significantly less than alternative solutions, the efectiveness, but relative simplicity, of DMI65® based systems reduces the upfront capital expenditure on plant complexity as well as the ongoing operational expenditure in chemicals, power and backwash waste water recovery.

HIGH FLOW RATES

The infused technology of DMI-65® promotes the highest oxidation rate of any catalytic filtration media. This permits a significantly higher water flow rate to achieve the same level of iron and manganese removal. DMI-65 can operate at linear filtration velocities up to twice that of conventional media with a corresponding reduction in capital equipment costs.

HIGH LOAD CAPACITY DMI-65® also has higher iron and manganese load capacity which can extend the duration of filter runs and the time between backwashing, thereby reducing downtime, operating expense and wastage.

REGENERATION NOT REQUIRED

The media operates with a continuous injection of sodium hypochlorite at low residual levels (0.1 to 0.3mg/L) which eliminates the need for Potassium Permanganate.

WIDE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT Stable and satisfactory performance at pH 5.8 to 8.6 and a maximum operating temperature of 113° F (45°C) reduces the need for investment to alter the operating environment.

LONG LIFE

DMI-65® is not consumed in the process giving it an expected operational life of up to 10 years, providing considerable advantages over other processes or media. The media does not display a decaying capacity to do its catalytic work. Over the 5 to 10 year period, through many backwashing operations of the bed to remove retained solids, an attrition loss of the media occurs by contact between particles and mechanical abrasion.

TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE CHANGING THE WAY SYDNEY WATER MANAGES ITS NETWORKS

By Dr Nicola Nelson, Manager Science Research and Innovation, Sydney Water

Sydney Water has a robust internal research and development capability, which is renowned globally. A large part of the success of this program has been the strong track record of collaboration with universities, other research agencies and the wider water industry. To further enhance developments in operations to create efciencies and to provide superior customer service, Sydney Water is embracing research into existing technologies to adapt and adopt for future application.

We are exploring gamechanging and disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence and advanced robotics. These technologies are developed and trialled, with the most promising technologies being implemented.

Importantly, this approach has required stronger engagement with manufacturers to ensure we have technologies that can be developed and embedded into our day-to-day operations.

A number of technology trials are currently underway to improve the monitoring and management of our water and wastewater networks for short, medium and longer-term solutions to current utility operational challenges.

INTERNET OF THINGS

Our Internet of Things (IoT) pilot explored potential applications of IoT, tested a range of technology solutions and investigated how IoT can provide value for our customers. The ability to detect a service fault before our customers know about it was our primary focus for this initiative, enabling proactive resolution by Sydney Water’s Customer Hub and leading to improved customer experience.

The project team installed around 320 sensors of 15 types in the Liverpool area, in the South West of Sydney, and used four low-power

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Technologies that are changing the way Sydney Water manages its networks

wide-area networks (LPWAN) to test their suitability in our environment and for the following use cases:

• Detect sewer blockages in reticulation assets

• Detect and predict sewer overflows

• Identify water pressure issues in the water reticulation network

• Support smart metering of customer water usage with IoT

• Record and monitor valve positions

The pilot demonstrated the end-to-end signal transmission from a device in the field to standard visualisation apps in the office. The technology automatically raised alarms which reduced the overall reaction time and helped mitigate negative impacts on our customers, the environment and eventually Sydney Water.

The data collected throughout the pilot will feed machine learning and predictive analytics. Early benefits are already being realised, including where multiple blocked sewers are being detected and remedial action is able to be undertaken to mitigate surcharges.

ONLINE DOSING SYSTEM FOR WATER TREATMENT

In the water delivery process, chlorine residual in water reservoirs is variable using a manual dosing system.

The manual process of carrying the chlorite tablets to the roof of a reservoir and placing the chlorite into the treatment equipment has potential safety implications. There is also potential corrosion of the roof of the reservoir if any chlorite contacts the surface.

The creation of a ground level dosing system allows the hypochlorite to be dosed from the ground and allows control over the amount of chlorine added to the system by varying the rate at which the calcium hypochlorite is dissolved. The

new system has eliminated the need for operators to climb the reservoir, and the potential of corrosion of reservoir roofs has been minimised.

Chlorine residuals are now tightly controlled ensuring the highest quality of water supplied to our customers.

REDUCING THE IMPACT OF WATER MAIN SHUTDOWNS ON CUSTOMERS

Sydney Water has trialled hydrant wizards to bypass water mains when maintenance and urgent repairs need to be done. The technology allows us to isolate flow through the hydrant and avoids shutting down a water main. The technology was trialled on a 250mm main located in NorthWestern Sydney, where the shutdown would have affected 116 properties. Using the hydrant wizard minimised the work area on a main road with a 100km/h speed limit and resulted in minimal water loss in recharging the main. It also reduced customer impacts and potential rebate costs.

DEVELOPING FUTURE ROBOTICS CAPABILITY FOR OUR PIPES

Sydney Water currently spends almost $100 million annually on pipe renewals. Since the early 2000s, Sydney Water has reduced the level of breaks and leaks by more than 50 per cent. However, it remains a challenge to know exactly when and where our pipes will break. The ability to better target vulnerable sections of pipe during renewals may save up to 20 per cent on pipe renewal costs by avoiding repeat failures in the same pipe region.

In collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), we are developing innovative robotic tools with advanced sensing capability to improve pipe condition assessment techniques. Different sensors can be connected

100 YEARS EXPERIENCE 100 YEARS OF CERTAINTY

For over 100 years Steel Mains and its forerunners have manufactured Mild Steel Pipes. We have been involved with Australia’s largest water infrastructure projects. Over that time, we have continued to develop and improve the quality of our steel pipes offered, with the introduction of technologies like Sintakote® coating and Sintalock® and Sintajoint® Rubber Ring joint steel pipe. It is our history of development and service to the water industry that has allowed us to succeed in offering the market products of the highest quality with unique features that separates us from the competition. When investing in Mild Steel pipes, you can be certain in the knowledge that Sintakote Mild Steel pipe will provide a secure future for the service life of your asset, rated to at least 100 years. 100 years of certainty and experience is what makes Steel Mains Sintakote Steel pipe the ideal pipeline material for your next project.

SYDNEY WATER

Technologies that are changing the way Sydney Water manages its networks

to the robot to detect key parameters for pipe performance such as wall thickness. This builds on previous work with Data 61 to develop predictive analytics tools, which help us prioritise high-risk critical water mains, small

mains and active leak detection areas.

The robotic tools will allow Sydney Water to undertake pipe inspections more cost-effectively and safely, by being able to identify vulnerable sections of water and wastewater

pipes for asset replacement and/ or maintenance. The shift to smart robotics tools will enable Sydney Water to enter a new frontier of water management with more cost-effective, efficient and safer pipe inspections, and ultimately less disruption for customers.

ENHANCING SEWER MONITORING CAPABILITY

Sydney Water spends around $60-80 million annually on management and rehabilitation of deteriorated concrete trunk sewers, corrosion and odour at treatment plants. Conventional humidity sensors for monitoring sewers only last a few weeks in our sewers.

We are working with Macquarie University, City University London and Edinburgh Napier University to tailor the use of photonic sensors to monitor corrosion that will survive in aggressive sewer environments. These sensors were being used in structural health monitoring of

NSW Ph: 02 8197 2825 WA Ph: 08 9201 0948 QLD

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Technologies that are changing the way Sydney Water manages its networks

corrosion in assets like railway bridges, but had never been applied to water infrastructure.

The use of photonic sensors can now provide online, long-term, continuous humidity data that is crucial to corrosion management in gravity sewers. Photonic sensors are lasting months in our sewers. Trials of the sensors are ongoing and plans are underway to deploy sensors more widely in our network.

IMPROVING RAW WATER QUALITY TREATMENT AND CAPACITY

Poor raw water quality and increased levels of coloured natural organic matter impact the performance of our water filtration plants, reducing the volume of safe drinking water that can be provided by the plant. To maximise the plant’s capacity, Sydney Water, in collaboration with University of NSW and SME Instrument Works, has developed a world

first instrument to measure floc strength in our water treatment plants. It enables the optimisation of treatment chemical use and maximises water production at the plants, particularly after heavy rain.

The instrument is designed to address water treatability but it is also robust and easy to use, making it suitable for use by our operators in the treatment plants. The instrument is currently being used and validated at Nepean Water Filtration Plant.

THE FUTURE

Sydney Water is proud of our strong track record in exploring the application of emerging technologies to improve the way we manage our networks. However, we realise we can’t stand still and must continue to change, adapt and embrace new technologies. With many gamechanging technologies being evaluated, we also need to consider the skills and capabilities that will be needed to enable the organisation to ‘do things differently’ and build greater resilience into our infrastructure and operations. This will ensure the organisation is well positioned to respond to future challenges and to take advantage of opportunities that will drive innovative approaches for the benefits of our operations and our customers.

• Magnetic fow meters

• Ultrasonic meters

• Transit time / doppler

• Open channel

• Custom spool systems

• Bioflm Analyser

• Residual Chlorine

• Dissolved Ozone

• Dissolved Oxygen

• Turbidity

• Suspended Solids

• PH/ORP

• Conductivity

• Fluoride

BINTECH SYSTEMS WATER SOLUTIONS

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• Sludge Level Systems

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TOP VIEW OF FLOC STRENGTH INSTRUMENT

CO-DIGESTION: THE IMPORTANCE OF PRE-SCREENING

As we move to a more sustainable future, where each waste stream is seen as a resource, co-digestion will become a vital part of sewage waste management.

Sewage waste treatment produces energy-rich sludge, made up of things like fats, grease and oils (FOG), and food scraps. Using co-digestion (anaerobic digestion of the sludge), FOG and food scraps can be diverted from landfills and sewer lines, and the sludge can be used to produce methane gas — a valuable energy source when fossil fuel supplies are dwindling and power prices keep rising.

Many countries are already using anaerobic digesters to make their waste valuable. The anaerobic digestion will generate methane gas, but it needs a putrescible feedstock. The more putrescible it is, the more methane gas it will yield. Hence Australia’s growing interest in using municipal sewage or septic sludge, which is particularly putrescible! It hits two goals at the same time; finding a use for sewage waste that would go to landfill, and generating a significant amount of methane gas as a renewable source of energy.

If sewage sludge is to be used as a feedstock, physical contamination by non-putrescible stones, wood chips, metals, glass and plastics must be removed by screening. Like many processing plants, screening is a critical pre-treatment stage because not only are the contaminants non-putrescible, they can damage the anaerobic digesters and significantly reduce efficiency.

Another problem in processing sewage sludge is the accumulation of foam and grease waste, which can ultimately clog pipes and pumps. This is a common problem, yet an

efficient solution has not previously been available in the market. If not eliminated, these contaminants can block the digesters resulting in inefficient performance, reduced methane production and, of course, a lower profit.

Leading German company HUBER SE has developed an efficient and innovative solution to the problem of accumulated physical contaminants, grease and foams. The HUBER RoFAS is a lightweight wash drum made of stainless steel that separates septic sludge, food sludge and grease trap material from solids ranging in size from three to 100mm.

The internal drum of the HUBER RoFAS can cater for feedstock with a high-solids throughput, even with

unusual materials like tree debris, large stones and bricks. The HUBER RoFAS can also lower maintenance costs due to its durability when exposed to a high-solids throughput. The five, ten or 20kl tankers that transport the waste discharge directly into the HUBER RoFAS via a feed manifold. The amount of feedstock discharged from each waste transporter can be measured via the control system.

The HUBER RoFAS will protect digestion processes from any coarse screenings in the feedstocks or sludge streams, reducing digester maintenance and ensuring the digestion process operates at optimum efficiency.

SLIP LINING SUCCESS FOR WILLIAMSTOWN MAIN SEWER

Melbourne Water has recently upgraded its existing 100-year-old 4.4km long Williamstown Main Sewer from Pasco Street in Williamstown to Scienceworks in Spotswood. This refurbished sewer will continue to beneft the communities of Williamstown, Newport and Spotswood by providing a reliable sewerage service for years to come.

The Williamstown Main Sewer Rehabilitation Project commenced in March 2017 and aimed to reline the brick-lined sewer while maintaining service to customers in the surrounding area.

Inspections of the Williamstown Main Sewer revealed it was in poor condition and needed to be upgraded.

Melbourne Water conducts regular inspections of its sewer network by using closed-circuit television (CCTV) inside the sewer and analysing the footage to determine asset condition. The regularity of these inspections depends on the risk of the asset, which is a combination of consequence of failure and likelihood of failure.

The project has improved the condition of the sewer by rehabilitating the existing sewer pipe and associated manholes.

“Melbourne Water plays a crucial role in ensuring the sewage transfer network across metropolitan Melbourne is properly and regularly maintained. This includes minimising and eliminating the risk of potential leaks, cracks and spills,” Melbourne Water Project Manager, Jim O’Neil said.

“Our sewers were first built in the 1890s and the network has expanded over time to cover a larger area. Many of these older sewers are now in need of an upgrade to ensure they continue to service Melburnians.

“By rehabilitating and relining these aging sewers, Melbourne Water is securing a reliable and effective sewer service for our customers while also protecting the environment by reducing the risk of a sewage spill, which could make its way into Melbourne’s waterways.”

Along with relining the sewer line, all 35 manholes have been lined and rehabilitated, and new manhole lids have been installed on the surface.

Work began on reinstating the affected areas as close as possible to pre-existing condition in November 2018 and should now be complete.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TRENCHLESS METHODOLOGY

The sewer was rehabilitated by slip-lining the host pipe with Glass-fiber Reinforced Plastic (GRP) pipes of similar geometry to the host pipe albeit with slightly less crosssectional area. This reduction in cross-sectional area has not affected capacity of the sewer and slip-lining had also avoided the need to bypass sewer flows.

A number of trenchless methods were considered before selecting the slip-lining method, such as Cured in Place Pipe (CIPP) and Spiral Wound Pipe technologies. Spiral lining the sewer was quickly ruled out due to the liner being unable to take the shape of the host pipe, which featured ovoid geometry.

CIPP was considered an acceptable rehabilitation solution as it met Melbourne Water’s project requirements; however, slip-lining was perceived as a superior option for only a small increase in cost.

“Each of these methods are currently used on other Melbourne Water sewer relining projects, and spiral lining

was used along an 800m circular section of the Williamstown Main Sewer. However, slip-lining was determined as the best rehabilitation solution for the remaining 3.6km of sewer as this methodology avoided the need to bypass pump the sewage in aboveground piping, which was considered a major risk to the project,” Mr O’Neil said.

“Constructing a new sewer to replace the aging Williamstown Main was never an option given the high capital cost and risks associated with community impact.”

Slip-lining has been used extensively in Australia; however, this project was the first of its kind to use a fully automated pipe jacking rig to install GRP pipe inside an existing live sewer. The machine was specifically designed for the Williamstown Main Sewer Project and after some initial teething problems, this machine proved an efficient and safe way of installing GRP pipe.

“The biggest challenge was aligning the jacking pipe to the previously pushed pipe. A heavy chain inside a hessian bag would be dropped on top of the pipe being jacked to push the leading face (spigot end) down. The lowered pipe tended to pitch up when lowered into position. A forward-facing camera located inside the jacking machine allowed the jacking operator to give commands to the person lowering the weighted chain thereby ensuring that proper alignment could be achieved,” Mr O’Neil said.

The benefits of automated slip-lining include:

• The ability to line an ovoid (upside down teardrop) shape sewer

• It effectively delivers a new asset by installing a new pipeline inside the original pipeline

• It eliminates aboveground bypass pumping of sewage, avoiding the need for noisy generators to operate 24/7 which can be disruptive to the local community

• Improved safety conditions for slip-lining crews resulting in reduced time inside the sewer when compared to other rehabilitation methods

NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH

Although the Williamstown Main Sewer Rehabilitation Project is now complete, Melbourne Water’s Sewer Relining Program — a broader program of works to rehabilitate six major sewers across Melbourne over the next three years — continues, with several projects nearing completion or about to commence.

The Sewer Relining Program includes the following projects: Brighton Main Sewer Upgrade; North Yarra Deviation Sewer Upgrade; Maribyrnong River Main Sewer Upgrade; Pascoe Vale Sewer Upgrade; Hawthorn Main Sewer Upgrade; and Kew Pumping Station Sewer Upgrade.

Mr O’Neil said, “The method for sewer rehabilitation will continue to be assessed on a case-by-case basis with parameters such as sewage flows, sewer condition, size, shape and length dictating the preferred rehabilitation solution.”

EFFECTIVE PLANNING KEY TO SUCCESSFUL SEWER RENEWAL

Sewer main renewal can be unglamorous at the best of times, but can prove even tougher when undertaken in a public setting that requires pedestrian access. In situations like these, expertise, efective planning and consultation with stakeholders is critical to project success.

Regardless of the project type, areas with a high flow of traffic are challenging to manage and maintain. Sewers present unique challenges, with works often requiring heavy machinery that poses a risk to both public access and the integrity of existing infrastructure such as concrete paths.

A recent project at popular tourist location Mooloolaba, involved the relining of six consecutive lengths of DN450 and raising one access chamber, as well as cleaning and coating eight existing access chambers. Interflow worked with Unitywater and the local council to successfully manage the large numbers of pedestrians requiring beach and park access, and to undertake the works on steep, inaccessible bushland.

THE RELINING PROCESS

In order to reline the existing pipes effectively, the lines were first cleaned using a recycler. To reduce cartage and use of water, cleaning was undertaken by a one position set up, incorporating two dingos which were positioned up the line. These were moved into position using a 100-tonne crane, along with the relining Kubota.

Because the site was located on a large area of parkland, multiple site setups were established, each requiring

careful coordination and effective communications with stakeholders. The coating works and relining were undertaken in tandem, which made the most of the arranged closures and permits.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING

Proving the importance of planning, the significant amount of preparation meant that there was minimal impact to members of the public and the environment. Environmental considerations such as species and habitat management are important in any renewal project, and were made a high priority, meaning that no harmful effects resulted from the works.

Flexible traffic and environmental controls are also critical to the success of renewal projects. With public footpaths impacted by the works in Mooloolaba, bog mats were required to control the subsidence of equipment. This protected the ground from recent rain, and protected the concrete paths from the weight of heavy machinery and equipment.

With effective planning, and using the right equipment for the job, the project was completed both on time and budget, without any impact to the Unitywater network.

For more information on Interflow’s sewer, stormwater and potable water capabilities, visit www.interflow.com.au.

INSTANT SEAL ACHIEVED WITH THE LINK SEAL SYSTEM EXCEEDING ALL EXPECTATIONS

Link-Seal Mechanical Pipe Seal, the non-corrosive system providing longterm leak protection and structural integrity, was successfully installed in the Ravensworth North Underground Mine in the NSW Hunter Valley. In this case study, the challenge was to core, install and seal six pipes that would be submerged in a clari fed water tank within fve days.

The application of the Link-Seals was simple and very efficient. The results were immediate and unmistakable. After tightening the last bolt, the seal was instant, and there was no need for adhesives or grouts, therefore allowing the water tank to be refilled immediately. All the delays that were encountered with previous shutdowns were now a thing of the past. Link-Seal Mechanical Pipe Seal was the ideal solution for this project because:

• The installation was carried out by only one contractor with a simple hand wrench

• Time and money were saved

• 100 per cent instant watertight seal (no downtime on curing)

• No adhesives, chemical fixtures or epoxy coatings were required – only the Link-Seal Link-Seals are supplied as a belt with a series of interconnecting rubber links and bolts. It can seal against chemicals, oils, gas and water, and the T-Model has a certified two hours fire-rating.

1. ASSEMBLE AND WRAP LINK-SEAL AROUND THE PIPE

3. TIGHTEN FASTENERS WITH HAND WRENCH

2. SLIDE LINK-SEAL INTO PENETRATION

4. PENETRATION PERMANENTLY SEALED

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OVERCOMING TOUGH CONDITIONS WITH GROUNDBREAKING TECHNOLOGY

Ground conditions are a key factor in the ease and success of trenchless operations, though even the toughest conditions can be overcome with the right technology and operator experience. Pezzimenti Trenchless recently put its expertise to the test on a challenging sewerage upgrade project with Yarra Valley Water and MFJ Constructions.

While part of the project was designed for open-cut work by MFJ Constructions, the trenchless component of the project played an important role in completing the upgrade.

For Pezzimenti Trenchless, the scope of work for the Cooper Street Sewer Duplication Project in Somerton, Victoria, included the installation of 700m of DN 650mm GRP pipe through basalt, with grades of one in 400. The most difficult and important bore was 90m underneath the Hume Highway.

“The ground conditions were some of the worst and most challenging we have come across, and we have seen it

all,” Pezzimenti Trenchless Director, Joe Pezzimenti, said.

Not only was the location a challenge, but the ground conditions proved to be problematic due to the depth of the new gravity pipeline, which was between three and five metres. While dealing with the interface between clay and basalt, the team encountered boulders and mixed ground conditions.

Over a period of six months, two crews of three members used Pezzimenti-developed equipment, including Pezzimenti cutters, which were suited to handle the tough local conditions. Using reliable, fit-for-purpose technology, and with microtunnelling

experience dating back to the 1980s, the company successfully completed the line, which is now fully operational.

“It took all our operators’ experience and expertise to get these bores done on line and on grade,” Mr Pezzimenti said.

The newly installed pipe and 24 new sewer manholes are designed to reliably cater to Melbourne’s growing northern suburbs, and reduce the likelihood of sewage spills during heavy rain.

For more information on how Pezzimenti Trenchless can assist you with your next trenchless project, visit www.pezztrenchless.com.au.

SPECIALISTS IN INNOVATIVE SEWER TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS

The Iplex range of EZIpit® Maintenance Shafts and Chambers are a breakthrough in sewer technology allowing a durable, stable, corrosion resistant and leak-free plastic sewer system. The EZIpit® product range has considerable benefits over conventional systems especially where site access or environmental conditions are a concern.

Manufactured from light weight polypropylene components, the need for heavy lifting equipment is eliminated permitting installation with the sewer pipes. Substantial cost savings in construction can be achieved, making the EZIpit® system the optimum choice for all civil infrastructure and gravity sewer projects.

THE DROUGHT MANAGEMENT MEASURES STABILISING NSW WATER SUPPLIES

A drier than usual 12 months have taken a toll on New South Wales, requiring water suppliers to take urgent action. While the drought has potentially devastating efects for the state’s residents and industries, tough drought management measures being undertaken by WaterNSW are securing water supplies and stabilising the state.

According to the NSW Department of Primary Industries, 61 per cent of the state is either in drought or intense drought, while almost 39 per cent is drought affected. WaterNSW is combating the potential ramifications of these statistics with strategies such as bulk water transfers and upgrades to water infrastructure.

BULK WATER TRANSFERS

Between October and December 2018, WaterNSW undertook a bulk water transfer at one of the state’s most drought affected locations. A total of 34,900 megalitres was transferred from Split Rock Dam to Keepit Dam in the Lower Namoi Valley in order to meet basic customer water demands.

Scheduled releases of water ranged from 100 megalitres per day to 1900

megalitres per day, with the peak releases occurring in late October. At the time of the transfers, Split Rock Dam was at 13.4 per cent of capacity, while Keepit Dam was at a low 10.6 per cent.

Weather conditions were carefully considered throughout the bulk water transfer process, ensuring that any changes in demand due to rainfall were factored into the future releases of water.

According to WaterNSW Executive Manager, System Operation and Asset Maintenance, Adrian Langdon, the severe drought conditions have impacted all water storages across the state, but the Namoi Valley has been in a particular need of stabilisation due to a lack of rainfall and a corresponding near absence of inflows into dam storages over the past year.

WaterNSW estimates that even with the additional water from the transfers, Keepit Dam could fall to two per cent of capacity in the near future, without receiving significant inflows. Split Rock would hold less than five per cent under the same minimal inflow scenario.

Without significant inflows, it is likely that more hard decisions will be required in the months ahead to ensure dwindling resources are allocated fairly, and with priority given to critical human needs.

“WaterNSW has been working closely with water users in the Upper and Lower Namoi to manage supply, and our management plan and the cooperation from customers has enabled us to extend supply under arguably the state’s most severe drought conditions,” Mr Langdon said.

“With government, and in collaboration with the critical water advisory panel, we are implementing strategies to extend vital supply as long as possible and sharing the hardship as fairly as we can in line with water sharing plan rules until the drought breaks.

“We will continue to monitor water resources and adapt strategies as required, and if necessary, investigate potential additional measures and actions to ensure water supplies for critical needs.”

INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES

While measures such as bulk water transfers can provide temporary relief, more permanent water management strategies are also being put in place by WaterNSW.

One such strategy is the consideration of a 12km pipeline construction from Lake Rowlands Dam to the larger WaterNSW-operated Carcoar Dam, which was recently funded for a business case by the NSW Government.

Alongside the Namoi Valley, the Lachlan Valley poses one of the greatest water security challenges in the state, being heavily impacted by the Millenium Drought and having undergone economic and environmental damage during the 2016 floods.

In 2014, the area was identified by the NSW Government as one of four priority catchments for the investment and delivery of critical water infrastructure projects over the next decade.

As a result, WaterNSW developed the Lachlan Valley Water Security Study, which explores the best options to mitigate the impacts of drought in the area, and provide ongoing water security for local communities.

According to WaterNSW Executive Manager, Asset Solutions and Delivery, Andrew George, the 12km pipeline was a key solution in the study.

“The pipeline will transfer surplus water from the Central Tablelands Water-operated Lake Rowlands Dam to the larger Carcoar Dam. This will result in more efficient storage of available water and increase operational flexibility,” Mr George said.

“The Lachlan Valley has struggled with long periods of little or no water availability and solutions identified in the Lachlan Valley Water Security Study seek to provide certainty and security for customers when it comes to water delivery.

“When developing the Lachlan Valley Water Security Study, WaterNSW looked to address two key issues: irrigation drought security and managing flood impacts.

“The study confirmed that water infrastructure solutions were needed in the Lachlan Valley, and deliverables from this study will be a major boon for the region.”

With both temporary and permanent water management methods underway, and the December announcement that the Federal Government will provide $5 billion for drought resilience and recovery, achieving a more secure water future continues to be a priority for the state.

FUTURE-PROOFING DAMS FOR DROUGHT

Australia has a long history of dealing with drought — but is enough being done to cement the country’s valuable water stores? Waterproof dams that stand the test of time are integral to Australia’s water future, but require expert concrete work, solid knowledge of the sector and futuristic concrete technology to be efective for generations to come.

National supplier of concrete and construction products to major infrastructure projects, Danterr, was recently involved in the $94 million Kangaroo Dam Upgrade in South Australia, working closely with stakeholders such as SA Water, local government and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to ensure that the dam is a secure source of water.

The important upgrades will assist in managing the potential for major flooding, and have increased the dam’s capacity to withstand earthquakes. In order to deliver the project in a financially and environmentally efficient manner, Danterr utilised its expert knowledge of concrete, equipment and water-stopping

to contribute a multitude of futureproofing products to the upgrade.

In order to reach the best possible outcome, Danterr used internationally sourced products such as the Brazilianmade Jeene water-stopping range. With the highest levels of freshwater on earth, Brazil has some of the world’s most effective water-stopping technology, which Danterr has brought to Australia as a valuable construction tool for Australian dams.

In conjunction with Jeene’s product range, Danterr used Hydrotite for the upgrade project, which is a lining inserted into concrete joints that swells when water hits it, making the joints more waterproof. This was

complemented by PVC Waterstops, which are attached to the back of the concrete or used inside the pour as extra waterproofing. With technology such as this, the likelihood of water loss due to leaks is significantly reduced.

According to Danterr’s Zeb Armstrong, there are several new dam projects in the pipeline for droughtprone Australia, and it’s imperative that they feature world-leading products and technology to last into the future.

Regarding Australia’s future dams, Mr Armstrong said, “We are the ones to hold them together.”

To view more of Danterr’s products and projects, visit the Danterr website: www.danterr.com.

• DNP3 standards

• IEC 61850-7-4 (Server/Client)

• IEC 60870-5-101/-103/-104

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The WAGO-I/O- SYSTEM 750 XTR provides an ALL-IN-ONE system for measurement, regulation control and telecontrol.

The 750 XTR’s feldbus independent modular slice-card I/O design provides a fexible hardware platform for all automation and engineering applications.

YARRA VALLEY WATER’S WOMEN IN STEM

There’s no doubt that women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) is a hot topic right now. There’s been a lot of chatter in this space, following the government’s announcement in September 2018 of a ten-year key Budget initiative that will increase the engagement and participation of girls and women in STEM.

STEM skills are critical to future jobs and to Australia’s ongoing prosperity. Increasing female participation in STEM isn’t just about equity and individual opportunity, it is also about strengthening Australia’s research, scientific and business capabilities.

Here, Yarra Valley Water reflects on the many achievements of its own women in STEM, and chats to them about their work in the space.

MARYANNE TULLYProject Manager

WHAT IS YOUR SPECIFIC AREA OF STEM?

I have a Bachelor of Surveying.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR STEM FIELD?

When I was at high school, I could not see myself sitting at a desk all day. I thought being a surveyor would give me a mix of inside and outside work.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING PROJECT TO DATE?

As a female in a non-traditional area my biggest challenge has actually not been related to any projects, but to the discriminatory behaviour of a very small number of men when I worked as a surveyor. Most males were extremely supportive; however, one or two were very direct and said they would not work with me as I was female. This did happen a long time ago, and I am very glad to know that this would not happen in most workplaces today.

WHAT DOES BEING A WOMAN IN STEM MEAN TO YOU?

As a society we need to encourage women’s participation in STEM. This begins at primary school where unfortunately many girls commence with the preconceived idea that they cannot do maths. We need both teachers and mothers to be positive in their attitude towards maths, so girls are encouraged in STEM career paths. The teaching of maths and science also needs to give students an understanding of why you use this information in life.

WHAT MILESTONE ARE YOU CURRENTLY MOVING TOWARDS?

I have recently moved to a role in growth planning. We are moving towards integrated water management sub-catchment planning and, as part of this change, we are looking at new systems to provide advice to developers. Projects that improve the way we work, providing benefits to both Yarra Valley Water and our customers are what I enjoy and want to achieve at work.

ARE YOU CURRENTLY ENCOURAGING FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN STEM IN ANY WAY?

My daughter is currently studying engineering. I have always been open with my children and their friends — they can achieve in whatever field they choose. I also informally mentor some of the staff in Development Services and it has been pleasing to see them progress in their careers.

ELLA GROSSWater and Wastewater Designer and Design Manager, Jacobs

WHAT IS YOUR SPECIFIC AREA OF STEM?

I am a civil engineer in the water and wastewater sector.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR STEM FIELD? WERE YOU INSPIRED BY SOMEONE?

I chose engineering as I enjoy problem solving and thinking outside the box to find a solution.

Water engineering appealed to me as water is essential to the community to live, especially as Australia is a droughtprone country. It is exciting to design infrastructure that helps the community and provides an essential service.

My mother has always inspired me, as she’s hard working and a leader in her profession as an economist at Swinburne University. She inspired me to take every opportunity and not to be intimidated by currently male dominated STEM subjects at school and university.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR MOST REWARDING PROJECT TO DATE?

The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the water infrastructure I designed being built. After spending a year designing Yarra Valley Water’s Epping North Recycled Water Tank and Pipelines project, it was exciting to see my design being transformed from paper to real-life infrastructure that benefits the community.

WHAT DOES BEING A WOMAN IN STEM MEAN TO YOU?

There are more opportunities and support for women in STEM and it’s exciting to be involved. Being a woman in STEM means new perspectives and ideas for an industry previously monopolised by males. I’m encouraged to remain in STEM with the strong emerging female leadership in my sector.

WHAT MILESTONE ARE YOU CURRENTLY MOVING TOWARDS?

I love learning, and everyday I’m learning something new. My career aspirations are to design infrastructure that is more technically difficult. Also, I’d like to have experience working in a different culture and working environment. This year, I’ve been given the opportunity to move to Ireland for a work placement within Jacobs.

ARE YOU CURRENTLY ENCOURAGING FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN STEM IN ANY WAY?

I am participating in the Science and Technology Education Leveraging Relevance (STELR) program to promote girls in STEM by Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE). My career profile video will be shown to secondary school students around Australia to promote and inspire them to pursue STEM studies and careers.

LAURA PRICKETTProject Manager

WHAT IS YOUR SPECIFIC AREA OF STEM?

I have a Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR STEM FIELD?

I chose engineering as I’ve always been fascinated with and enjoyed problem solving, and essentially that’s what engineering is.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING PROJECT TO DATE?

I recently represented Yarra Valley Water in the development of a 50-year strategy for Melbourne’s sewerage system. Working together with a big group of stakeholders is always going to be a challenge, but having such a diverse group of people working towards a common goal really helped to create a strong shared vision and plan for the system.

WHAT DOES BEING A WOMAN IN STEM MEAN TO YOU?

I ended up in STEM after having a natural strength for science and maths and being encouraged to pursue it as I grew up. However, once I started at university and to work in the field, I really started to notice how important it is to have females working in the field, especially given how few there are around. I’m still met with surprise and curiosity when I introduce myself as an engineer to new people. Normalising women in STEM and making sure that young females have women to look up to, in whatever career they aspire to, is incredibly important.

ARE YOU CURRENTLY ENCOURAGING FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN STEM IN ANY WAY?

Outside of work I’ve always been involved in youth mentoring. One program I’m currently involved with is the CHOOSEMATHS mentoring program. It’s designed to increase female participation in maths by linking professionals working in math related fields with high school students. Essentially, it’s a forum that allows young females to connect with females working in STEM.

BRIE JOWETTManager, Water Operations

WHAT IS YOUR SPECIFIC AREA OF STEM?

I studied civil engineering and entered a career in water engineering.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR STEM FIELD?

I loved science and maths at school, particularly physics. Also, my sister was studying environmental engineering when I was considering courses late in secondary school and I loved the assignments she brought home. Getting into water engineering combined my passion for the environment, community and engineering.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING PROJECT TO DATE?

Most projects have been very challenging in very different ways. It is this diversity of challenges I enjoy the most.

WHAT DOES BEING A WOMAN IN STEM MEAN TO YOU?

Fun interesting work where you get to use your brain a lot to benefit the community.

WHAT MILESTONE ARE YOU CURRENTLY MOVING TOWARDS?

I am currently working towards becoming a chartered engineer. I am also hopeful to undertake some sort of interstate or overseas secondment with Yarra Valley Water so that I can understand more about water supply networks and challenges in other areas.

Yarra Valley Water’s women in STEM

ARE YOU CURRENTLY ENCOURAGING FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN STEM IN ANY WAY?

I have some informal mentoring relationships with younger engineers in the water sector and try to support these women in their career paths in the water industry.

RITA NARANGALA

- Manager, Improvement Design and Delivery

WHAT IS YOUR SPECIFIC AREA OF STEM?

I manage the Improvement Design and Delivery team — we look for ways to improve our water and sewerage networks to deliver better service for customers, in the most efficient way.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR STEM FIELD?

My mum instilled in me a real passion for environmental sustainability. I felt that science and engineering was the best way for me to make a positive difference for the environment.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING PROJECT TO DATE?

Back when I was working in community sewerage, I led a team that planned new sewerage schemes for properties on septic tanks. Customer perceptions of sewerage were complicated by issues like affordability, town planning, politics, and of course health and the environment. It required lots of community engagement and empathy for the customer.

WHAT DOES BEING A WOMAN IN STEM MEAN TO YOU?

It means valuing the skills we often take for granted. This includes empathy (for customers and colleagues), vulnerability (even as leaders) and empowering others to deliver.

WHAT MILESTONE ARE YOU CURRENTLY MOVING TOWARDS?

Great question! I am trying to figure that out at this very moment.

ARE YOU CURRENTLY ENCOURAGING FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN STEM IN ANY WAY?

I informally mentor a few female engineers and am often approached for advice. I also teach kindergarten-aged children at a Saturday school, and am subtly encouraging the girls to think of themselves as able and capable when it comes to traditionally ‘non-female’ roles.

MELISSA

GREENWOOD - Manager, Sewer Growth Projects

WHAT IS YOUR SPECIFIC AREA OF STEM?

Civil engineering.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR STEM FIELD?

I was inspired by my dad, who was an engineer and wellrespected leader. I saw engineering as a career path where I could utilise some maths and science, which I enjoyed at school, but could also lead to people management. I chose civil engineering because of the close community connection. For me, civil engineering has always been about providing community infrastructure.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING PROJECT TO DATE?

Any projects that involve behavioural change can be tough — in particular implementing a wireless tablet system to field-based maintenance workers. This was 15 years ago when very few of them even had a smartphone and some had very little experience using a computer.

WHAT DOES BEING A WOMAN IN STEM MEAN TO YOU?

I think it is really important that STEM projects — especially those being undertaken to benefit the community — have input from a variety of different voices and backgrounds.

WHAT MILESTONE ARE YOU CURRENTLY MOVING TOWARDS?

My main focus as a team manager is to develop my team. My current goal is to rebuild the team and coach new team members, as half the team were recently successful in being promoted!

ARE YOU CURRENTLY ENCOURAGING FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN STEM IN ANY WAY?

I currently undertake formal and informal coaching of other women at Yarra Valley Water. I am also consciously looking for diversity when recruiting. I also speak at careers nights — I find that most high school students know very little about engineering and don’t realise that it is a job where you can ‘give back’ to the community in many ways, both here and overseas.

NINA REDDY - Capital Works PMO Lead

WHAT IS YOUR SPECIFIC AREA OF STEM?

I graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil). I eventually studied a Master of Project Management to gain certification in the field, as I could see myself pursuing it. After working as a project manager for many years, I recently applied for and was successful in getting the role of Capital PMO (Portfolio Management Office) Lead.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR STEM FIELD? WERE YOU INSPIRED BY SOMEONE?

I didn’t know what I wanted to do at university, and tossed up between engineering (because I liked Lego!) and speech pathology as my first preferences. The career opportunities for speech pathology seemed quite limited so I ended up picking engineering as my first preference. In my first year of uni, I was really inspired to pursue civil engineering by one of my lecturers. He made it seem really fun and always shared the interesting work he was doing in his part-time role at an engineering consultancy.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING PROJECT TO DATE?

I think that my most challenging projects have been due to the personality mix and drivers of the project team and stakeholders, rather than technical challenges. I believe that with enough skilled people on your team you can always overcome or manage technical challenges, but the challenging part comes from building and drawing on your emotional intelligence to manage the individuals and the team, particularly if they are hostile or unwilling to be part of the project. This is one of the skills I’m always working towards improving.

WHAT DOES BEING A WOMAN IN STEM MEAN TO YOU?

I used to think that being a woman in STEM meant that you had to be passionate and knowledgeable about all things technical. I no longer think that. I think that women in STEM means contributing to STEM, whether in a major or minor way, technical or otherwise. I feel that being a woman in STEM also means advocating for and bringing up other women around you, since women usually make up a minority of senior positions within the organisations we work for.

WHAT MILESTONE ARE YOU CURRENTLY MOVING TOWARDS?

I’m working towards establishing my current role and having a deeper understanding of how the organisation works as a business. I’m also always keeping my eyes open to identify any training and development opportunities that may come my way, both informal and formal.

ARE YOU CURRENTLY ENCOURAGING FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN STEM IN ANY WAY?

I am encouraging my six-year-old niece’s love of science as she desperately wants to be a scientist one day!

JOANNA COOPERIntegration Engineer

WHAT IS YOUR SPECIFIC AREA OF STEM?

I am a senior engineer with 20 years’ experience working and managing projects in the water industry. I have a Bachelor Degree in Engineering (Chemical) and a Graduate Certificate in Cleaner Production.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR STEM FIELD?

I enjoyed maths, chemistry and physics at secondary school and engineering seemed like a logical combination of those interests. Two of my uncles were engineers, so it was a career path that was on my radar.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING PROJECT TO DATE?

I think most projects have challenging aspects to them, which also brings a great sense of reward when they are overcome.

The Monbulk Sewerage Project presented many challenges in terms of engaging with the community about their expectations for a new sewerage system; balancing a technical solution with environmental and economic outcomes and ‘selling’ the preferred approach both internally and externally.

WHAT DOES BEING A WOMAN IN STEM MEAN TO YOU?

I enjoy the day-to-day challenges that working as an engineer in the water industry presents. I enjoy the variety of projects that I have exposure to and the ongoing opportunities to learn. I am very proud of my Yarra Valley Water Employee of the Year Award as a female engineer, working part-time. If nothing else, hopefully it demonstrates to my two daughters there are no barriers to working in STEM.

WHAT MILESTONE ARE YOU CURRENTLY MOVING TOWARDS?

As my daughters move through their early years of primary school, I have gradually increased my part-time hours and look forward to exploring further opportunities at Yarra Valley Water.

ARE YOU CURRENTLY ENCOURAGING FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN STEM IN ANY WAY?

As part of my secondary school’s alumni association, I have spoken to female students about my career path.

Yarra Valley Water’s women in STEM

HARNESSING SOLAR ENERGY

As modern society increasingly demands sustainable resources and environmentally friendly materials, the extensive use of fossil fuels is becoming a signi fcant burden. In response to the growing call for clean fuels, researchers at Curtin University have developed a low-cost and environmentally friendly method that harvests energy from sunlight to create hydrogen.

TO CREATE CLEAN FUELS

The development of innovative research continues to propel Australia forward in the renewable sector, and drives us towards being a world leader in the hydrogen industry.

An environmentally and economically sustainable hydrogen industry could soon be a reality. Research lead by ARC DECRA Fellow, Dr Guohua Jia, from Curtin’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences, has successfully used tiny nanocrystals that provided efficient catalysts to generate solar energy for the production of clean fuels.

“Previously, in order to use catalysts to derive energy from sunlight and transfer it into clean fuels such as hydrogen, we would have had to use cadmium-based semiconductors in combination with expensive noble metals including platinum, iridium and ruthenium,” Dr Jia said.

“However, there are considerable obstacles to the widespread use of materials containing cadmium (Cd), as they are toxic and pose a threat to the environment, while the noble metals are expensive and not sustainable.”

THE METHOD BEHIND THE MADNESS Researchers targeted synthesis of semiconductor nanocrystals using non-toxic, earth-abundant elements and use the tiny nanocrystals for clean fuel production through water splitting.

The tiny nanocrystals can absorb the light and generate electrons. The electrons can reduce the hydrogen ions (H+) to hydrogen in a water splitting process.

In order to achieve this, the researchers developed general synthetic strategies for compositing nanocrystals with controlled size, shape and composition.

Dr Jia said the research developed a more efficient and greener alternative to use solar energy to produce clean fuels.

“Our research invented tiny crystals that do not contain any noble and toxic metals, which can be directly used as environmentally friendly catalysts to convert solar energy into hydrogen,” Dr Jia said.

“These nanomaterials may be of great interest to the energy industry, as they are made from cheap and nearabundant elements and offer industries a potential cleaner and cheaper fuel source.

“One of the biggest challenges in the process was how to obtain nearly monodisperse nanocrystals so that the ensemble properties of these particles will be similar to those of individual one's.

“To address this issue, we conducted the synthesis by optimising the preparation conditions.

“Another challenge was many of experiments in the process of developing the new method were unsuccessful and we were feeling frustrated. But we are always persistent and hard working, those are the driving forces of the success in developing the new method.”

HELPING MOVE AUSTRALIA FORWARD

Research projects, such as those led by Dr Jia, are crucial in the transition to clean fuels as Australia moves toward decarbonising gas and electricity.

This type of low-cost, low-emission clean hydrogen is a key fuel in the transition to a low-carbon economy that can also be used as a carbon-free alternative to fuel for transport, and creates more opportunity for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

The research involved multidisciplinary collaborations between Curtin University, University College London, The Australian National University, Edith Cowan University and The University of Western Australia.

MANAGING HIGH PV GENERATION

Australia leads the world in the uptake of rooftop solar (PV). As the proportion of energy from PV increases, a point is reached where the natural fuctuation of the output, due to both intermittent and sustained cloud cover, can cause problems on the local distribution network that the PV is connected to.

PV is installed and connected behind the customer’s meter and is connected, via the customer’s connection, to the low voltage network. The energy produced from PV is initially consumed on site and, at this stage, has minimal effect on the grid. If the power supplied by the PV exceeds what is required on site, the excess is put back into the low voltage network. At lower levels of PV penetration in an area, this is normally not a problem because the exported power is consumed by neighbouring loads and, although reduced, the power supplied by the grid is still sufficient to provide voltage stability.

However, as the number of PV systems increases, and the power generated from PVs in a particular area gets close to, or exceeds, the total load in that area at any point in time, the PV generation can cause problems on the local grid.

The problems that can be caused by high levels of penetration of PV systems include reduced understanding of the native load and its interaction with PV because of the lack of visibility of PV generation; voltage fluctuations due to short-term fluctuation in PV generation; increased wear and tear on transformer tap changers; spurious tripping of protection devices; and voltage rises and changes to the voltage profile of the feeder.

A project by The Australian National University (ANU) is seeking to address two of these issues: the lack of visibility of PV generation and voltage fluctuations due to short-term fluctuations in PV generation.

IMPROVING VISIBILITY OF PV GENERATION

The ANU project, supported by ARENA and the active involvement of 12 of the 15 electricity distribution businesses in Australia, is developing and refining techniques for predicting real-time and future electricity generation from distributed PV at a relatively small geographic level.

The project is comprised of:

• Solar forecasting services provided by Solcast which utilise advanced satellite weather mapping at 1km resolution updated every 10 minutes and provide a 0 to 7-day probabilistic forecast of radiation in 30-minute resolution (available at up to 5-minute resolution)

• Raw data on the capacity of rooftop PV systems connected at the distribution system asset level as provided by Distributed Network Supply Providers (DNSPs) and organised into databases by ANU

• A PV Power Model (Solcast) that combines the

information from the two components above into a probabilistic forecast of PV output at the distribution system asset level

• An Application Programming Interface (API, Solcast) that allows the DNSP to call for and receive those forecasts at the distribution system asset level

The project is also integrating information being made available from Fronius on the real-time performance of thousands of actual PV systems. This information will allow the project to fine-tune its forecasts, and improve them by taking into account information on the impact of variables like shading, and the tilt and orientation of the PV arrays.

In total, the system provides significant benefits in improving the visibility of the PV generation within the distribution network at a very localised level, including the relationship between weather variables (irradiance, cloud cover and opacity), PV capacity and other installation characteristics, PV output and operational parameters of the distribution network.

At present, the system provides information at the zone substation level, but resolution can be increased to finer scales. Current pilot projects include feeder level modelling, and forecasting for virtual power plants.

FORECASTING PV GENERATION

The ANU project, in partnership with Solcast, has demonstrated an ability to forecast PV generation within a small geographic area with a high level of accuracy, even when influenced by transient cloud cover. The modelling uses satellite imaging of clouds from the Himawari 8 Satellite and details from the DNSP on the size, location and connectivity of rooftop PV. Using its forecast of solar radiation and its PV Power Model, the project produces forecasts of PV generation.

In the meantime, DNSPs are reactively responding to the effects of high PV penetration in a number of ways including upgrading the network where required, placing limitations on the size of installations or the level of energy that can be exported, installing synchronous compensators and line drop compensation, and reducing the grid reference voltage.

Having more complete and accurate forecasts of the load that will be met by PV generation within the distribution networks will support increased certainty about the amount of dispatchable generation that will be required to supply the remaining load.

integrity {in•teg•ri•ty}

noun. The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. Complete harmony in what one thinks, says, and does.

synonyms: strength, honour, cohesion, undividedness

collaboration {col•lab•o•ra•tion}

noun. The action of two or more people or organisations working towards a common goal. A focused effort to accomplish a task or project together.

synonyms: cooperation, partnership, participation innovation {in•no•va•tion}

noun. The introduction of new things, ideas or ways of doing something that can create value and/or gain a competitive advantage.

synonyms: change, revolution, break with tradition

Comdain delivers quality engineering and asset management services to Australia's leading utilities and energy providers and it has been that way for over 50 years. We approach everything we do with integrity and an unwavering commitment to collaboration and innovation.

BUSTING THE BIGGEST AROUND EMBEDDED

An embedded network is a private utility network within multi-tenanted premises. The embedded network provider can purchase electricity for the precinct at wholesale rates and on-sell to tenants; however, not all consumers are convinced that this model works. Here, Andrew Perry, EnergyAustralia Executive – NextGen, discusses some of the common misconceptions around embedded networks.

BIGGEST MYTHS EMBEDDED NETWORKS

MYTH: BEING PART OF AN EMBEDDED NETWORK MEANS PAYING MORE FOR POWER

In the past 6-12 months, there have been numerous regulatory changes implemented by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) and Essential Services Commission Victoria (ESCV) to increase competition and consumer protections within the embedded network market.

Effective from 1 April 2018, these changes include the requirement for network exemption holders (or exempt distributors) to appoint or become an accredited Embedded Network Manager (ENM) to facilitate the exempt consumer’s access to retail market offers.

The implementation of the ENM role simplifies the process by which customers can go with the provider of their choice and ensures consistency in the embedded network industry.

The Embedded Networks Company is operating and managing numerous sites providing solutions that benefit residents — and we are improving the customer experience.

The Embedded Networks Company is a fully-owned subsidiary of EnergyAustralia and stems from our NextGen business that’s delivering products based on energy efficiency and providing customers with greater control.

Much of the frustration experienced by tenants has related to choice and access to competitive pricing.

Within our networks, residents have always been able to choose. Both owner occupiers and renters can choose to buy from another retailer, other than from their embedded network owner and operator, if they prefer. They have that flexibility. What we’ve found is they usually prefer to stay with us because we offer market competitive rates plus convenience.

MYTH: EMBEDDED NETWORKS DON’T BENEFIT ALL STAKEHOLDERS

Embedded networks provide cheaper power for tenants but they also benefit owners, owners’ corporations and developers. The embedded network gives owners’ corporations access to cheaper bulk power for common areas – and enables buildings to provide centralised hot water, and even occasionally centralised air conditioning at bulk rates. The result is lower owners’ corporation costs and fees.

Apartments and individual premises are not encumbered with bulky air conditioning equipment and hot water services, which can take up valuable space. For developers, the benefits are infrastructure cost savings, end-to-end project management through the construction phase, and low-cost utility solutions to purchasers.

Embedded networks are the base technology for which energy efficiency technologies can be installed to enable improved green star ratings. Embedded networks are futureproofing technology, enabling sites to become micro-grids if they choose, potentially reducing their dependence on the grid. They can even become further integrated into the grid, supporting resilience of the national infrastructure through embedded generation, storage and load controlled devices.

MYTH: THE SAME PROTECTIONS FOR ‘NORMAL’ ELECTRICITY CUSTOMERS DON’T APPLY TO EMBEDDED NETWORK CUSTOMERS

From 1 July 2018, all embedded network consumers now have access to the Ombudsman schemes in each jurisdiction to provide a clearer process for complaints handling, additional protection of consumer rights or to seek independent advice and assistance.

We welcome the registration of embedded networks with Ombudsman schemes, which ensures the bar is now lifted in terms of choice and protections for consumers.

There may have been cases where energy retailers have not wanted to sell to a customer inside an embedded network. You can understand how tenants might find this a frustrating situation if they were unable to change providers.

If a customer is seeking to choose another provider, we make sure they check that their new provider can bill “energy only” tariff as advised by the Australian Energy Regulator. Depending on the retailer, the network charges may also be settled by an arrangement between ourselves and the new retail provider.

USING GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS TO MITIGATE

BUSHFIRE RISKS

Bush fre risk is one of the most the signi fcant safety issues for electricity networks. Historically, this risk has been managed through annual vegetation maintenance programs applied across the whole network. A signi fcant trial based on spatial confation and geo-statistical analysis has seen Endeavour Energy explore better ways to analyse light detection and ranging data (known as LiDAR) of vegetation near its network. This will help the Western Sydney distributor maintain the lowest network charges in NSW and keep services to customers safe and reliable.

LiDAR compiles a very accurate three-dimensional model of the network and surrounding vegetation, which can then be analysed in much greater detail on a geographic information system.

Until now, the data captured by LiDAR has been used to determine if vegetation is encroaching within minimum safety clearances of power lines for annual bushfire compliance purposes. Now, Endeavour Energy is using greater analysis of this data to optimise its maintenance program through more in-depth information about the vegetation growing near its network.

To do this, Endeavour Energy collaborated with NM Group and Durham University in the UK to develop and trial a new suite of tools using cloud-based processing of very large, multi-year datasets to create a highly detailed picture of the vegetation near its network.

These new tools provide key information such as which spans are vegetated, the proximity of trees within each span, how many years before a span becomes non-compliant and which trees are more likely to fall and impact the line, therefore requiring proactive management.

The objectives of Endeavour Energy’s trial were to establish an inventory of trees and predict vegetation growth to help optimise maintenance cycles to better measure and manage the risk of trees growing near its network.

The project involved:

• Collating and preparing three years of LiDAR data, contractor

cutting records, hazard tree history and calculation/risk criteria

• Mapping more than 3500 fallen trees in each of its management areas and building detailed statistical models to predict the risk of trees falling onto its network

• An extensive field campaign – 43 sites and 400 trees measured and inspected – to derive biological factors from LiDAR

• Generating spatial layers, predictive models, growth comparisons and output reports which describe inventory, growth and fall risk.

HOW IS THE DATA USED?

Endeavour Energy’s Vegetation Control Manager, George Popovski, said, “Having well organised and high-quality data is a key input to this type of project which uses powerful data analytics, cloud processing and machine learning techniques to optimise our vegetation maintenance program.”

“There are three main areas where the LiDAR project is helping us to better manage risk and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our vegetation management.

1. Inventory: knowing which spans have trees, and how many and how close they are to the

network, allows the development of more agile maintenance cycles to better manage risk and vegetation maintenance costs

2. Growth: by understanding how vegetation is changing on each span to better prioritise and schedule cycles of vegetation maintenance, rather than a onesize-fits-all approach. This provides us with data that validates if some spans may not need inspection or trimming every year

3. Identification of potentially hazardous trees: this technology can help identify which trees have the potential to fall onto the network. This helps us put the greatest effort into the highest risk areas and target inspections by qualified staff to make more detailed assessments.”

TAKING THE PROACTIVE APPROACH

The outcomes of the project enabled Endeavour Energy to create priority lists to see which areas requires immediate attention and predict how long before that part of the network became high-risk. For example, the

data can single out spans that have vegetation within the one metre growth allowance which are projected to be high-risk within two years.

The data also makes it easier to determine if tree removal is required as opposed to ongoing pruning. This happens by identifying spans where there are more than five trees within the one metre safety clearance, suggesting a lower cost removal rather than pruning every year.

The LiDAR data can also locate hazardous trees by identifying spans where trees have a greater likelihood to fall onto a powerline or exclude spans where there is no vegetation near the network so no immediate maintenance is needed.

Using different filters, the data can show the number of years until a specific bay of powerlines becomes high risk, the exposure of individual trees to wind gusts and the size of the overstrike should it fall towards the network. GIS colour coding allows rapid visualisation to provide a quick overview of the situation of any span such as its compliance status or the worst-case scenario of trees falling onto a section of the network.

MANAGING THE CHALLENGES

There were many variables to consider and challenges tackled during the trial. Most significantly the sheer volume of data collected posed logistical and processing challenges due to the ambitious project timelines and deliverables.

“We worked with NM Group to design reports that would dovetail with the software and systems we already had in place without degrading the value in the underlying data,” Mr Popovski said.

“We had to ensure that our subject matter experts could adequately scope the report formats and conduct field verification.”

THE FUTURE OF L i DAR

Moving forward, Endeavour Energy believes there is potential for LiDAR data to become an even more valuable maintenance tool for its entire network.

“There is an immediate opportunity to roll out the trial across the entire network, not simply in bushfire prone areas,” Mr Popovski said.

“We are also looking at improving the growth models with current and forecast climate variations to build a picture over five years or more.”

In the future, more data fields can be added into the program to further increase the efficiency and accuracy of the program. It could look at the inclusion of surrounding forests to aid in storm preparation and fall prediction in under multiple storm scenarios.

“Now the detailed field campaign has been done, the fundamentals, the predictive models won't radically change over time. This means that the project is sustainable in the long term,” Mr Popovski said.

“We will make further improvements to the analysis methods and predictive models as new information and datasets become available.

“The end game is to have the best possible technology to predict when vegetation is likely to impact our network. This will help us trigger the relevant maintenance to keep the community safe and the lights on at the least possible cost to our customers.”

Using geospatial analysis to mitigate bushfre risks

PROTECTING MELBOURNE WATERS FROM PATHOGENS

Bays, inlets and rivers are under increasing pressure from urbanisation, population growth and climate change to continue to properly serve their communities. In coastal and inland regions around the world, fecal contamination remains the primary cause of closure for recreational use. Researchers from Monash University used Thermo Fisher Scienti fc’s TECTA TM B16 to study and sample Melbourne's recreational waters.

There are many recreational waters across Melbourne that are often under scrutiny for their pathogen levels, in particular the Yarra River and Port Phillip Bay. To begin to combat the effects of rapid urbanisation and population growth on these waters, a study by Monash University collected 233 samples from Melbourne waters during the 2014–2015 swimming season for analysis by four methods.

LIMITATIONS OF TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES

Substrate Culture testing techniques, such as the IDEXX methods, have commonly been used to quantify Total Coliform and E.coli levels because of their perceived low price, familiarity with lab technicians and for providing evidence that links such levels to human illness.

Over time they have become the effective industry standard in Melbourne, Australia. However, these methods have at least three drawbacks:

• They take a minimum 18 hours to complete, meaning risks are slow to be reported back to the community

• Lab personnel are required to interpret results the following day, making Friday samples problematic due to staffing issues

• They rely on visual interpretation of colour or fluorescence increasing the risk of user bias and systematic or arbitrary error

FAST AND SIMPLE SOLUTION

To combat and even eliminate the limitations of traditional methods, Monash University utilised Thermo Fisher Scientific’s TECTA B16 automated process, which effectively removed all human error while providing more accurate and objective test results (regardless of how turbid the water); all in a fraction of the time required by traditional cell-culture techniques.

Unlike IDEXX and other traditional methods, no time was needed to interpret results since the TECTA B16 continuously monitored enzyme activity through fluorescent markers. Results were automatically translated by the instrument into a concentration of colony forming unit per 100mL (cfu/100mL) for Total Coliforms and E.coli. These reports were immediately sent by email from the TECTA B16 to the operators.

The mean detection time by the TECTA B16 method was 13 hours for total coliforms and 12 hours for E. coli, against

the 24 hours necessary for both IDEXX methods; significant time savings that provide decision makers essential early warnings, meaning better safety and true cost reductions for the community.

As for accuracy, TECTA B16 CFU/100mL results were correlated with IDEXX MPN/100mL results for all recreational water sites studied. The IDEXX method was limited to an upper detection limit of 20820 MPN/100mL, while the TECTA B16 method never reached its upper detection limit.

The results of TECTA B16 vs IDEXX followed a 1:1 relationship, showing that neither method consistently over or underestimated the sample concentrations with respect to one another.

Costs of consumables for the TECTA B16 tests were found to be equivalent to those for IDEXX. Yet, with sample processing times considered, TECTA B16 was found to be 80 per cent of the cost of IDEXX.

USER EXPERIENCE

Researchers found that the TECTA B16 system was very easy to use and did not require extensive training typical of other methods. The sample handling steps were extremely simple, limited to just adding water to the test cartridge that already contained all necessary ingredients for the test. The TECTA cartridges were then easily loaded into the TECTA B16 instrument.

They concluded that the TECTA B16 was by far the fastest method in terms of sample handling, needing only five minutes per day.

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MONITORING GLOBAL WATER QUALITY

There is an urgent need for improved access to water quality information to better understand the impacts of climate — and human — induced change on water security. In order to efectively monitor water quality, the United Nations Educational, Scienti fc and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has partnered with satellite bathymetry data provider EOMAP to build an interactive portal that showcases water quality on a global scale.

The IIWQ World Water Quality Portal was developed to support UNESCO-IHP’s International Initiative on Water Quality (IIWQ) and uses high-resolution global coverage and satellite measurements to monitor the quality of streams, lakes, rivers and coastal waters.

The portal fills an important gap, providing water quality information that will facilitate informed, science-driven decision-making by water management, and ultimately help them to reach UN targets linked to water quality.

Data is provided on five key indicators of water quality within the portal, including: turbidity and sedimentation distribution, chlorophyll-a, Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB), organic absorption and surface temperature. Not only does this data aid water managers in their understanding of global water quality and its impact, but also provides information on the impact of other sectors and land uses, such as fertiliser use in agriculture.

The flexible tool includes the ability to select various time periods within the last three decades, with historic measurements provided at 30m spatial resolution. This can be continued with various spatial and temporal resolutions for each country.

According to the Managing Director of EOMAP Australia, Dr Magnus Wettle, the tool is especially effective for large, remote or developing regions. By combining quantitative satellitebased monitoring with user-friendly online visualisation, the tool can provide ongoing large-scale monitoring.

One possible application for the portal is the monitoring of catchment sediment loads, which negatively impact the health of Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef. Users of the tool can deploy customised portals for their region, monitoring synoptic water quality in a specific area on an ongoing basis, making it particularly valuable for targeted monitoring.

The UN is calling the period between 2018 and 2028 the ‘Water Action Decade’, in which water-related challenges, including limited access to safe water and sanitation, increasing pressure on water resources and ecosystems, as well as the risks posed by natural disasters, are addressed. The portal will play a unique and integral role in responding to these challenges and managing their potentially devastating global effects.

The tool is now fully operational for use by both water managers and the public, and can be accessed at worldwaterquality.org.

Locate 2019 | 8 – 10 April 2019

Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

‘Where to next? Location, how we drive our digital future’

The Locate Conference is the authoritative, innovative, respected, admired and even envied ‘destination of choice’ in the region for spatial and surveying professionals and their customers.

www.locateconference.com/2019

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THE AUTONOMOUS PIPE AND CABLE LOCATOR: ARE WE THERE YET?

by Anthony Johnstone, Director Training, Access Detection

With the advent of autonomous vehicles in our day-to-day lives, it got me thinking about how we can compare these vehicles to our pipe and cable locators and their automated modes.

Ipersonally have a vehicle that has some of these autonomous modes and, in the right circumstances, these modes work well to reduce the load when you are driving.

There are lots of acronyms thrown around, AEB (Automatic Electronic Braking), ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), LKA (Lane Keep Assist), a good example of how these can work well is when driving on a wide freeway with good line markings and defined edges. All the sensors and computers calculate speed position and direction in these ideal circumstances. Add to this the ability to see a vehicle in front and adjust speed, and even brake, and you feel like you can release control of the vehicle, letting the computer take over.

Run the same autonomous system on a country road with few line markings, rough surfaces and sharp bends and that system can barely cope. Soon you are hearing all kinds of beeps and flashing warnings, or worse still, you could end up in a paddock or heading towards a cliff. I have found weather conditions can also affect these systems if they impede the cameras, radar systems or sensors.

Now let’s relate this back to modern pipe and cable locators. Various makes and models all have autonomous modes, some use graphics displays, and others guide you to the service using arrows. All generally have automatic gain and depth. So, in ideal locating circumstances, for example single services with no congestion (no other services around), these modes will be accurate and easy to use. Like our autonomous vehicles, these modes have ideal operating conditions. But these modes should not be used in an area with more than one service or when you have poor signal.

If you have any questions in regards to purchasing a modern professional locator, don’t hesitate to contact us on 0438 777 281.

Like the example of poor weather with our autonomous vehicle, add a weak signal to the equation when you are trying to trace your service and you are most definitely going to get yourself into grief.

When you drive a vehicle on substandard roads you need to adjust the way you drive. You need to have full control of the vehicle, be able to read the road, watch your speed and adjust to the conditions. You need to have your hands on the steering and use the correct gear for the required circumstances.

If we relate this back to locating you need to use your conventional controls, locate using peak mode, and confirm if you have a clean field by switching and comparing your null mode. You need to monitor your current and depth as you trace and adjust your gain according to the conditions. This is the true and only way to operate a locator professionally.

On a final note, most suppliers will always show you how easy and how many functions their locators have, but these only usually add to the cost of the unit and don’t benefit in actually locating the service.

In the end, it is how it performs under the harsher conditions that a locator operator may come across. Examples may include weak signals, distorted fields, multiple signals and poor far end earthing. No matter how fancy the locator looks or how many antennas it has, you can’t rely on this to accurately locate the position. Performance is key to a good locator and this is normally through having a few highly sensitive antennas as opposed to the highest number of antennas. The only way to truly test its ability is in these more difficult environments.

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WHAT LIES BENEATH:

In any new construction project, it is essential to know which utility assets are buried underground, but how do engineers, contractors, utilities and stakeholders share, assess and make sense of this important information? Standards Australia has recently revised AS 5488 Classi fcation of Subsurface Utility Information to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the location of underground infrastructure.

Standards play an important role in the utility sector, directly and indirectly, by providing specifications, procedures and guidelines to follow.

Standards Australia is the peak body dedicated to the establishment and acceptance of standards that ensure the safety and consistency of Australian goods, products and services.

AS 5488 was first established in 2013 to improve public safety, reduce costly property damage, and provide more accurate information on the location and type of subsurface utilities.

The standard provides utility owners, operators and locators with a framework for the consistent classification of information concerning subsurface utilities. It also provides guidance on how subsurface utility information may be obtained, and how that information should be conveyed to users.

MINIMISING THE IMPACT ON EXISTING UTILITIES

The upgrade will deliver significant industry benefits and ensure the standard is consistent with similar standards that have been operating successfully in the UK, USA, Canada and Malaysia for many years.

“The new AS 5488 will be presented in two parts. Part one is an update of the previous 2013 version to pick up on experience with the

implementation of that version and changes in industry practices. Part two covers the additional field of engineering management of subsurface utilities, which has been seen as a gap in the earlier version,” Standards Australia said.

The new AS 5488 focuses on:

• Engineering management and design of utilities

• Utility model creation and data management

• Defines the role of the Utility Coordinator and present a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for utility owners

• Provides a matrix of hierarchy for purposes of coordination and clash resolution

• Describes the level of documentation required for utility designs and review asset handover procedures

“AS 5488 should provide for faster, safer and more cost-effective processes to manage subsurface utilities leading to major benefit to the economy. It is hoped this standard will help in improving the currently lagging position of Australia when compared to other countries in this field,” Standards Australia said.

“The new standard should provide a more stable and reliable framework for all

UPDATING AS 5488

involved with utilities, including but not limited to utility locators. Knowledge of precisely where and what a subsurface utility is and its status in its asset lifecycle can significantly reduce the occurrence of interference and conflict with valuable subsurface utility infrastructure.

“The utility industry generally will also benefit from the clarification of key roles and responsibilities. This covers all aspects from engineering modelling and subsurface utility design to construction and maintenance.”

REDUCING RISKS THROUGH ACCURATE INFORMATION

Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) is a specialist engineering service incorporating geophysical mapping, vacuum excavation and computer surveying to allow underground facilities to be located both horizontally and vertically.

The data is then provided and managed in an electronic format for the project owner or engineer during the design stage of a construction project.

A clear understanding of the vertical and horizontal location of utility infrastructure on a construction site allows earthworks and excavation to be carried out safely, and minimises the risks for all involved.

The new AS 5488 will help ensure that underground utilities are managed during the design process rather than at the time of construction.

The benefits of this include decreased costs, improved safety through reduced utility strikes, fewer project delays, improved environmental outcomes and a more comprehensive database of underground information.

Standards Australia hopes that utilities will embrace the upgrade and see the benefits.

“As a regular process in any of its projects, Standards Australia consults widely with the industry to ensure broad representation on the Technical Committee. While the 2013 version was not as widely embraced as was hoped, further consultation with industry including state road authorities is intended to lead to a much higher uptake of the revised standard,” Standards Australia said. The Technical Committee of Standards Australia responsible for the standard has been reviewing comments received during the consultation period and publication of the new standard is expected early this year.

SAFETY AND PRODUCTIVITY VACUUM EXCAVATION

As the civil and construction sector takes on more complex and technically challenging work, Australian contractors are demanding equipment that can deliver on the needs of their increasingly intricate projects. Sequentia Services has heard the industry’s calls for excavation equipment that can perform in tight spaces and hazardous conditions, and — with the help of several new acquisitions — are ready to meet them.

Eamon Doyle has worked in the construction and mining sectors long enough to know quality equipment when he sees it. As Managing Director of specialist hire company Sequentia Services, he’s particularly excited about two recent acquisitions that are opening doors for customers with complex excavation needs: the VX30-250 and VSK100DP-1600 vacuum excavator units from Vermeer.

MULTI-SIZED SOLUTIONS

On the compact end of the spectrum is the VX30-250 vacuum excavation unit. The unit is mounted on a trailer for towing behind a 4x4 vehicle or small truck. As Sequentia has small Isuzu

PRODUCTIVITY DRIVE EXCAVATION SOLUTIONS

tipper trucks available in its fleet, the VX30-250 can be hired by customers without the need for a truck license.

The VX30-250’s high pressure water jet and 15 inches of mercury (inHg) vacuum, along with its nearly 1000 litres of spoil capacity, makes it perfect for cleaning and excavating in hard-to-reach places. It also excels in narrow work sites. It is ideal for potholing, valve box clean out and a range of non-destructive digging tasks in applications including water, gas and fibre installation.

On the other end of the spectrum is the VSK100DP-1600, with advanced safety features and an industry-leading 23inHg vacuum capacity meaning its high-level vacuum can lift material at a depth of 7m, at full water volume, which is measured from the middle of the spoil tank. This is significantly further than what the standard largevolume vacuum excavation machine is capable of, which has a 15inHg (4.6m) vacuum.

It also has a powerful 100HP engine and massive 6000 litre spoil tank, making it ideal for larger projects.

CRUCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

When deciding which vacuum excavator to purchase, Sequentia considered employee safety, the risk of damage to assets and overall effectiveness. In each of these categories, the VSK100DP-1600 stood out.

“What the Vermeer VSK100DP-1600 brings is the ability to protect people and assets from harm, while also achieving greater production than other models,” Mr Doyle said.

“We can run Remotely Operated

Vehicle (ROV) vacuum heads in and around machinery such as conveyors, hoppers and inside tanks, without subjecting people to the hazards of moving equipment, falls or confined spaces.

“The high vacuum force means longer hoses are possible and work can be carried out on several different levels without any loss of performance.”

The massive 23inHg vacuum capacity of the VSK100DP-1600 means less time is wasted on repositioning equipment and more time can be spent getting the job done. Its substantial 127mm suction inlet also helps prevent tedious blockages in the hoses.

MEETING NEW DEMAND

Customers have shown significant interest in both the VX30-250 and VSK100DP-1600 since Sequentia acquired them. In particular, contractors with projects that feature difficult excavation conditions, such as pits

or in areas with limited access, have requested to use the Vermeer units for tasks such as completely removing debris and slurry, while avoiding damage to nearby assets, and working around moving equipment.

“They have barely stopped working since we took delivery,” Mr Doyle said.

Mr Doyle also commented on the exceptional service Sequentia has received from Vermeer at each stage of the sales process.

“I’ve worked in mining and construction around the world, and my dealings with Vermeer have been what I’d expect from a reputable, successful equipment dealer,” Mr Doyle said.

“I’ve never had an issue, at any time of the day or night, that we cannot work on with Vermeer to resolve.

“We now have eight Vermeer machines and, based on past dealings and equipment performance, will continue to buy their product.”

WHY WET PRIME PUMPS WORK

If supplying power for an electric pump is not practical, the alternative is a traditional engine drive “trashy”. When faced with this scenario, there are two options: a wet prime pump, where water is added to the pump chamber to prime the unit, or a dry prime pump which uses a vacuum pump or compressor to assist with priming.

The huge advantage wet prime trash pumps have over dry prime is their simplicity. They don’t require complicated priming apparatus in the form of complex compressors or vacuum pump systems. Conventional dry prime pumps use an induction style system not designed for trash handling.

Wet prime trash pumps are easy to set up, use and maintain. With fewer moving parts, they are also the most reliable!

“Dry prime pumps have the ability to ‘snore’. That means they will automatically reprime as the water level varies,” Aussie Pumps’ Product Manager, Brad Farrugia, said.

“However, for straightforward water transfer or dewatering a flooded construction site, a simple wet prime pump is a more cost-effective option,” Mr Farrugia said.

To transfer typical construction site water, industry experts recommend heavyduty trash pumps capable of handling silt and sand laden water without ‘choking’.

Aussie Pumps produce a complete range of trash pumps from 2”- 6” in what they call “Mine Boss” configurations. These pumps come designed for tough work at construction sites.

Aussie’s Mine Boss range of trash pumps come with super heavy-duty 38mm full galvanised frames with lifting bars and E-stops, battery isolation and optional bunded trays, or even wheel kits. These machines are built like tanks!

The lifting bar, at the point of perfect balance, is designed into the frame to enable the unit to be moved easily by crane or excavator where necessary.

Aussie wet prime trash pumps are designed to handle solids in suspension, and that means big, open ‘non-clog’ style

impellers. The ability to handle solid laden liquids includes flood water, slurry and even effluent with solid concentrations up to 25 per cent of the liquid volume. They can deliver flows of up to 6,000lpm and heads as high as 47m.

The self-priming range will draft water through a vertical lift of 7.6m. No mechanical priming aids are needed and that includes foot valves.

“A lot of contractors use dry prime pumps for site dewatering because they don’t understand how simple the wet prime principle is,” Mr Farrugia said.

Self-priming or wet prime pumps just require the pump cavity to be filled prior to starting for the first time. The pump will subsequently self-prime as long as there is water above the impeller. An internal check valve ensures the prime is held once the pump stops. The simplicity is what makes these pumps so popular and wet prime pumps can last 20-30 years with regular maintenance.

“Trash pumps have lower investment and maintenance costs compared to vacuum primed pumps,” Mr Farrugia said.

Further information on Aussie’s wet prime transfer pump range and free copies of the Aussie Pump Smart Guide are available from Australian Pump Industries at www.aussiepumps.com.au.

Why should you choose a mobile microtunnelling contractor?

When you’re selecting a microtunnelling contractor to complete your project, taking into consideration their mobility is a crucial factor in ensuring you have a higher chance for a successful outcome within time and budget constraints. If your chosen contractor cannot reach the job site within a short timeframe and arrive fully prepared with the correct equipment, they won’t be able to get the job done efficiently.

INCREASED EFFICIENCY

A mobile microtunnelling contractor can arrive at a job site — at any location — and bring with them a sufficient number of personnel and the correct equipment to carry out works. This affects the project in a key way — increased efficiency — which means trenchless installations can be completed on schedule and project managers can focus on construction of the rest of the pipeline.

Mobile microtunnelling contractors are generally experienced at working in different locations, so they are more likely to have good systems in place, be fully prepared with the right number of staff and have the correct equipment including spare parts and back-ups.

For example, at Edge Underground, we have between four and six mobile crews depending on demand who have extensive microtunnelling experience in Australia. This experience means we have developed a system for transporting equipment and organising personnel that is efficient and seamless, while having multiple crews gives us the option to split up teams to bring in more personnel if required.

THE EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE TO COMPLETE ANY JOB

Another key reason you should choose a mobile contractor is they are more likely to have increased expertise and experience from having worked on job sites at a variety of locations across not only the state but also perhaps Australia or internationally as well, so they will know how to deal with different ground conditions and what to do if there is an unexpected change.

This gives them familiarity with the equipment and how to best adapt cutter faces for different ground conditions, which is paramount to achieving successful outcomes in microtunnelling.

The added benefit of having a mobile team that has worked across different states is that they will be familiar with different work practices. This better equips them to know what to expect during construction and any confusion or problems is less likely to hold up construction.

A NETWORK OF EXPERTS TO CALL ON

At Edge Underground we have team members who have worked in most states of Australia, and many of them have worked overseas as well, and one of the key benefits we’ve found from this is that we have access to an international network of microtunnelling contractors who we can call on if we do happen to come across a problem.

We’ve found this gives project managers a sense of security knowing that their contractor has an additional support network to help them find solutions to overcome any unexpected challenges that may arise, which is something that most other microtunnelling companies with crew members that have only worked in Australia cannot offer.

This can be a problem for them as, for the most part, these companies can be hindered by the effects of industry competition, which often encourages them to keep their knowledge a secret and therefore rely solely on the skill set of their workers. This means that they are rarely being exposed to new or better ways of doing things.

COMPETENCE AND TRAINING STILL MATTER

When selecting a mobile team, it is important to look for a contractor that takes training seriously to ensure the team is able to carry out installations in a safe and professional manner.

The teams at Edge Underground have received a high level of training so they have an in-depth knowledge of drilling techniques and best practices. As the inventor of the AXIS guided boring system, I am able to provide every team member with a unique insight into drilling techniques and best practices when using the machine, ensuring they have all the tricks and tips to get the job done on time, on budget and to a high standard.

When you select a mobile crew that has a solid understanding of the equipment being used, and the experience of working with different ground conditions, you have a higher chance of having a successful microtunnelling installation.

ABOUT STUART HARRISON

Global microtunnelling pioneer Stuart Harrison is the Managing Director of Edge Underground, where he specialises in on-grade microtunnelling installations with millimetre accuracy. Stuart is also the inventor of the Vermeer AXIS Guided Boring system, and he is constantly working to improve the effectiveness of this and other trenchless systems used in the installation of gravity sewers.

To discuss your next microtunnelling installation, contact Stuart on 1300 JACKED or at stuart@edgeunderground.co

All industry personnel involved in the operation and maintenance of urban, rural and industrial water related infrastructure for the management, conveyance, treatment, discharge and reuse of water and trade wastes should attend this conference.

The Water Industry Operators Association of Australia (WIOA) is a national association facilitating the collection, development and exchange of quality information between people undertaking operational roles in the water industry.

Promoting best practice in water management by building the knowledge, skills and networks of operators.

• Listen to the experience of others through the latest “operational” technical and research based information through platform and poster presentations.

• View and discuss the latest advances in technical equipment, products and services with suppliers and trade consultants.

• Update their knowledge and skills through interaction with fellow water industry employees.

Supported by Hosted by

Sponsored by

ZINFRA. BUILDING REPUTATIONS

Sylvester de Almeida Project Manager - Jemena

“Introducing new technology is always challenging and increases risk, so when we were appointing a service provider to design, build and commission the first two zone substations in the Jemena distribution network to use the new IEC61850 substation automation system, we had to get it right.

Affirming our decision, Zinfra successfully delivered the project, leveraging its extensive experience and expertise in zone substation projects, along with its highly capable skills in design, construction and commissioning.

Testament to the quality of the work, the project won the AIPM state Project Management Achievement Award (PMAA) for the Construction/Engineering category.”

www.zinfra.com.au