Hospitals and schools in New South Wales (NSW) are using solar panels and batteries to cut participating buildings' electricity costs by up to $40,000 a year, according to an article on The Sydney Morning Herald website.
The government will spend $20 million to install up to 900 smart batteries on government buildings to create a 13-megawatt virtual power plant.
Virtual power plants work by combining multiple rooftop solar and battery installations into a single co-ordinated unit, which is able to supply excess energy back into the grid at times of peak demand, the article said.
Hospitals and schools account for nearly half the state government’s total energy demand.
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