With the largest residential geothermal installation in the Southern Hemisphere under its belt, Alinta Energy is investing in innovative technologies to drive down consumer costs and add value for property developers.
In November, Alinta Energy made a large-scale commitment to geothermal heating and cooling with the launch of a new division: Alinta Energy Geothermal.
The launch took place at Frasers Property Australia’s Fairwater community in Blacktown, Sydney, where more than 800 homes will be powered by the largest geothermal heating and cooling system in the Southern Hemisphere.
According to Jeff Dimery, Alinta Energy’s managing director and chief executive officer, the investment responds to a “a massive untapped, but growing, appetite for geothermal heating and cooling in Australia”.
“It may seem odd for an energy retailer, but we are backing this magnificent technology precisely because it will lower our customers’ energy usage and their monthly or quarterly bills, and put more money back in their hands,” Dimery says.
Alinta Energy Geothermal uses Australian-made geothermal heating and cooling units called GeoAir.
Residential installations typically involve drilling a single a 70-80 metre hole to accommodate a metal pipe, filled with refrigerant, which rejects or collects heat underground where the temperature remains constant.
Alinta Energy is working on a suite of complementary technologies that enhances the GeoAir system by using waste heat to produce hot water, Dimery says.
“Heating and cooling represents around 40 per cent of household energy usage, and water heating is another 20 per cent.
“Once you plug in solar panels, geothermal heating, cooling and hot water, and even a battery – that’s going to lower the costs of electrical and gas infrastructure in new housing developments and get those monthly bills right down for residents.”
The application of GeoAir isn’t limited to domestic settings, Dimery adds.
Alinta Energy has rolled out more than 11,000kW of geothermal heating and air conditioning capacity to offices, restaurants, aged care facilities and medical centres, with contracts in place for another 18,000 kW.
Frasers Property Australia’s development director, Ray Baksmati, says the GeoAir technology has delivered “tangible benefits” to the residents of Fairwater – from lower energy costs to instilling community pride.
Dimery says the investment in 500 GeoAir units installed to date at Fairwater has proven geothermal as a “viable solution” and has “refined methodologies for precinct level installations”.
“The outcome for the industry is a proven and highly efficient system with demonstrated project integration.”