Geothermal / Renewable Energy integration in new Housing Estate

Melbourne property developer, Crystal Group, engaged CarbonTP in 2022 to undertake a study to support a grant application to ARENA for funding a ground-sourced heat pump pilot project at their proposed 5,500 home residential estate north of Melbourne. The pilot phase involved 290 homes.

The Crystal Group sought support from the ARENA to develop one of Australia’s most energy efficient residential estates, St Hilaire, at Wallan located 60km north of Melbourne CBD. CarbonTP also assisted in the preparation of the ARENA grant application.

The project proposed to integrate a geothermal ground sourced heat exchange system in the common areas of the estate with Ground Sourced Heat Pumps [GSHPs] within the homeowners’ property boundary. This would augment household solar PV power supply with behind the meter battery storage to create an energy efficient estate powered almost entirely by renewables and without the need for reticulated gas.

The study demonstrated that geothermal GSHPs can play a meaningful role in addressing the power grid’s Duck-Curve challenge. If geothermal GSHP systems are integrated with household solar PV and battery systems in a planned manner when designing new housing estates this portfolio approach can significantly reduce the impact of the new housing stock on the power grid. The proposed development would be operated as an all electric housing estate.

The study concluded that geothermal ground sourced heat exchange system combined with GSHPs represents an established and proven technology that has the potential to make a major contribution to managing the increasing penetration of renewable energy.