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Journey into the current...
Are you a thrill-seeker who’s always buzzing to charge into the unknown? Do we have the high-voltage adventure for you! It requires an inquisitive nature and a wee bit of time travel as you navigate through the innovative currents of Tasmanian electricity.
Should you shy away, you’ll be left behind in the dark but should you choose to accept, enlightenment could be all yours. If you’re amped up and ready to go, the first step awaits…
The atmosphere at the start of an adventure is positively electric…
Literally, because you’ve stepped right into an electrical circuit, somewhere between the power source, a battery, and the load, a rather beautiful Edison light bulb. Everything is connected by wires but luckily, the switch is safely off.
You know that if you flip the switch, you’ll unleash tiny charged particles called electrons and it could end your adventure early if you’re in the way of the electric current!
It’s probably best to move on, hey? It’s time to go…
Way back to 1880s
Back to the 1970s
You’ve landed in front of a church on a street that’s dimly lit by gas lamps and oil lanterns…
In the distance, a mountain looms, and nearby, you hear a waterfall.
You head to the front door engraved with “St James Church” — you’re in Waratah, a remote mining town in rugged Northwestern Tasmania!
Inside, candlelight flickers to illuminate a noticeboard and as you approach it, everything becomes 10 times brighter!
A fresh newspaper has been proudly pinned to the board; it’s dated 1889 and reads, “St James: Tasmania's first electrified church!" There’s also a photo of a water wheel and the waterfall.
Peering outside, electric street lights have replaced gas lamps and oil lanterns — you’re witnessing the inaugural moment of Tasmanian electricity!
From here, a small number of companies and councils would operate their own power plants but statewide electricity was still decades away…
You decide to:
Whoosh! You’re propelled to 1916 to Waddamana Power Station!
Built by Hydro Tasmania, the state’s largest renewable energy producer, Waddamana was Tasmania’s first major hydroelectric power station and the first step to statewide electricity — although even as late as 1940, having electricity for anything besides lighting was still a luxury!
Some officials are being shown around and you covertly join.
You’re fascinated that a hydroelectric power plant is like a giant waterfall! Instead of the waterfall turning a water wheel to generate energy, the water rushes through pipes called penstocks.
The water then spins turbine blades connected to generators, which convert the mechanical energy into clean power.
At that point, Waddamana was powering only 300 homes but today, hydroelectricity is the main energy source for the entire state.
Nobody in the group, except you, knows that Waddamana is a milestone in Tasmanian electricity and a symbol of the state’s long-standing commitment to renewable energy.
You feel an urge to blow your cover and enlighten the crowd — but that would be like opening up a wormhole. Instead, let’s enlighten ourselves and discover:
How hydropower reaches your home
How much hydropower Tasmania produces
Today, the flow of Tasmanian electricity requires 3 major players.
The electricity produced by Hydro Tasmania is converted to high-voltage electricity so it’s easier to transport.
This electricity travels to distribution points using transmission lines and substations; this high-voltage distribution network is today owned and operated by TasNetworks, Tasmania’s electricity transmission and distribution company.
Without TasNetworks’ commitment to reliable and effective electricity distribution, you would not be able to confidently flick on a switch and instantly power up your surroundings!
From the distribution points, the electricity is converted back into low-voltage electricity and is delivered to individual premises via the low-voltage distribution network that is managed by electricity retailers.
You decide to:
Go home and find out who your retailer is
Today, more than 80% of Tasmanian electricity is attributed to hydro.
Thanks to our mountainous terrain, numerous rivers and high rainfall, Tasmania is able to generate a lot of hydropower.
By harnessing the power of our natural and renewable resources, we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels that are non-renewable and damaging to the environment.
You decide to:
Find out how the hydropower gets to you
The article speaks of hydroelectricity with awe – how forward-thinking people in the late-19th century were!
Still, would they have ever imagined that by 2020, hydroelectricity would be so crucial to Tasmanian electricity, largely contributing to the state achieving 100% clean energy generation?
You’re certain they would have been thrilled. Knowing what you know — that Tasmania is now aiming to double its clean energy generation by 2040 — you couldn’t be prouder!
Once again, hydropower will significantly contribute to this. By surging ahead of the rest, we’ll be able to meet our own energy demands and deliver clean energy to Australia’s National Electricity Market, helping the whole country transition away from fossil fuels.
Feeling electric about, well, electricity, you want to:
Surge ahead to the 70s to see what awaits there…
You’re sometime in the 1970s, sitting at a desk in a weather station…
There’s equipment all around and a manual titled, “Shining A Light On Solar” in front of you. Outside, wild waters crash against the rocky island. The wind is so loud; you can barely hear yourself think, “where am I?”
There’s a break in the weather, so you tentatively step out and spot solar panels, not unlike the photovoltaic panel systems at home!
The panels are connected to an inverter, connected to a distribution board. On the distribution board, there are labels reading ‘data logger’ and ‘comms system’; you realise that everything in the weather station is solar-powered!
This is how solar was first used in Tasmania; small-scale applications to power remote systems and off-grid installations.
The wind suddenly drops and you decide to:
Go out to inspect the equipment
You’re suddenly in a university lecture with the words, “Spark-tacular Solar and Tasmanian electricity” projected on a large screen.
The lecturer speaks fervently as a student beside you furiously scribbles notes while the one beside her dozes. You do not want to repeat your uni days but must wait for a suitable time to leave…
Before you know it, 45 positively-charged minutes have passed, during which you’ve learned Tasmania only receives an average of 2,000 hours of sunshine per year, the lowest of all Australian states and territories.
While that hasn’t stopped solar power from shining bright as a valuable Tasmanian electricity source, it would be challenging for the state to run on it alone. Tasmania is yet to have a large-scale solar farm, and small-scale solar only generates 1% of Tasmanian electricity.
That’s why other green energy sources like wind power and hydroelectricity are vital — and fortunately, both are very viable in Tasmania!
What do you want to learn about next?
The same lecturer is in front of you but the presentation now reads, “A Breath of Fresh, Green Energy in Tasmania”
The state’s history with wind power dates back to 1998, when Tasmania’s first wind farm, Huxley Hill, was built on King Island in Bass Strait. With just 5 turbines, it’s considered a smaller-scale project.
In 2013, Tasmania’s largest wind farm, Musselroe Wind Farm, was built by Hydro Tasmania; it has 56 wind turbines, taking advantage of the strong and consistent winds in northeastern Tasmania. Over a year, this wind farm generates 5% of Tasmania’s energy needs.
You note that Tasmania produces significantly more wind power than solar power.
Everyone in the lecture theatre is reminiscing about how, recently, winds were so strong that the streets were littered with debris and toppled wheelie bins!
Apparently, that day, there was more wind energy on the grid than hydro.
There was so much going into the National Electricity Market that Tasmania was being paid to import the excess energy.
Your next move is to:
Learn how much of Tasmania’s energy comes from hydro
Go home – you’ve been away for ages!
You notice the letters' DC' on the inverter and 'AC' on the distribution board…
They stand for direct current and alternating current (and it's where the Aussie rock band got their name from).
When the panels absorb the photons from sunlight, the electrons within the solar cells generate energy called DC power.
The inverter converts DC into AC electricity so that we can actually use the power in our homes.
The inverter also typically sends unused electricity back into the grid, but this isn't the case with off-grid locations like the weather station — hence the term "off-grid"!
Back at home in the 21st century, inverters do send excess power back to the grid called the National Electricity Market. Any surplus electricity that Tasmania generates is sold to the grid, resulting in greater economic returns as well as helping Australia move towards a cleaner, greener future!
It starts blowing a gale again, and you decide to:
Retreat inside and find a way back home
Flip the 'Projector' switch on the distribution board
You're instantly back at your laptop, which alerts you to a new email with your latest monthly power bill.
It's from your electricity company, Aurora Energy, an electricity retailer that is 100% owned and operated by Tasmanians!
Tasmanians have a reputation for being environmentally conscious, with a strong sense of social responsibility, something you definitely relate to, and it's one of the reasons you chose Aurora Energy.
They are as passionate about communities and the environment as they are about providing electricity safely, sustainably, reliably and with their customers at heart.
Back to your power bill — you're intrigued as to what it'll say because two months ago, you had an advanced or smart meter installed.
The switch was a no-brainer, as it meant you no longer had to coordinate manual readings and with smart metres recording data every 15 minutes, you could better manage your energy usage.
When you open your power bill, you're pleasantly surprised by the balance! You've been using your aurora+ app to make top-up payments, so it doesn't hit you all at once.
Just as you're about to settle the rest of your power bill, you hear someone on the TV talking about the future of Tasmanian electricity and green hydrogen production. Your ears prick up, electric with curiosity — but those are adventures for another day!
References
“Year 2 - HASS - Teacher Guide: Electricity to homes - past and present” Hydro-Electric Corporation. 2018.
“Waratah church to power back to life | The Advocate | Burnie, TAS” 2015.
Barnett, Guy. “Tasmania surges to 100% renewable energy” Tasmanian Government. 2020.
“RENEWABLE ENERGY TASMANIA” The Department of State Growth, Tasmania. 2023.
"Becoming the renewable energy Battery of the Nation” Hydro-Electric Corporation. 2023.
“Our remarkable, renewable future – Powered by Tasmania | Tasmanian” Brand Tasmania. 2023.