Desert Knowledge Australia

The Alice Springs Show is a wonderful annual community event where central Australians and visitors from all walks of life come together.

The DKA team were at the Show again this year with our partners from the Desert Knowledge Precinct, Centre for Appropriate Technology/Ekistica and Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education RTO 0383.

We were too busy talking to take many photos but we did manage to get one with Minister Steve Edgington MLA and Treasurer Bill Yan MLA - Member for Namatjira.

Happy NAIDOC Week. 50 years and .
Some great events throughout the week here in .
Thanks to the local NAIDOC Week Alice Springs Committee for organising the program.

Find out more about NAIDOC week here https://www.naidoc.org.au/

Spend some reflecting, acknowledging and celebrating First Nations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and culture.

Local events across the country can be found here: https://www.naidoc.org.au/local-events/local-naidoc-week-events

We are looking for a motivated and culturally aware person to join us as an Executive and Corporate Services Support Officer.

The primary purpose is to effectively provide corporate support to the Board, CEO and all staff at Desert Knowledge Australia.
Working directly with the Chief Executive Officer and General Manager, this is an fixed term part-time (0.4FTE) position based in Alice Springs, Northern Territory at the Desert Knowledge Precinct.

Check the link below to apply
https://dka.com.au/executive-and-corporate-services-support-officer/

Workshops and meetings like the reinforce the reasons why the Precinct was established.

A safe place for important conversations and learning that leads to better understanding, more targetted actions and lays strong foundations for lasting impact.

Alice Springs as a testing ground for solar powered quadcopters.

Congratulations to the NUS College of Design and Engineering team for reaching the 4-hr milestone.

DKA is happy to have played a role in connecting the researchers to local people and sites.

Story - https://cde.nus.edu.sg/news/solar-powered-drone-flies-past-four-hour-mark-in-endurance-milestone/

Video - https://youtu.be/Qbs-DGePqXU?si=NlsaGJedoJLTr3M_

Solar-powered drone flies past four-hour mark in endurance milestone - College of Design and Engineering CDE team achieves four-hour 25-minute battery-free drone flight during test in Australia, surpassing current official record for multirotor drones.

Did you know that the world's largest longitudinal dataset for power has been produced in Alice Springs?

And it is growing everyday.

First opened in 2008, the Desert Knowledge Australia Solar Centre (DKASC) is the largest multi-technology demonstration solar facility in the southern hemisphere.

www.dkasolarcentre.com.au

Established as a solar technology demonstration facility with initial funding from Australian Renewable Energy Agency, the DKASC site has grown over the years to hosting up to 40 installations.

The site produces power for the Desert Knowledge Precinct contributing to just under 50% of the electricity needs.

The installation of a battery in 2023 as part of the Alice Springs Future Grid has provided a working example of a microgrid and valuable insights for further deployment.

The DKASC has been collecting data on the performance of the different solar technologies and meteorological data at 5min intervals, making them available for researchers and other interested parties for download on the website.

This data has been cited in more than 350 published papers and is growing monthly.

The DKASC is advancing global knowledge on photovoltaics, performance and forecasting from here in central Australia.

We're exploring possibilities and opportunities to sustain and grow this globally significant renewable energy research asset.

If you're keen to support please get in touch.
[email protected]
Subject: DKASC Support

Thanks to
Ekistica
Spinifex Valley
www.Azzo.com for maintaining and sustaining to date.

Good news for grid security in Alice Springs and the Darwin-Katherine Interconnector with the announcement of $82.1M investment in battery storage.
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https://reneweconomy.com.au/nt-orders-another-two-big-batteries-to-back-solar-and-gas-after-success-of-first-project-in-darwin/

'This is about building a modern energy system for the future—one that is reliable, smarter, and more secure,”

“Battery storage is a key piece of that puzzle, helping us integrate more solar while keeping power affordable and reliable.

“These large-scale batteries are not just about keeping the lights on – it’s about powering our economy. By improving energy security, we’re creating the conditions for new industries and local jobs as part of our plan to rebuild the economy.”

Minister Steve Edgington MLA

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It's worth noting the role long-term planning has played here. The Alice Springs Future Grid 2030 Roadmap — developed through collaboration and investments by Australian Renewable Energy Agency, Northern Territory Government and Australian Government from 2020-2023 — was designed to create exactly this kind of investment confidence.

While renewable energy targets are no longer the driver for investment in renewables in the NT electricity market, the physics and economics are.

https://alicespringsfuturegrid.com.au/knowledge-bank/alice-springs-roadmap-to-2030

Alice Springs Future Grid - Alice Springs Future Grid The Roadmap to 2030 is the product of three years of trials and research carried out by multiple project partners. It pulls together insights from the Alice Springs Future Grid sub-projects and lays out four pathways to achieving 50% renewable generation by 2030.