Have you ever considered living off the grid, in a community that co-exists with nature – growing your own vegetables, minimising waste and environmental impact, and creating your own power through solar energy? This is exactly what the 70 members of the Moora Moora community do. Located on Mount Toolebewong in Victoria, approximately 70 km from Melbourne, this community consists of 30 housing units grouped in six clusters. Everyone living here owns a share in the land, infrastructure and machinery.
Moora Moora was developed with three aims: cooperation, reducing environmental impact and education. Many of its members were concerned with the overcrowding and isolation of city life, so they decided to move into this ‘intentional community,’ which finds its purpose in the pursuit for individual and community development. The notion of an intentional community comes from the idea of living cooperatively in a village which reflects shared values.
Fifty adults and 20 children currently live in Moora Moora. Their shared philosophy is that adults and children can’t be autonomous if they’re forced to rely on each other, so different members of the community will look after the children. This also feeds into the idea that children need more than one playmate and space that’s free of urban dangers to allow them to learn and be creative.
While members often have jobs outside of the community, they’re expected to commit to internal workdays, attend meetings and social events and be actively involved in the community life. Members are encouraged to take part in industries that directly benefit the cooperative, such as farming, teaching, mechanics, building, carpentry and spinning and weaving.
Community member Glen Morris is responsible for the power supply to the Moora Moora community, given they live off the electricity grid. He has designed a micro-grid system out of 20 different brands of inverters, batteries and panels. With more than 20 years’ experience in the renewable energy sector, he’s personally lived off the grid for most of that time. Glen is the Keynote Speaker and workshop presenter at the upcoming IDC Solar-Diesel Hybrid & Battery Systems Conference in Brisbane, Queensland. He will be running a full-day workshop on “Designing Stand-Alone Power Systems,” drawing on his own experience of building and maintain an autonomous grid.
For more information, or to register, please click HERE.
This event has been developed to build and accelerate the knowledge of industry employees and business owners on best practice when it comes to the design, installation and maintenance of renewable hybrid systems. The main goal of this conference is to help businesses take advantage of cleaner energy through improving the quality of their power generation systems. The event will have a technical focus, covering key design, implementation, and operational considerations for solar/diesel hybrid and battery systems including installation and maintenance. Also covered will be the hurdles encountered when introducing solar to an existing diesel power system, retrofitting, and the importance of maintaining consistent electricity.
Keynote Speaker and Workshop Presenter:
GLEN MORRIS: Principal of SolarQuip, Former Vice President of the Smart Energy Council and CTO of the Smart Energy Lab
The conference features a full day workshop on “Designing Stand-Alone Power Systems” presented by Glen, plus nine presentations from industry professionals:
• Building the Autonomous Grid - Glen Morris, SolarQuip
• Tipperary Station Case Study - Solar-Diesel Generator System in the Northern Territory - Thomas Wearne, Country Solar NT
• Hybrid System Using Innovative Variable Speed Drive (VSD) Technology for Pumping Water - Nick Hughes, Power Electronics Australia
• Zinc-Bromine Modules (ZBMs) Batteries for Off-Grid Solar Application - Mike Giulianini, Redflow
• Getting the Most From Your Battery - Stephanie Moroz, Davanz
• Solar PV, Diesel and Battery Systems – Applications & Case Studies - Lachlan Bateman, Clean Technology Partners
• When is a Micro Grid Appropriate? - Lindsay Hart, Selectronics
• 100MW+ Solar Farm Design, Challenges and Lessons Learnt - Innocent Bisanabo, Power Grid Solutions
• The Role of Cloud Forecasting Systems in Hybrid/PV Installations - Chris Pye, ComAp
Download the full event brochure HERE, register online HERE or email your registration form to