New research has shown that improvements to the way consumer-owned energy assets, like household solar and batteries connect with each other and the grid, will be needed now that the devices are reaching maturity.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) commissioned the report, State of Distributed Energy Resources Technology Integration Report, which it said provided a snapshot of progress toward integrating consumer-owned assets into the electricity network.
“The study looked at the devices themselves, how they communicate and connect with the wider electricity system, the data and evidence needed to understand how Distributed Energy Resources (DER) behave and the types of services they can offer to the energy market,” ARENA said.
“The research found that the capability of devices to communicate and work together is the least advanced aspect in the integration of DER into the wider electricity system,” it said.
“Agreement is still needed on what information consumer-owned devices will exchange and how it will be exchanged.”
ARENA said the Report also found the technology still needed to be deployed, with further research required into cyber security for distributed energy assets.
Chief Executive of ARENA, Darren Miller said the report provided a pathway to integrate customer-owned DER that benefited all energy users.
“Whether you have invested in DER or not, these devices have enormous potential to provide stable, secure and affordable energy for all customers,” Mr Miller said.
“ARENA is already supporting trials and demonstrations that harness the collective power of household solar, home batteries and electric vehicles, with a growing focus on incentivising consumers to make their devices available to provide services that support the grid,” he said.
The Agency’s 196-page Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
