Energy Networks Australia (ENA) has launched the first nationally consistent approach for installation of distributed energy resources (DER), a set of guidelines that address low voltage connections applicable to household, commercial and industrial premises.
“This is about safe, consistent and efficient grid connections to help reduce costs for networks and customers,” ENA CEO Andrew Dillon said.
“With so many households embracing solar and new personalised energy sources, these guidelines will ensure connection processes are streamlined and consistently applied across all jurisdictions.”
While all network companies have detailed connection processes to ensure safety and reliability, until now there has been no standardised approach across all jurisdictions. This has resulted in a range of different technical requirements and inconsistent connection practices.
The development of these guidelines has been driven by network companies and will provide a nationally consistent set of protocols to integrate a range of DER to the grid.
Work is now underway to produce the next set of guidelines to address medium voltage (MV) and high voltage (HV) connections within the distribution system. These guidelines are expected to be released later this year.
