A new research report by Reliable Affordable Clean Energy for 2030 Cooperative Research Centre (RACE for 2030) has called for a nationally coordinated approach to fully harness the power of consumer energy resources (CER) in Australia.
In the report, author, Mark Paterson, and co-author, Matthew Bird, examined almost 200 studies, trials and demonstration projects conducted over the last five to seven years, mapping the key strategic and topical gaps that must be systemically addressed for the full value of consumer energy resources to be realised.
The report found that while much has been learned in the first generation of research, the necessary focus has been on reducing the negative grid impacts of consumer resources.
The authors identify key topics to be addressed in the next major phase of applied research for consumer energy resources to become an integral part of Australia’s future-ready power systems.
Together with a set of 12 recommendations, the report proposed the following three objectives:
- Aligned vision and enablement: CER/DER research efforts are closely aligned with, and seen as an integral and beneficial part of, transitioning Australia’s GW-scale power systems to achieve emission reduction goals in a manner that is secure, cost-efficient and focused on the long-term interests of all consumers.
- Maximum societal benefits targeted: research is undertaken as a balanced and holistic portfolio designed to unlock the full system value of CER/DER and informed by in-depth social and consumer research to ensure benefits for individual consumers and enhanced outcomes for society that align with consumer expectations.
- Efficient and accelerated progress: CER/DER research projects, and related funding mechanisms, are configured to support efficient and accelerated progress by addressing critical gaps, reducing the potential for unintended duplication and leveraging collaborative, scale economies.
RACE for 2030 Cooperative Research Centre CEO, Bill Lilley, said that today, millions of consumers are providing more than ten per cent of Australia’s electricity needs.
“A more future-ready power system is required to integrate the four- to five-fold growth of rooftop solar embedded in Australia’s official projections and achieve its global net zero commitments.”
Dr Lilley said that with millions of consumers across the nation still without solar, there is enormous scope for households, businesses and communities to receive better outcomes from our national energy systems.
“This first phase of research has provided many important insights and several key technology innovations. However, it also highlights that a growing proportion of Australia’s CER will not be fully harnessed if investments in the underpinning integrated systems needed to unleash their full system-level value are not made.
“It is certainly encouraging to see the commencement of the National CER Roadmap process.
“Fully leveraging this rapidly growing fleet of energy resources could significantly reduce the investment required in new transmission links, expanded distribution capacity and the volume of new centralised generation, whether renewable, gas or nuclear,” Dr Lilley said.
“However, the lack of national focus on the future-ready ‘operating system’ our grids need to fully integrate tens of millions of diverse CER is a critical gap.”
Mr Paterson, said that a pivot that more fully reflects both the physics and dynamics already being experienced by our power systems is required.
“In the past, all generation occurred upstream and flowed in one direction to consumers. By contrast, we now have whole suburbs that are 100 per cent locally supplied during the day.
“In the evening, the same suburbs are almost 100 per cent supplied from the centralised system. This is what I think of as ‘tidal’ behaviour, and it is very different from what our conventional power systems were originally designed for.”
Mr Paterson said that Australia’s energy transformation enjoys significant global attention due to its world-leading levels of rooftop solar and several technology innovations, including dynamic operating envelopes (DOEs).
“Much of Australia’s first major phase of system transformation has focused on reinforcing the system structures that have served us well historically. It’s important to recognise, however, that can only get us so far.
“It will certainly not be sufficient to enable the projected four to five-fold increase in rooftop solar. Like other advanced economies, Australia needs to accelerate its capability for whole-system transformation, and the development of integrated enabling systems, which the UK, the European Union and some parts of North America are well ahead of us on.”
Mr Paterson said that ultimately, Australia needs 21st century grids that are capable of empowering and rewarding households, businesses and communities where they choose to use their energy resources in ways that benefit the shared system.
“Like the many other sectors consumers engage with daily, the technologies exist to bring this free market to life and make it easy for consumers to participate. What’s missing is the integrated program of research and action needed to bring it all together in a timely way.”
In the report, the authors also said that the diversity of Australian electricity consumers, their needs and aspirations, must be placed at the epicentre of reimagining Australia’s future power systems to:
- Fully value the range of grid services that consumer energy resources can deliver
- Provide simple, automated market-based opportunities to participate
- Level the playing field between traditional capital-intensive grid upgrades and ensuring the full system benefits of millions of consumer energy resources are fully unlocked
The full report is available here.
Featured image: Bilanol/Shutterstock.com.
