Western Australia’s Project Symphony, delivered by Western Power, Synergy, Energy Policy WA and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), has gone live, trialling turning renewable-equipped residential homes into miniature power plants with battery technology.
Virtual power plants could be the future for electricity in Western Australia. Instead of power stations carrying hundreds of kilometres of high voltage wires, houses could become the central power station, through rooftop solar and battery storage.
The $35.5 million Harrisdale and Piara Waters pilot will identify how distributed energy resources, such as rooftop solar, batteries, and electric vehicles can benefit customers participating in a future energy market.
State Energy Minister, Bill Johnston, said the trial would generate valuable insights into new solutions for energy generation and distribution.
“It’s great to see hundreds of customers embracing Project Symphony. Their participation will provide valuable insights into how Western Australia’s electricity system can be strengthened to continue to provide reliable, secure, and affordable power,” Mr Johnston said.
“In the face of a rapidly changing energy industry, customers’ rooftop solar systems, batteries, and air conditioning orchestrated together can play a meaningful role in providing services and stability to the network.”
About 300 households in Perth’s southern suburbs were chosen for the pilot, due to their renewable energy uptake, with more than 50 per cent of households having rooftop solar.
The Federal Government – through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency – has contributed $8.6 million to the $35.5 million project.
The Western Australian Government has invested $19.3 million, and AEMO $7.6 million.
Testing is underway until April 2023, with more than 200 customer assets now successfully ‘orchestrated’ as a single facility providing benefits to the community and network.
