This report analyses the network constraint management mechanism implemented in the trial and presents research findings regarding the potential to increase DER exports beyond the standard network static export capacity limit, provide flexibility to host increased numbers of DER in the network, and economic value released to VPP aggregators.
Report extract
This document is one of the knowledge sharing deliverables of the Advanced VPP Grid Integration project conducted by SA Power Networks in partnership with Tesla Motors Australia and the CSIRO between January 2019 and December 2020. The project was enabled with funding by ARENA.
The project demonstrated the capability to dynamically set network export limits for a virtual power plant (VPP) coordinating the operation of an array of distributed energy resources (DER) – rooftop PV systems with battery energy storage – allowing them to raise over the normal static export limits during times and in locations where there is sufficient network capacity to do so. This capability was tested on a field trial conducted in South Australia from July 2019 to December 2020, for which SA Power Networks and Tesla co-designed and implemented a network-VPP application programming interface (API), operating procedures and rules to dynamically allocate network capacity to the VPP. The network capacity information provided by the SAPN API was used to coordinate the operation of the PV-battery systems at the first 1,000 customer premises deployed as part of Tesla’s VPP rollout in SA.
This report analyses the network constraint management mechanism implemented in the trial and presents research findings regarding the potential to increase DER exports beyond the standard network static export capacity limit, provide flexibility to host increased numbers of DER in the network, and economic value released to VPP aggregators.
Findings
The analysis found that yearly dynamic constraint management can support:
• 60% increase in daily average DER export capacity (up to 8 kW),
• 20% increase in daylight-hour average DER export capacity (up to 6 kW).
Average available capacity is seasonal and achieves its highest values in the winter months, during which dynamic constraint management can support:
• 100% increase in daily average DER export capacity (up to 100 kW)
• 60% increase in daylight-hour average DER export capacity (up to 8 kW).
