Project Converge’s final Report extensively highlights the knowledge gained throughout the project including:
- SOE’s (Shaped Operating Envelopes) ability to reduce network congestion compared to DOEs (Dynamic Operating Envelopes)
- Benefits for stakeholders such as unlocking DER (Distributed Energy Resources) value whilst highlighting conditions for SOEs to manage grid congestion and create better outcomes than DOEs.
Report extract
The Converge trial was a 2 ½ year trial that involved implementation and testing of a new concept called Shaped Operating Envelopes (SOEs). It included two streams:
- A technical demonstration of SOEs, and
- Social science research to understand consumer and stakeholder expectations and views on SOEs.
The primary innovation in SOEs was to involve aggregators specifically in the process of allocating network capacity among owners of Distributed Energy Resources (DER). This enabled two values:
- Capacity allocation that was more reflective of peoples’ intent to use the electricity network, and
- Automatic procurement of network support services where it is economically favourable.
We demonstrated SOEs in practice with 1,001 existing ACT battery owners. We showed that there are two conditions which are required for SOEs to effectively manage grid congestion and create better financial outcomes than DOEs:
- SOEs must include PV, batteries, and other types of DER, and
- Either participants must be participating fully in the wholesale energy market, or we need to reassess how self-consumption is foregrounded within SOEs.