This study estimates the potential generation, associated revenue and emissions reduction benefits that could be captured by co-locating large-scale battery storage at 44 NEM connected solar farms. The study estimates what the value of that curtailed energy could be, by assuming that each day, all curtailed energy is stored and subsequently dispatched during the evening period of peak demand.
Report extract
This study estimates the potential generation, associated revenue and emissions reduction benefits that could be captured by co-locating large-scale battery storage at 44 large-scale solar farms1 (the studied solar farms) on the National Electricity Market (NEM). The analysis demonstrates several potential benefits flowing from recent amendments to the National Electricity Rules (NER). The amendments introduce the new Integrated Resource Provider (IRP) participant category, determined in December 2021 and coming into effect in June 2024, which remove some of the regulatory and commercial barriers to the colocation of solar, wind and battery storage on the NEM. Levels of under-generation resulting from physical and economic curtailment are calculated at each site over the three years from June 2019 to May 2022. The value of this curtailment is estimated by assuming it can be locally stored by a co-located battery and then sold later each day.