This report presents a high-level summary of the demand flexibility initiatives currently underway in Australia; outlinig four key pathways operating to incentivise demand-side participation. The report overlays this information on the ARENA-funded and external trials in detailed charts and tables.
Report extract
Australia is transitioning towards an energy system in which bulk electricity is sourced from variable renewable energy generators, primarily solar and wind. As energy supply becomes dominated by solar and wind, increasing the flexibility of energy demand to match or fill in the gaps from variable renewable energy becomes increasingly important.
There are a wide range of sources of flexible demand which are not yet being fully utilised – such as smart charging of electric vehicles or changing the timing of hot water heating to use surplus solar power in the middle of the day, remote control to shave demand from a portfolio of air-conditioners on hot days when the grid is under strain or fast-response charging and discharging from batteries to maintain frequency levels. As flexible demand involves using existing assets more efficiently to match supply, it is generally lower cost than building new supply to match demand and enhances the reliability of the electricity grid.
