Future efforts to integrate renewable energy into the grid set to benefit from new “stocktake” partnership

ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the new partnership would address an existing information gap and build on important work ARENA had already undertaken.

“ARENA is today releasing a stocktake of 176 renewable energy grid integration projects from across Australia, worth more than $4 billion, as well as 60 key projects from overseas,” Mr Frischknecht said.

“Integrating renewables into the grid is one of the major challenges facing the energy sector and this stocktake is a vital step in helping advance this work.

“This stocktake of relevant studies, trials and demonstration projects will provide the basis for further work and get the most out of existing information and investment.

“It will serve to improve communication and collaboration between the electricity sector, network businesses, renewable energy companies, policy makers, regulators, governments and researchers.

“As well as being a valuable resource for the sector, the stocktake will help ARENA make better informed funding decisions about renewable energy grid intergration projects.

“ARENA is very pleased to be working with the ENA to take the next step, which will see the ENA deliver the first two updates to ARENA’s initial stocktake, with oversight from a cross-industry steering committee.”

ENA CEO John Bradley said the ENA would provide updates in late 2014 and 2015, to ensure there is a continuing resource of up-to-date, publicly available information for the whole sector to draw on.

“Housing the latest research, studies, findings and projects in one place will make it easier for the sector to address challenges and capitalise on opportunities involved in integrating renewables into the network,” Mr Bradley said.

“The rapid increase in distributed renewable energy is upending the traditional supply system and driving an increasing need to revisit the energy network, which was originally designed for one-way delivery.

“There are real and tangible benefits and opportunities to be gained from integrating renewables into the network, and network businesses have already facilitated the installation of more than 1.2 million roof top solar panels in Australia.

“The ENA and ARENA recognise the valuable role this stocktake will play in helping the sector to make this transition, by providing a consolidated base for information-sharing and collaboration.

“The ENA and ARENA intend for the stocktake to be a continuing resource that the sector can draw on in the future.”

About the Energy Networks Association (ENA)

The ENA is the national industry association representing the businesses operating Australia’s electricity transmission and distribution and gas distribution networks. Member businesses provide energy to virtually every household and business in Australia. ENA members own assets valued at over $100 billion in energy network infrastructure.