Community Models for Deploying and Operating DER
- $498k Funded by ARENA
- $1.37m Total project cost
Summary
The increasing prevalence of behind-the-meter solar generation and battery storage is often motivated by high network tariffs, which discourage the transport of energy between generation, storage and load assets that are not co-located.
This project will investigate community energy models, where distributed generation, storage and load are not co-located behind a single metered, connection point. Through this work, the project aims to provide the basis for greater adoption and deployment of community energy models both in Australia and around the world.
How the project works
The key deliverables of the Community Models for Deploying and Operating DER project will include the development of analysis software to assess the value of different community energy models deployed throughout Australia. These analysis tools will then be used to provide recommendations for new tariffs that incentivise community energy models and underpin more efficient use of distributed generation and storage. The project will also provide recommendations that will allow future practical demonstration of these community energy models in Australian communities.
This project consists of:
Project reports- ARENA media release 11/02/19
- Community Batteries: A Cost/Benefit Analysis
- Implementing Community-Scale Batteries
- Implementing Community-Scale Batteries: Regulatory, Technical and Logistical Considerations
- Operating a Community-Scale Battery: Electricity Tariffs to Maximise Customer and Network Benefits
- Stakeholder Views on the Potential Role of Community Scale Storage in Australia
Learn more
Report: Implementing Community-Scale Batteries
This is the final report for the ANU Community Models for Deploying and Operating DER project, carried out by the Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program.
Report: Implementing Community-Scale Batteries: Regulatory, Technical and Logistical Considerations
This report outlines the regulatory, technical and logistical considerations needed for the practical deployment and operation of community-scale batteries in the national electricity market (NEM).
Media Release: Distributed Energy Projects Awarded Nearly $10 Million
ARENA awarded funding to 12 projects and studies to further integrate DER into the electricity system.
Report: Stakeholder Views on the Potential Role of Community Scale Storage in Australia
This report explores a relatively unknown question – what do people across the energy system think about local energy storage and community participation in this technology?
Report: Community Batteries: A Cost/Benefit Analysis
This report evaluates the financial viability of community batteries. It calculates the total cost of purchasing and maintaining the battery, compared to battery revenue.
Report: Operating a Community-Scale Battery: Electricity Tariffs to Maximise Customer and Network Benefits
The goal of this report is to investigate the reduction of local energy tariffs to incentivise charging from locally generated solar energy and selling energy to customers locally.
Area of innovation
The key innovation in this project will be a thorough analysis of community energy models from a technical, financial, regulatory, social and logistical perspective. Through the analysis capabilities developed in this project it will be possible to demonstrate the value of the models, for customers, retailers and distribution networks and the mechanism by which the models increase the hosting capacity of renewable energy in our electricity grid.
Benefit
This project will demonstrate how community energy models can reduce costs for customers whilst increasing the amount of renewable energy generation and storage that can be installed in electricity distribution networks. Through better understanding how the models can be designed and operated this project will also demonstrate how to increase the opportunity for distributed energy generation and storage to participate in energy, ancillary and network services markets. Furthermore, this project will highlight how the models increase opportunities for vulnerable and disadvantaged customers to realise the benefits of distributed renewables and energy storage.
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