Distributed Energy Resources Hosting Capacity Study
- $164k Funded by ARENA
- $353k Total project cost
Summary
The project aims to demonstrate the issues faced by Australian distribution networks in maintaining security and quality of supply in the context of increasing distributed energy resource (DER) penetration.
It will also assess potential mitigation options, based on analysis of implementation cost vs benefit (i.e. additional PV hosting capacity created). This will provide a basis for more informed discussion between industry and academia using actual network data and a publicly available power system analysis software.
How the project works
Citipower and Powercor’s Network Planning and Development Department will collaborate with ENEA Consulting to select and assess a number of high-voltage and low-voltage configurations to identify implications and opportunities of DER using publicly available software. The project will also look to build upon the work of other studies such as CSIRO’s MV/LV Feeder Taxonomy Study.
Area of innovation
This project will further the industry’s collective knowledge of the subject matter as well as establish a replicable methodology for academia in assessing DER Hosting Capacity of DNSPs using freely available software.
Learn more
Report: Future Grid for Distributed Energy
This DER Hosting Capacity Study explores work on improving network visibility and managing growing DER penetration.
Report: Short-Term Forecasting Trial on the NEM Progress Report
This report presents a summary of the insights and progress from initial reports submitted by the 11 participants of the Short-Term Forecasting (STF) trial that is taking place between March 2019 to mid 2021.
Media Release: Distributed Energy Projects Awarded Nearly $10 Million
ARENA awarded $9.6 million in funding to 12 projects and studies to further integrate DER into the electricity system.
Benefit
The project will provide:
- Clarity – A robust methodology which demonstrates real world challenges of distribution network service providers (DNSPs) with increasing levels of DER
- Opportunities – Provide a defined list of options to support higher levels of DER as well as provide associated cost/benefit analysis for DNSPs
- Tools – A method of applying publicly available software that takes into account real world factors
- Process Improvement – The results of the project will be fed back into the current CitiPower Powercor (CP/PAL) DER assessment process
- Information Sharing – Additional learnings in the assessment of cost/benefit to the industry as a whole.
ARENAWIRE Blogs
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$9.6 million to support distributed energy revolution
To support the transition to an electricity network that is increasingly powered by small-scale energy assets, ARENA has announced $9.6 million funding for 12 new projects and studies.
What are distributed energy resources and how do they work?
According to the twentieth century model of energy distribution, large power plants fuelled by coal, hydro or gas, generated electricity that was distributed via a centralised grid.
