The Distributed Energy Integration Program -- a collaboration of government agencies, market authorities, industry and consumer associations aimed at maximising the value of customers’ DER -- is exploring the value that dynamic operating envelopes can offer to the energy transition by:

• building a shared understanding of the opportunities and challenges
• sharing insights on approaches currently under investigation
• identifying reforms that could be implemented to establish dynamic operating envelopes.

Read about the workstream activities 

We turn the spotlight on CSIRO, who represent Australia in Mission Innovation’s Smart Grids Innovation Challenge, supported by ARENA’s International Engagement Program.

Hear from CSIRO’s Brian Spak on the most interesting things he’s learnt while leading Australia’s participation in the challenge.
 

Image: Mission Innovation Challenges: Leads and Participants.

Read the spotlight interview 

ARENA has today announced $12.9 million in funding to AEMO for the development of a major Victorian DER Marketplace trial named Project EDGE (Energy Demand and Generation Exchange).

Project EDGE will demonstrate an off-market, proof-of-concept marketplace that efficiently operates DER to provide both wholesale and local network services within the constraints of the distribution grid.

Read the announcement 

Distributed Energy Resources

• Simply Energy VPPx Lessons Learnt Report - presents lessons related to development of battery system subsidies in the market, and findings from customer surveys regarding preferences and uptake of battery offers.
• University of Melbourne Non-Traditional Solutions Report - investigates the adoption of non-traditional solutions in combination with traditional solutions to increase the solar PV hosting capacity of PV-rich distribution networks.
• UNSW Milestone 4 Report - latest findings from the UNSW Addressing Barriers to Efficient Renewable Integration project, including inverter bench testing, aggregation of PV inverter frequency response and load modelling.
• SA Power Networks - detailed technical description of the interface implementation in the SA Power Networks Advanced VPP Grid Integration project.
• Zepben Using the CIM for Electrical Network Model Exchange - explores the use of the International Electrotechnical Commission Common Information Model (CIM) for the transfer of electrical network data between existing DNSP systems and the Zepben Evolve Platform.

Read the latest insights from ARENA’s Renewable Energy Hub project, including:

• Contract Performance Report - progress to date for 4 of its hedge contract products.
• Legal Overview Report - guidance on the legal arrangements for transacting in Renewable Energy Hub’s hedge contracts.
• Platform Launch Report - promotes the Hub and its digital platform as Australia’s first marketplace with a central source of data, tools and transactions for a renewable energy future.

Microgrids & Off-Grid

• Garden Island Microgrid Report - summarises latest progress of the Garden Island Microgrid Project, which integrates solar PV and battery into the diesel-based system on the active Royal Australian Navy base - HMAS Stirling.
• Opportunities for SAPS to Enhance Network Resilience Report - explores whether there is a positive business case for network investment in resilience-based stand-alone power systems.

Large-scale & Hydrogen

• Lake Bonney Project Summary Report - summarises the operations of the Lake Bonney BESS project in its first 7 months of operation (December 2019 to June 2020).
• Renewable Hydrogen and Ammonia Deployment Report - details progress on the renewable hydrogen and renewable ammonia production and export facility on the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia.