Western Power is set to receive $20.8 million from The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to develop an end-to-end commercial solution focused on operating distributed energy resources (DER) within the SWIS (South West Interconnected System).
Dubbed Project Jupiter, this new initiative builds on the recently completed Project Symphony and is being undertaken over three years in partnership with Western Power, Synergy, Energy Policy WA (EPWA) and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
ARENA CEO, Darren Miller said Project Jupiter is vital for integrating DER into the SWIS at scale without compromising the reliability and security of Western Australia’s main power system.
DER are small-scale devices that can either use, generate or store electricity, and form a part of the local distribution system, serving homes and businesses. They include renewable generation (e.g. rooftop solar), energy storage, electric vehicles (EVs), and technology that consumers can use at their premises to manage their electricity demand.
“Australia has some of the highest levels of DER globally, with no signs of slowing down. This uptake presents a big opportunity to decarbonise while helping consumers get more value, but it also poses challenges to the grid if not integrated effectively,” Mr Miller said.
“Project Jupiter will be the first live DER marketplace in Australia that is integrated with the wholesale market, marking an important milestone in Australia’s renewable transition.”
Customers with DER who join the program will have access to new retail products which can support better returns on their DER investments. More broadly, orchestrating a large pool of customers through the energy market can lead to more optimal energy and grid management, putting downward pressure on household energy for all consumers.
About 40 per cent of households within the SWIS have rooftop solar panels, with around 30,000 new systems installed each year. Household battery systems are also being installed at an increasing rate, which enable clean energy to be stored for later use.
Using the findings and recommendations from Project Symphony, ARENA said Project Jupiter will not only deliver the technical solutions to allow DER in the SWIS to be coordinated and participate in the market via virtual power plants (VPPs), but it will develop new customer products, tariffs and education programs to support customer participation and allow customers to gain more value from their DER investments.
Western Power Head of Distribution Energy Transition, Andrew Blaver, said Project Jupiter will accelerate the opportunity for Western Australian households to join VPPs and earn value from their assets.
“This project will enable more consumers to join VPPs using their solar panels and home batteries, revolutionising how our energy system operates.
“By 2028, all new DER connected to Western Australia’s network will be able to participate in a VPP, allowing households to unlock greater value from their energy investments.”
ARENA said it has also supported over $200 million of DER projects and established the Distributed Energy Integration Program (DEIP) a collaboration of government agencies, market authorities, industry and consumer associations aimed at maximising the value of customers’ DER for all energy users.
