Brunswick-based energy company South Street Energy (SSE), has won the “Biggest Pitch” prize at the 2022 Victorian iAwards, for its pioneering Distributed Generation Network.
The award-winning initiative enables the owners of small-scale solar, wind and biogas generation systems, to sell renewable electricity to the wholesale electricity market.
SSE transformed the National Energy Market (NEM) by enabling small scale electricity producers such as businesses, farms and local councils, to sell their renewable electricity when demand is high, while continuing to self-consume at other times.
SSE Managing Director, Marco Bogaers, said, “I am very proud that this award recognises South Street Energy’s commitment to environmental sustainability and the hard work of our amazing team.
“This is more than a technical solution. We’ve pulled together existing industry processes to create an entirely new way to participate in the market.”
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Orange City Council, David Waddell, said SSE’s innovation has provided significant energy security to the area.
“This is the sort of simple, innovative approach Orange City Council has been after and it is a huge win; insulating council against pricing fluctuations. Services such as this encourage the take-up of more renewables and demystify things nicely. It’s a pleasure to work with the team at South Street Energy,” Mr Waddell said.
Orange City Council’s solar installations at its Aquatic Centre (200kW), Civic Centre (88kW), and local Airport (100kW), were installed in late 2021 and immediately added to South Street Energy’s Distributed Generation Network.
Since 1 January 2022, those systems have produced 252MWh of electricity, of which 41 per cent was sold to the National Electricity Market (NEM), increasing the value of the renewable electricity by 6.2 cents per kWh, from 12.9 cents to 19.1 cents and netting an additional $15,460.
Mr Bogaers said SSE’s solution ensures that renewable energy is sold into the market that is paying the highest price, increasing the value of renewable electricity.
“This has helped our customers weather the recent negative impacts of high electricity prices, and it fits directly into the Federal Government’s Powering Australia Plan to lift the share of renewables in the National Electricity Market to 82 per cent by 2030,” Mr Bogaers said.
“This benefits everyone. It helps the owners of individual systems by providing a new and additional form of revenue. It helps the community by providing further financial incentives for the take up of renewables and it helps the National Electricity Market by providing a demonstrable mechanism for participation by small scale, renewable generators.”
The iAwards are presented by the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), Australia’s peak industry representative body for innovative technology, and recognising Australian innovations and achievements that create positive change for the community.
Each of the state winners will compete for the National iAwards title to be announced at the AIIA Gala event in October 2022.
Feature image: Managing Director of South Street Energy Marco Bogaers, holding the iAward, with Director Andrew Randall, Chief Financial Officer Melita Vellucci, Chief Technology Officer Chris Boek and Business Development Manager Peter Sertic.
