The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has granted $1.7 million (USD 1.1 million) to the University of New South Wales (UNSWs) Project CICCADA to better understand the integration of consumer energy resources (CER) into the National Energy Market (NEM).
The three-year, $4.3 million Consumer Energy Resources Integration, Compliance and Curtailment Assessment and Data Analysis (CICCADA) project, will analyse large, real-world datasets from CER such as rooftop solar, household batteries and electric vehicles to help better understand integration challenges.
ARENA Acting Chief Executive Officer Chris Faris said CER technologies turn consumers into active participants in the energy system making it important to know how their rollout can work with the network.
“CER is about decentralising energy production by harnessing the power generated by rooftop solar panels, batteries and smart home devices and these create a more flexible and cleaner energy grid, that help reduce emissions while improving energy reliability,” Faris said.
“CER technologies present a powerful shift in the way energy is produced. They localise energy generation, give Australians control over their energy footprint, and can potentially help balance supply and demand. This helps ensure communities are less vulnerable to energy disruption.”
Project CICCADA will provide insights that can be used by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and energy distributors to maintain safe and efficient network operations, and improve understanding of CER operations in both normal and acute conditions.
UNSW Senior Lecturer and Project Lead Dr. Baran Yildiz said Australia’s clean, reliable and affordable energy transition is led by CER.
“We need ongoing evidence-based and data-driven research to improve our understanding of CER operations in real-world conditions and Project CICCADA will generate key insights on the effectiveness and implications of various network measures governing CER operations,” Yildiz said.
“It will also build tools that will help to maximise benefits for society while maintaining and supporting network security.”
