United States-headquartered utility Itron, Inc has collaborated with Victoria-based gas and electricity distribution company Jemena to deploy its resource management system to specifically manage rooftop solar generation in Australia.
The Itron low voltage distributed energy resource management system (LV DERMS) helps integrate consumer energy resources (CERs), specifically solar, using a data-driven, real-time flexible solution.
The collaboration follows an emergency solar backstop mechanism mandated by the Victorian government from 1 October 2024, which states all new or upgraded rooftop solar systems must have a utility compatible inverter and reliable internet connection that will allow utilities to manage minimum demand.
This capability addresses stability challenges faced by Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), and will enable Jemena to remotely curtail solar power generation when supply and demand imbalances occur within the electricity grid.
Jemena will be able to collect and process solar system generation data from all new rooftop solar connected to the system, which provides visibility into the energy levels in their distribution network, and respond and prevent grid instability caused by excess generation within the energy system.
Jemena Customer and Energy Solutions General Manager Georgia Cronin said across the company’s electricity distribution network has seen more customers adopt solar panels, electric vehicles and other technologies than ever before.
“While solar generation is beneficial to customers and a sustainable way to power homes, excess solar power can cause supply-demand imbalance within the energy system and potentially overload it,” Cronin said.
“Maximising the contribution of CERs is key to meeting Australia’s climate goals, and with rooftop solar at 30% penetration, it’s growing faster than any other renewable sources across the continent.”
Itron Asia-Pacific Sales Director Alex Beveridge said Australia recognises the risks to the energy system from rooftop solar and is leading the industry as they implement mandates to prepare for the future of CERs.
“Designed specifically for the Australian market, our LV DERMS not only addresses the stability challenges facing the energy system but will also help Jemena better understand capacity constraints within the electricity distribution network,” Beveridge said.
“With Itron’s solutions already integrated at the edge of many Australian utility providers’ advanced metering infrastructures (AMI) networks, deploying Itron’s LV DERMS provides a cost-effective and streamlined approach, as seen with Jemena.”
