Ryan Wavish, ENGIE’s General Manager for Innovation, explained: “Customers who have opted in to the trial offer allow ENGIE to adjust the amount of energy exported to the grid from their rooftop solar panels when there is too much supply, and prices are negative. Importantly, these customers are compensated for doing so.” This approach benefits both parties, as ENGIE avoids paying for solar feed-in tariffs and exporting power during negative pricing, while customers earn more than they would through standard solar export rates.
The trial, supported by funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s Advancing Renewables Program, has seen strong participation. Wavish noted: “Our customers are loving it, and we’ve had more than 40 customers opt-in so far. We were originally set a limit of 50 participants this year, but due to the popularity of the trial offer, ENGIE has recently been able to increase that limit to 100 households in South Australia.”
The initiative addresses concerns about potential charges for exporting excess solar during oversupply periods. Wavish emphasized: “There has been a lot of discussion about the possibility of a solar tax – or households being charged for exporting their excess rooftop solar during periods of oversupply – but we are flipping this for customers.” The trial demonstrates that retailers like ENGIE can enable customers to earn income by curtailing solar exports during peak supply times.
This market-driven approach also reduces grid congestion, minimizing the need for costly infrastructure upgrades. Wavish added: “This also means another win-win between the customer and the network as market-led curtailment relieves congestion on the local grid and reduces the need for costly upgrades.” The trial reflects a collaborative effort to balance renewable energy integration with grid stability, benefiting both customers and the energy network in South Australia.
