Evergen to test DER optimisation technology in Japanese setting

Sydney-based energy-tech software business Evergen has partnered with Japanese energy supply and management service provider Sharing Energy and energy service design company Sassor to accelerate efforts to verify technologies to commercialise the remote management of distributed energy resources (DER) owned by the Tokyo-headquartered Sharing Energy.

The three-way partnership brings together Evergen’s optimisation technology and ability to orchestrate Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) via microgrids and demand response networks with Sassor’s resource aggregator system and Sharing Energy’s expertise in developing and distributing solar and battery storage systems.

Sharing Energy, whose programs include the Share Denki (electricity) rooftop solar and energy storage package, is seeking to expand its aggregation business to maximise the benefits associated with the deployment of renewable technologies.

The company said it will look to Evergen to provide alerting, monitoring, fleet management, manual dispatch, reporting, site optimisation and control application programming interface (API) via its software platforms.

Evergen said its technology enables digital optimisation of the energy supply chain, maximising the benefit from deployment of renewable technologies including residential and commercial solar and battery systems. The technology also allows batteries, generators and loads to be orchestrated in fleets enabling energy generators, retailers and distributors to use these systems as VPPs.

Sharing Energy said the partnership with Evergen and Sassor is expected to demonstrate the potential of community-based renewable energy to contribute to achieving both a stable supply of electricity and carbon neutrality.

Sharing Energy Chief Executive Officer Kazuyuki Uemura said the company would look to embrace the learnings and expertise of Evergen and Sassor to understand how to best commercialise the growing adoption of distributed energy resources in Japan.

“We are confident that this pilot project will demonstrate the potential of community-based renewable energy and pave the way for the widespread adoption of similar projects in the future,” he said.

Through the use of Evergen’s API and Sassor’s resource aggregator system, Sharing Energy will integrate and remotely control its residential PV systems and home batteries and explore the benefits of commercialising aggregation services such as demand response and VPPs.

Evergen Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Ben Hutt said the partnership is “a good opportunity to demonstrate Australian technical excellence in the Japanese context.”

“We can bring a lot to Japan’s unique combination of high energy prices, advanced technology, government support, ambitious targets to increase renewable energy and the management of DER,” he said.

There are high expectations for aggregation businesses that utilise DER sources to help maintain the balance between the supply and demand of electricity in Japan. The Japanese government is aiming to reduce carbon emissions by 46% from 2013 levels by 2030 with renewables to account for 36-38% of the country’s energy generation.