Horizon increases rooftop PV access with smart software

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Horizon Power said more than 2,400 additional customers in Western Australia’s (WA) Gascoyne and Mid West regions now have access to rooftop PV after the introduction of its Smart Connect Solar technology that allows more solar to be connected to the network without impacting its stability.

Access to rooftop PV in some regional WA towns has been restricted to limit overloading local microgrids with high levels of solar energy but Horizon said the Smart Connect Solar project is helping to remove those hosting capacity constraints.

The Smart Connect Solar platform relies on a distributed energy resource management system to analyse weather patterns, power system conditions and renewable energy resources data gathered via Horizon-maintained ‘security gateway devices’ connected to inverters and the internet to forecast energy generation and demand.

Horizon said Smart Connect Solar enables it to effectively manage high levels of solar energy on the network, meaning that more residents and businesses can install solar without the risk of overloading the grid.

“This innovative approach enables real-time orchestration of a customer’s solar generation, effectively mitigating the risk of voltage and frequency fluctuations that could destabilise the electricity system and cause supply disruptions,” it said.

Launched in Carnarvon earlier this year, and then expanded to towns including Karratha, Port Hedland and Broome, the Smart Connect Solar project has now been introduced into the Gascoyne and Mid West communities of Exmouth, Sandstone, Denham, Gascoyne Junction and Mt Magnet.

Horizon said the technology will be deployed to all towns in its service area by the end of the year with Smart Connect Solar scheduled to expand to Esperance and Menzies in the coming quarter, with the towns of Onslow, Fitzroy Crossing, Yungngora, Marble Bar, Kununurra, Lake Argyle to follow later in the year.

Horizon Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Unwin said regional businesses and residents are already embracing the program with more than 400 customers having applied for Smart Connect Solar since the program was launched.

“Smart Connect Solar provides us with critical technical capabilities so we can deliver on our commitment of ensuring there are zero customer refusals when connecting rooftop solar by 2025, across our networks,” she said.

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