New South Wales (NSW) distribution network service provider (DNSP) Endeavour Energy is leveraging AI-powered technology to enable customers to export more solar power to the grid from residential PV systems in a move it says will create a more efficient power network.
In a bid to manage the amount of rooftop PV being deployed in Australia and maintain grid stability and reliability, networks have traditionally applied a flat limit to the amount of solar energy customers can export into the grid at all times.
The new Flexible Export service, which will be gradually rolled out to eligible customers this year following a recent successful pilot involving 100 customers, will allow Endeavour to communicate with customer’s smart solar inverters via the internet and remotely adjust their exports down when needed to stabilise the local network.
Endeavour said this will allow eligible customers to export up to 10 kW of solar energy into its electricity network, double the current fixed export limit of 5 kW for “95% of the year” and it will only remotely limit exports if grid stability is at risk.
The smart upgrades Endeavour is making build on work by South Australia Power Networks and integrates AI-powered technology from Sydney-headquartered grid tech startup Gridsight and Newcastle-based energy management software company SwitchDin,
Gridsight said its AI-powered system uses data from 700,000 monitoring points across the network to predict solar energy flows and dynamically adjust export limits to match real-time grid conditions.
This allows for greater solar exports when capacity is available while preventing instability during peak periods, Gridsight Chief Executive Officer Brendan Banfield said.
“Our AI-driven system ensures that more solar flows into the grid without compromising reliability,” he said. “This means lower electricity costs for households, better utilisation of network infrastructure and a cleaner energy mix.”
Banfield said that in the first couple of months of deploying model-free flexible exports in the field, Gridsight’s real-time AI powered algorithms have already unlocked more than 15 MWh of additional renewable energy for Endeavour customers, while also maintaining safe and reliable grid operations.
Endeavour Chief Executive Officer Guy Chalkley said the new flexible exports service is a “game changer” for NSW electricity customers and will maximise solar PV production for households.
“For years, solar customers have faced export restrictions due to the limitations of traditional grid infrastructure,” he said. “Our new flexible exports service is a first for customers living in our network. It will unlock the full potential of rooftop solar, giving households better returns on their renewable energy investments while supporting a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.”
Endeavour is one of three DNSPs in NSW, servicing Sydney’s Greater West, the Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands, the Illawarra and South Coast regions. By 2040, half of its 1.2 million customers are forecast to have rooftop solar panels connected to the grid, with a trend for larger PV systems.
Colin Crisafulli, general manager of future grid and assets management at Endeavour, said that enabling dynamic, real-time flexible exports will help customers “unlock the full value of their solar investments, reduce energy costs, and build a more resilient grid.”
“This initiative is a key step towards ensuring Australia’s energy grid remains stable, efficient, and prepared,” he said. “We’re already seeing solar energy that would have otherwise gone unused being successfully integrated into the grid. As we expand the rollout, we expect this technology to unlock substantial savings for customers and drive significant environmental benefits.”
The new flexible exports service is expected to contribute 600 MW of additional renewable energy capacity over the next decade – enough to power 75,000 homes for an entire year – generating more than $100 million in additional solar exports.
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