Distributed Storage

The Australian Energy Market Operator has begun consultations with industry to develop a common digital platform in a bid to make the orchestration of rooftop solar, batteries, grid-connected electric vehicles and other consumer energy resources easier.

A team of researchers from the University of Queensland has detailed five key recommendations needed to accelerate Australia’s transition to electric vehicles and ready the country’s infrastructure for an ‘influx’ of EVs.

Western Australian regional energy provider Horizon Power has begun the search for electricity supply solutions that maximise renewable energy sources like solar to power five remote communities in the Kimberley region, reducing their reliance on fossil-fuel generation including diesel and gas.

Queensland government-owned energy company Energex is pushing ahead with the deployment of up to 35 pole- and ground-mounted community batteries in the city of Ipswich as it explores how to best store and reuse solar energy from the state’s approximately 1 million rooftop solar systems.

Australian energy infrastructure asset owner and manager Sustainable Energy Infrastructure is set to broaden its development strategy, teaming with renewables developer ACEnergy to roll out an initial tranche of seven battery energy storage systems with a combined capacity of approximately 35 MW/ 70 MWh.

Jolt Charge will install 65 free electric vehicle charging sites across Sydney in the coming 12 months after the New South Wales government committed $4.1 million to support the largest rollout of public kerbside electric vehicle chargers in the country.

Distributed network service providers CitiPower and Powercor’s first flexible electricity competitions in Victoria are now open with the operators seeking third-party options to help solve constraints and deliver flexible capacity across their networks.

Spending on building renewable energy infrastructure is forecast to peak at $20 billion in 2026, stimulated by the Australian government’s target of 82% electricity from renewables by 2030, but caution remains over workforce capability.

The Australian government has announced its new multi-billion-dollar National Battery Strategy aiming to boost the country’s domestic battery manufacturing capabilities and critical minerals processing capacity.

The CSIRO GenCost report shows renewables remain the cheapest new build electricity technology in Australia, with utility-scale solar emerging as the golden child, despite inflationary pressures, supply chain constraints and costs associated with additional storage and transmission.