This could include savings on energy bills and access to new products and services, as well as improvements to system efficiency, reliability and security that help to drive down energy costs for all Australians.
In a consultation paper published today, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) is seeking feedback on the opportunities presented by onsumer energy resources (CER) , as well as the barriers and solutions for optimising the value of CER to consumers and the market.
Energy customers are increasingly taking up CER in their homes and businesses, and the resources are expected to play a significant role in the shift to a net-zero energy system.
A high proportion of Australian residences already have solar PV, with around 3.19 million total solar rooftop PV systems installed for residential and small business customers in Australia, while more than 50,000 total registered small-scale battery systems have been installed in Australia in the past seven years.
There will also be a surge in electric vehicles in Australia, with 92 to 99% of all vehicles expected to be electric by 2050.
The work complements a suite of reforms from the AEMC, including a review of CER technical standards and a draft report to increase the uptake of smart meters.
The consultation paper explores a proposal from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) that would see secondary, “behind the meter” measurement points introduced to support ‘flexible trading’ for residential and business energy users.
Under the AEMO proposal, energy customers could choose to have their CER separately metered, which could allow consumers to take up offers from multiple service providers or retailers, or access different price offerings for different resources from the same retailer.
The proposal suggests that allowing more flexibility in how CER is traded in energy markets could unlock a host of benefits such as lower costs and enhanced system reliability for all consumers in the longer-term, including consumers without CER.
Other benefits include better value for customers with CER, who could reduce their overall energy bills by taking advantage of off-peak pricing or be paid to contribute to network reliability.
Effectively integrating CER into the energy system and unlocking benefits for consumers are priorities recognised in the Energy Security Board’s (ESB) post-2025 market design and advice.
Submissions in response to the consultation paper are being accepted until 16 February 2023.
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