FCAS markets

Australia recently hit it first gigawatt of big battery storage, with another 40 GW in the projected pipeline. During the Smart Energy Conference, Marija Petkovic, founder and managing director of Energy Synapse, looked at what we’ve learned so far.

Batteries in South Australia have been paid to charge throughout September and October 2021 due to a record number of negative price intervals. Wholesale electricity prices were negative almost 40% of the time.

EleXsys Energy’s technology enables the controlled flow of excess energy from distributed rooftop-solar generators — think large C&I organisations and microgrid-united regional townships— to help stabilise global grids as they increasingly transition to renewables. The world could feel the positives of mass transition to solar within five years.

The Australian Energy Market Commission, the country’s rule maker for electricity and gas markets, has this morning released proposals to reward fast frequency services in the National Electricity Market for the first time.

Battery energy storage developers might consider the findings of new research by Cornwall Insight Australia, that batteries located in South Australia last year earned the most from supplying Frequency Control Ancillary Services to the NEM, and that New South Wales also offers fertile ground.

As one of the world leaders in PV+storage deployment, Australia has ample opportunity to develop a two-way energy system that could provide critical services to the grid and deliver additional revenue streams for rooftop PV and battery prosumers. Although still in their early days, some virtual power plant (VPP) projects are already proving their worth.