Partners:
On 9 October, C4NET hosted their second Enhanced System Planning (ESP) project webinar: Driving Whole-of-System Planning from the Bottom Up.
The webinar centered around the evolution and future of the Integrated System Plan (ISP) in Australia, focusing on the integration of consumer energy resources (CER) and distribution networks and how C4NET’s ESP project can help to expand on the ISP. The discussions also underscored the importance of customer trust, engagement and CER coordination to achieve a cost-effective energy transition.
The webinar included a special message from the Hon. Lily D’Ambrosio, Victorian Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Energy and Resources, and Minister for the State Electricity Commission. In the video, Minister D’Ambrosio emphasised the importance of the ESP project in planning for distributed energy resources post-2030 and highlighted the strong foundational work the Victorian Government is currently doing in this space across solar PV, batteries, electric vehicles incentives, and their gas substitution roadmap.
You can watch the Minister’s video here.
This was followed by an expert panel discussion with Eli Pack from AEMO, Renate Vogt from CitiPower, PowerCor and United Energy, and Professor PierLuigi Mancarella from the University of Melbourne, with moderation by C4NET CEO James Seymour.
Here are the highlights from the webinar:
To contextualise the webinar, James Seymour discussed the foundational aspects of the ESP project combined with the recent ISP review by the Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers at the ECMC and the subsequent recommendations that will inform the next steps for AEMO’s expansion of the ISP for whole-of-system consideration.
James emphasised the importance of AEMO’s ISP in driving discussions on future choices and the expansion to a more whole-of-system approach that considers regional and cross-sectoral energy demand, transitions in major energy hubs, and the integration of gas planning. He concluded his opening remarks by stressing the need for more detailed regional demand profiles, CER utilisation, and more comprehensive and long-term planning across distribution networks, which the ESP project actively seeks to address.
Here are the key themes that emerged from the panel discussion and the Q&A:
Active distribution networks can minimise transmission investment
- Through an animated presentation, Professor PierLuigi Mancarella, Chair of Smart Energy Systems and Networks at the University of Melbourne, shared his insights on the agile modelling and design work he has brought to the ESP project, which he advocates are more broadly needed across the whole-of-system approach.
- He focused on the need for a new approach to system planning, considering the increasing role of CER and the importance of flexibility across both transmission and distribution networks. Professor Mancarella highlighted the concept of distribution system operators (DSO’s) and the need for a coordinated approach between transmission and distribution planning.
- Furthermore, he reiterated the potential for CER to provide flexibility and reduce investment risks in transmission networks, and provided examples of how this can be achieved through active distribution system management.
Customer engagement and trust needed to integrate CER into future networks and align with the ISP
- Eli Pack, Group Manager System Planning at AEMO, presented on the evolution of the ISP since its inception in 2017, driven by the Finkel review recommendations. He introduced the latest version of ISP which plans for the next 25 years and seeks to support the Victorian Government’s plan to reach net-zero and hit policy targets by 2050, through a consumer-centric mindset.
- Given their role as a Victorian distribution network service provider, Renate Vogt, General Manager Regulation at CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy, highlighted they are approaching future system planning from the bottom up – understanding and considering both customer needs and the impacts of their decisions at a very localised, granular street to street level. She proceeded to share insights from a collaborative research initiative by Monash University’s Emerging Technologies Research lab, which aims to understand future customer behavioural trends and inform network planning.
- Reminiscent of the discussions held during C4NET’s first webinar, Eli Pack and Renate Vogt reflected on the challenges of consumer engagement and how trials and education can build trust and confidence in new technologies. The need for a more coordinated approach between transmission and distribution planning, leveraging expertise across the industry, and the need for a methodology to guide this process was emphasised.
World leading methodologies for whole of system planning – Australia leading the way
- Professor Mancarella advised that developing methodologies capable of optimising investments across the distribution and transmission networks that consider and effectively leverage CER is important to underpin system planning enhancements. He also shared his pride that Australia is currently a world leader in building this capability via the ESP project.
Additionally, Eli emphasised the importance of considering CER and distribution networks in future versions of the ISP, highlighting the need for a more nuanced understanding of demand in low voltage distribution systems.
After hearing from the expert panel, the discussion was opened to all webinar attendees for a Q&A session and final reflections. The session addressed a range of questions including the role of mid-scale storage, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, and the interaction between transmission and distribution planning.
To conclude, the panellists agreed on the positive outlook for the future and the importance of continued collaboration and innovation in addressing the complex challenges of the energy transition.
If you’d like to watch the webinar recording, please go to our YouTube channel here. Otherwise, you can watch the highlights video below.
Join us for Webinar 3!
This webinar was part of C4NET’s Webinar Series: Designing a Whole of System Approach to Energy Planning in Australia, which is designed to spark conversations and share valuable insights into comprehensive system planning.
Join us for the 3rd webinar of the series: Charged and Ready: EVs and Battery Storage Powering up the Grid Game. Keep an eye on your emails for further details!