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On 26 February, C4NET hosted its fourth webinar from the Enhanced System Planning (ESP) Webinar Series, looking at optimising the grid with abundant storage.

The webinar covered the integration of abundant storage to support a timely transition, the need for a variety of storage types and sizes to manage peak demand, the full storage potential that is yet to be untapped, the importance of consumer energy resources (CER), the potential for coordinated distributed energy resources, and future priorities for storage deployment in Australia.

Echoing a common sentiment from the ESP webinars, the panel also emphasised the importance of the entire sector working together to engage consumers on optimising their CER.

Moderated by C4NET CEO James Seymour, the webinar included presentations from Professor Pierluigi Mancarella at the University of Melbourne, Dominique van den Berg, CEO of Energy Networks Australia (ENA), Dr Matt Searson from Climate Change Authority, and James White from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

James Seymour commenced the webinar by contextualising the new age of storage Australia is currently entering. He touched on the increasing amounts of storage being connected to the grid, Australia’s ambitious targets for coordinated storage solutions and the importance of balancing the needs of the market with the needs of consumers.

Here are the key takeaways from the webinar:  

Storage will play a crucial role in balancing the grid

  • As Australia transitions from traditional fossil fuel-based grids to ones dominated by renewables, storage will play a crucial role in moderating infrastructure investment needs, providing grid stability and consistent energy supply. Prof Pierluigi Mancarella emphasised that integrating a variety of storage solutions into the grid will provide certainty during demand and supply fluctuations.

Storage potential must be untapped sooner rather than later

  • During his presentation on the Climate Change Authority’s annual progress report, Dr Matt Searson reiterated the need for speed while balancing a competitive storage market. As demand increases and more renewables penetrate the grid, the time taken for competitive market structure to emerge may delay storage deployment. Dr Matt Searson also believed that DNSP’s should be empowered to plan and install batteries and establish a framework for co-ordination.
  • To increase the deployment of storage, the panel agreed that regulatory frameworks and market efficiency must be improved. Dominque stressed the need for clearer delineations between regulated and competitive spaces while James White highlighted the importance of consumer centric approaches in regulatory frameworks. Moreover, Pierluigi discussed the potential for dynamic tariffs and network support contracts to facilitate faster storage deployment.

The potential for coordinated distributed energy resources

  • Prof Pierluigi Mancarella and Dominque van den Berg reiterated the important role that coordinated distributed energy resources could play in the transition. Dominque specifically spoke to the benefits of a distributed energy grid.
  • Dominque presented ways to unlock potential in a distributed grid, such as linking local energy hubs, amplifying untapped solar and increasing the coordination between Distributed Network Service Providers (DNSP’s) and Transmission Network Service Providers (TNSP’s).

The future of Consumer Energy Resources (CER)

  • To facilitate the installation of more storage solutions, the panel reiterated the importance of engaging with consumers on their CER and gaining their trust. Specially, transmission and distribution service providers have a crucial role to play in bringing consumers along the journey to optimise their CER. This could be achieved through clear communication campaigns and closer collaboration with consumers to understand their needs.  
  • James White from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), presented the National Consumer Energy Resources (CER) Roadmap and it’s work streams, which sets out the vision and plan to unlock CER at scale across Australia. Off the back of the roadmap, he emphasised the need for larger amounts of consumer energy storage to achieve renewable targets.

Key Priorities for the Future of Storage Deployment  

  • Looking to the future, the panel agreed that a variety of storage options will be important to increase grid stability. More specifically, Dominique underlined the benefits of various battery storage sizes and the importance of long-duration storage.
  • Australia must aspire to add 5 gigawatts of storage by 2030 and continue to progress community battery programs. To reach this target, the current regulatory processes need be expedited, moving away from an individual battery approvals process.
  • Coordination across DNSP’s and TNSP’s will be vital for the successful deployment of storage solutions across Australia.

The webinar covered plenty of ground, therefore if you wish to watch the whole webinar, please go to our YouTube channel here.

You can also access the panellists’ individual presentations below:

Join us for Webinar 5!  

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.   

C4NET will be hosting its fifth webinar of the ESP series in the coming months. Keep an eye on your emails for topic and speaker announcements!  

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