South Australia to trial residential energy storage systems

Enphase Energy and SA Power Networks will work together to conduct distributed residential energy storage trials with the Enphase Storage System.

The storage system includes the Enphase AC Battery — a scalable, modular energy storage system that integrates with the company’s energy management system, the Enphase Home Energy Solution, set to be released in Australia next year.

SA Power Networks is the sole operator and manager of South Australia’s distribution network, which has a high residential solar penetration of about 25%.

“Enphase is delighted to be working with SA Power Networks for our inaugural trial with a large-scale utility provider in Australia,” said Greg Wolfson, storage product line director at Enphase.

“As we prepare for the launch of the Enphase Home Energy Solution in Australia, these trials will help us gain insights into how energy storage can help utility providers improve their load management and develop business models for residential energy storage.”

The Enphase Home Energy Solution combines solar generation, energy control and energy storage, offering home owners a plug-and-play AC battery solution to store energy generated from their solar photovoltaic (PV) system. Through the installation of a smart-grid-ready Enphase Envoy-S Metered gateway, users can securely monitor and manage their home energy consumption via web-enabled devices.

The gateway also enables home owners to size their energy storage system to maximise the value of the energy from the owner’s solar system.

“Ensuring grid stability is one of the most significant issues to address with solar power increasing its penetration into the electricity grid in Australia,” said Nathan Dunn, managing director for Enphase Energy Asia-Pacific.

“The introduction of energy storage on the grid will provide greater stability, which is a win for both service providers and residential customers.”