A one-stop shop for renewable energy grid integration projects

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Energy Networks Association (ENA) have formed a collaboration which is set to provide a one-stop shop of up-to-date renewable energy grid integration projects and findings. According to ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht, the partnership will address an existing information gap and build on important work ARENA has already undertaken.

“ARENA is today releasing a stocktake of 176 renewable energy grid integration projects from across Australia, worth more than $4 billion, as well as 60 key projects from overseas,” Frischknecht said. He explained that integrating renewables into the grid is “one of the major challenges facing the energy sector” and the stocktake will “provide the basis for further work and get the most out of existing information and investment”.

“It will serve to improve communication and collaboration between the electricity sector, network businesses, renewable energy companies, policymakers, regulators, governments and researchers,” Frischknecht said.

“As well as being a valuable resource for the sector, the stocktake will help ARENA make better informed funding decisions about renewable energy grid integration projects.”

ENA CEO John Bradley said the association will deliver the first two updates to ARENA’s initial stocktake, in late 2014 and 2015, to ensure there is a continuing resource of up-to-date, publicly available information for the whole sector to draw on in the future.

“Housing the latest research, studies, findings and projects in one place will make it easier for the sector to address challenges and capitalise on opportunities involved in integrating renewables into the network,” Bradley said.

“The rapid increase in distributed renewable energy is upending the traditional supply system and driving an increasing need to revisit the energy network, which was originally designed for one-way delivery.

“There are real and tangible benefits and opportunities to be gained from integrating renewables into the network, and network businesses have already facilitated the installation of more than 1.2 million rooftop solar panels in Australia.

“The ENA and ARENA recognise the valuable role this stocktake will play in helping the sector to make this transition, by providing a consolidated base for information sharing and collaboration.”

The initial stocktake and accompanying report is available at www.ena.asn.au/publications/arena-stocktake-project.