Rooftop solar, EVs & batteries: $1.7m ARENA funding to understand their role in the grid

The funding will expand our understanding of how Australians are using renewable energy sources and how to better integrate them into the National Energy Market.

Australia is a global leader in rooftop solar installations with approximately 40% of free-standing dwellings with a rooftop system. Household-battery and EV ownership is also increasing rapidly.

Now, UNSW Sydney researchers have been awarded $1.7 million by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to explore the integration of these sorts of devices, known as consumer energy resources (CER), into the National Energy Market (NEM).  

CER include rooftop solar panels, batteries, electric vehicles and chargers.

The project will span three years, analysing real-world data sets and developing new tools to understand better the integration challenges caused by increased ownership of these devices.

The integration of household and small business-owned CER into the electricity grid is a critical step towards achieving the national renewable energy and emissions reduction targets, says ARENA CEO Darren Miller.

CER technologies and products were at the heart of the clean energy transition, turning consumers into active participants in our energy system, he said.

“CER is about decentralising energy production by harnessing the power generated by rooftop solar panels, batteries and smart home devices. Creating a more flexible, cleaner energy grid will help reduce emissions while improving energy resilience,” he said.

Localised energy production could reduce network vulnerabilities

Mr Miller said it was vital we understood how the rollout of solar panels, EVs and other CERs affected the network.

“There is a knowledge gap whereby we don’t fully understand how CER impacts the energy grid. This project aims to plug this gap, helping us understand how the rollout of CER technologies can be done in a way that maintains the stability of the energy grid.

“CER presents a powerful shift in the way energy is produced. It localises energy generation, gives consumers control over their energy footprint, and can potentially help balance supply and demand. This will make Australian communities less vulnerable to energy disruption.”

The UNSW project will provide insights that the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and Distributed Network Service Providers (DNSPs) can use in their work to maintain safe and efficient network operations. It will also  improve our understanding of CER operations in normal and critical network conditions.

Project lead Dr Baran Yildiz, a senior lecturer at UNSW’s School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, said Australia’s clean, reliable and affordable energy transition was being led by CER.

“We need ongoing evidence-based and data-driven research to improve our understanding of CER operations in real-world conditions.

“Our study will give us key insights on the effectiveness and implications of various network measures governing CER operations. We’ll also build tools that will help maximise benefits for society while maintaining and supporting network security.”

The project builds on work done previously by UNSW including through the ARENA-funded Project Match and RACE for 2030 Project CANVAS.