Database supports renewables grid integration

Australia’s most advanced database of local and international renewable energy grid integration projects has been released to support innovation in the national energy system.

The Renewables Integration Stocktake is an online, exportable database that currently catalogues 233 projects that add to Australia’s collective knowledge and experience of integrating renewable energy into electricity networks.

It provides a one-stop shop for information on current projects, along with the outcomes of past efforts.

The database is the result of close collaboration between Energy Networks Australia and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) working in partnership with other stakeholders.

Energy Networks Australia CEO John Bradley said Australia had world-leading rates of rooftop solar panels and high penetrations of large renewables in some systems like South Australia.

“Australia’s energy sector must be agile in its ability to integrate renewables efficiently and securely, and this new database will provides a resource for all parties in the transformation,” Bradley said.

“The searchable database has over 233 projects from Australia and around the world, which means faster information-sharing and less need to reinvent the wheel.”

ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said sharing data and experience was vital to integrating renewables into grids.

“Enabling renewables and grids to work together effectively is critical to increasing the supply of renewable energy in Australia.

“The transition from centralised power generation from large power plants to more decentralised renewable energy has its challenges. Initiatives like the Stocktake — an industry-led resource — can help developers, investors and operators better understand the characteristics and potential of renewable technologies,” Frischknecht said.

The Stocktake forms part of ARENA’s investment focus. This includes addressing information gaps and ensuring existing knowledge is more widely shared.

Projects detailed on the online database include:

• Customer-Led Network Revolution — a project to test flexibility in the way customers generate and use electricity in the UK;
• Flexible Networks for a low carbon future — a project to identify ways to increase network capacity to allow higher levels of low-carbon technology to be accommodated without adversely affecting quality of supply;
• My Electric Avenue — a project to decarbonise the transport sector by assessing and mitigating the impact of clustering of EVs on electricity networks in the UK.

Energy Networks Australia and ARENA are inviting project proponents to take advantage of the new Renewables Integration Stocktake online database, which allows for real-time submission of grid-connected renewable energy projects and advanced search features.