An industry data exchange co-design is putting consumer energy resources at the beating heart of Australia’s energy marketplace, prompted by a 2050 projection of 86 GW of rootfop solar and 27 GW of flexible demand in the National Electricity Market (NEM).
An industry co-design of a digital consumer energy resources (CER) data exchange to reform the NEM has been prompted by the Australian Electricity Market Operator (AEMO) 2024 Integrated System Plan (ISP).
The ISP’s projection of 86 GW of rooftop solar and 27 GW of flexible demand response from CER by 2050 has lead to the AEMO-CER Data Exchange Industry Co-Design project, in partnership with Victorian distributed network service provider AusNet.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is funding the project with AUD 1.22 million ($800,000).
The data exchange will seek to simplify and support CER integration through developing a common digital infrastructure to facilitate information sharing, market access and coordination across the NEM.
ARENA Chief Operating Officer Darren Miller said the project will unlock the value of CER.
“As an ever-growing share of our electricity comes from sources like rooftop solar, work needs to be done to properly integrate these resources into the electricity grid,” Miller said. “This work will help maximise the value of consumer energy resources, encouraging investment and helping to drive the transition to renewable electricity.”
The project will involve the development of a roadmap for the Data Exchange’s roll out, with recommendation expected in late 2024.
The project builds on the ARENA-funded AEMO Project Edge, which demonstrated an off-market, proof-of-concept CER marketplace.
A cost benefit analysis conducted by Deloitte Access Economics concluded that a CER Data Exchange could help unlock between AUD 5.15 billion and AUD 6.04 billion in benefits over the next 20 years.