AEMO Database lays foundations for consumer-owned energy revolution
AEMO to launch Australia’s first database of distributed energy resources (DER), known as the DER Register in December
The register is a foundational project within AEMO’s DER Program, working with industry bodies to build a flexible, two-way energy system to exchange value from consumer-owned DER devices, including a sophisticated electricity market to ‘buy and sell’ electricity and related energy services from consumers.
In general, DERs are defined as consumer-owned devices, such as rooftop photovoltaic (PV) solar systems and battery storage, which as individual units can generate or store electricity or have the ‘smarts’ to actively manage energy demand.
The DER Register only applies to generation that receives an agreement for a connection from the local network, who will also provide advice on whether and how the data needs to be provided.
However, when aggregated and operating together at scale through micro-grids and virtual power plants, these devices have huge potential to exchange consumer value by contributing to a reliable and secure energy supply.
Following the Australian Energy Market Commission’s (AEMC) amendment of the National Electricity Rules in late 2018 to establish a DER Register, AEMO has worked with stakeholders across the electricity sector to design the register, agree on the data and how it will be collected.
From 1 December 2019, network service providers (NSPs) are expected to provide mandated information on every small generating or battery system within 20 days of the system commissioning or activation, which will feed into AEMO's DER Register.
The register, with comprehensive DER data, will enable AEMO and networks to:
- Forecast, plan and operate the grid more efficiently, ensuring the system and market can deliver energy at an efficient price for all customers
- Be more prepared for major disruptions to the system, with a greater understanding of how DER assets will behave during these events
- Prepare the grid for major innovations with DER such as virtual power plants, and enabling customers to consider and participate in new markets with their DER
- Allow networks to make better informed decisions about network investment options in the future as demand changes and DER increases
The new system and approach represent a change to the way small-scale solar, batteries and other forms of DER are deployed in Australia, but the benefits are set to be large for all Australians.
To read more about the logistics of integrating distributed energy resources (DER) download the report by Violette Mouchaileh, Executive General Manager, Emerging Markets and Services at AEMO here.
