Page 1272 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 11 April 2018
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spoke about it extensively earlier. That trial is currently being run by Reposit Power and Evoenergy, further demonstrating how the program is stimulating innovation in the local renewable energy industry. This is not one that the government set out to achieve at the start, but we have created the ecosystem in which these sorts of opportunities emerge.
That is typical of the sorts of things that happen here in Canberra. The renewable energy hub over on Moore Street, just north of Barry Drive, is designed to exactly achieve these sorts of things: to bring companies, innovators, entrepreneurs, individuals, research institutions and the like together to identify new opportunities because of the work we have already unleashed here in the ACT. This is a great example of that.
The trial is demonstrating the benefit of local company Reposit’s software system, which can coordinate the operation of many rooftop solar generators and battery storage systems, providing a combined output of about 1,000 kilowatts of electricity capacity. This is an exciting development for the future of the grid in Australia. More than 400 Canberra households and businesses are taking part in the trial. It has the potential to help manage peak electricity demand, improve grid security, and potentially avoid excessive investment in electricity poles and wires infrastructure.
This goes to the heart of some of the very issues facing our energy systems here in Australia. Peak demand is one of our biggest problems. For all the debate and all the claims that are being made in the energy space, it is actually peak demand that is the most significant issue. That is the point which is both pushing up electricity costs and stressing the grid here in Australia. Grid security is important. Investment in the grid is very expensive. One of the biggest drivers of the increase in household energy bills over the past decade has been the investment in the grid, and the poles and wires, to cope with the needs of the electricity network. These sorts of systems have the potential to really avoid those costs.
It is important to note that while the virtual power plant has been facilitated and enabled by the smart battery requirements of the government’s next gen battery storage program, the government does not have an active role in the trial. As a product of clever policy and program design, as I said earlier, the government has created an environment conducive to innovation and the demonstration of new products and services. The product of this approach has seen these two industry participants voluntarily decide to collaborate and offer financial incentives to households to participate.
The ACT government is supportive of the trial, but it is important to be clear that we would be equally supportive of other businesses and energy service providers entering the ACT market to offer new opportunities to local households and businesses. The government needs to both encourage players who are already in the game, particularly our local providers like Reposit, and also remain open to further innovation, to further ideas, and to welcoming people who want to come to Canberra or who want to grow their business within the ACT to have opportunities in this space as well.
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