EECA and Counties Energy scale demand flexibility with Karaka Harbourside DSO pilot
EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) and Counties Energy have today announced the launch of a scaled pilot project in the Karaka Harbourside subdivision.
The pilot builds on earlier Distribution System Operator (DSO) trials to test and demonstrate the value of demand flexibility for residential consumers and grid resilience. It will retrofit ‘smart’ capability into existing consumer devices across more than 500 homes in the fast-growing South Auckland suburb, enabling consumers to reap the benefits from a network that uses energy more efficiently. By aggregating and shifting unused demand to where it’s needed, the project aims to avoid or defer network upgrades, contributing to deliver an overall cost-effective lines service for consumers over time, whilst facilitating the energy transition.
“This pilot is an opportunity to show how we can improve electricity affordability and security by deploying a smart, localised solution that can help avoid traditional ‘poles and wires’ infrastructure investment in the future,” said EECA Chief Executive Marcos Pelenur.
“A more flexible electricity system could save New Zealand up to $10 billion by 2050 and lower power bills by as much as 50%.”
The pilot will focus on installing smart technologies, such as thermostats for hot water cylinders, EV chargers that are responsive to grid signals, and smart inverters for solar systems, that allow households to shift energy use to off-peak times or export excess generation when it’s most valuable. Participants will be financially rewarded for making their ‘flexible’ demand available to Counties Energy, the local Electricity Distribution Business, through the DSO service.
Counties Energy Chief Executive Judy Nicholl said: “This exciting pilot will help us better understand how to optimise our existing network and facilitate greater adoption of distributed energy resources in a sustainable way. Our ultimate objective is to create ‘flex and stretch’ within the network through active energy orchestration, delivering shared value for customers while ensuring everything operates safely within the capabilities of our existing infrastructure.
“It’s a win-win for our customers and the broader energy system. It’s also a well-deserved acknowledgment of the dedicated teams across the business who collaborate on the Counties Energy network, ensuring customers have access to smart, reliable and resilient energy.”
EECA’s co-funding supports the retrofit of smart devices and will help generate valuable data about the scale and availability of flexible demand on a typical residential network. This knowledge will be used to guide future projects across Aotearoa New Zealand, empowering more households to make their existing devices ‘smart’ and save on energy bills through continued clever network development.
EECA’s demand flexibility pilots will deliver concrete evidence that the approach works for residential, commercial and industrial consumers. Success depends on collaboration across electricity distribution businesses, technology providers, industry, and government.