Teaming up trans-Tasman for energy orchestration
As the world continues to transition to more renewable energy sources, knowledge sharing and collaboration between leaders in the energy sector is an important way to accelerate the transformation. Counties Energy is pleased to partner with SA Power Networks in Australia to jointly develop new network orchestration techniques.
Distributed energy on the rise
Renewable, privately owned energy sources are growing in popularity around the world. These distributed energy resources (DERs), like solar panels, EVs, batteries, and hot water cylinders, are decentralised, community-generated forms of energy, moving multi-directionally and transforming the way we generate, store, and use energy.
For many individuals and businesses, DERs offer a means to keep power bills down, help them become more self-sufficient in their energy use, and move away from non-renewable, fossil-fuel energy sources.
To facilitate the integration of DERs, Counties Energy is developing new capabilities and services for its customers as a Distribution System Operator (DSO). As a DSO, Counties Energy will act like a conductor of an orchestra, coordinating these multi-directional energy flows on our network that is greener and more resilient to outages and peak load demands. Essentially, DSO capabilities will allow Counties Energy to better use smart meter insights, real-time network usage and generation data to better support customers and their changing energy needs.
Accelerating the energy future through aggregation
Currently, one of the main forms of DERs in New Zealand is EVs.
EECA has stated that by the end of 2023, there were over 100,000 battery electric and plug-in hybrid cars registered on New Zealand roads, which was a 57% increase on 2022. In 2023, more than one in four cars purchased were either battery electric or plug in hybrid[1].
Transport emissions make up around 17% of New Zealand’s total emissions, with 99% of our transport energy coming from non-renewable fossil fuels. It’s clear that transitioning to electric vehicles is a crucial part of meeting our country’s net carbon zero goals by 2050.[2]
While EVs are an important step on New Zealand’s decarbonisation journey, once coupled with other decarbonisation (electrification) initiatives, this pace of growth has the potential to place significant pressure on our existing electricity infrastructure. If left unmanaged, EV charging could make electricity congestion worse, especially at peak times when the grid is under the most pressure.
Nationally, work has been proceeding at pace to support the integration of EVs, with charging networks popping up in public spaces, and at homes and businesses. Counties Energy has developed OpenLoop, an open EV charging platform and app offering a seamless recharging experience across various charging locations nationwide.
OpenLoop is an important part of the DER picture, bringing together access to multiple EV chargers through a single source. The data it provides will allow us to focus on developing capabilities that unlock flexibility services from other DER aggregators. This capability will allow us to optimise our future network investments, support the country’s decarbonisation objectives, and become more customer centric.
It’s cutting-edge innovation, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by our friends across the Tasman.
Similar, but different
In sunny Australia, solar is fast emerging as one of the most popular DERs.
In 2023, 35% of Australia’s total electricity generation was from renewable energy sources, with solar making up the highest share at 16%, (followed by wind at 12% and hydro at 6%)[3]. Solar is the fastest growing generation type in Australia, with large scale solar farms on the rise.
However, like New Zealand, Australia’s energy sector has had to evolve to support the introduction of solar energy and other DERs.
SA Power Networks, using DSO capabilities like Counties Energy, has established a new way to do this, by gaining better visibility over solar panel inverters. Through the international communication protocol IEEE 2030.5, they have been able to seamlessly integrate these inverters into their system, providing better visibility and control for themselves and customers alike. The protocol brings significant value to grid operators like SAPN and Counties Energy by helping them to connect to and leverage the growth of DERs.
OpenLoop will be used as an EV charging aggregator to validate the operating model for SA Power Networks and Counties Energy. We hope that the collaboration will help deliver a secure energy supply and avoid the need for costly investment in infrastructure.
It’s clear that our reimagined energy future must be resilient, reliable and renewable. As New Zealand continues its shift to clean energy and electrifying our roads, Counties Energy is proud to collaborate with other leaders in this space to deliver an energy future that works for everyone.
[1] https://www.eeca.govt.nz/insights/eeca-insights/plugging-into-the-future-how-new-zealand-is-electrifying-its-roads/
[2] As above
[3] https://www.energy.gov.au/energy-data/australian-energy-statistics/renewables#:~:text=In%202023%2C%2035%25%20of%20Australia’s,earlier%202022%2D23%20financial%20year.