Improving the generation of new renewable energy on the grid

Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) assures $337,000 in financing for GridWise Energy Solutions (GridWise) of the “Dynamic Model Validation” project.

The $800,000 The project will create a unified online assessment platform (DMV tool) through which project developers will be able to independently verify their renewable energy generator models before submitting them to network service providers (NSPs) and Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).

GridWise will develop the software in collaboration with Coleman Laboratoriesand transmission networks AusNet and Transgrid to streamline the application process, enabling new generations of renewable energy such as solar and wind to come online.

The standardized self-assessment will help speed up the due diligence process carried out by NSP and AEMO when submitting connection applications, and will also aim to reduce the additional work associated with model validation, freeing engineers to focus on more complex tasks.

NSP and AEMO are currently carrying out a large number of checks on generator models to ensure their quality is sufficient to advance power system modeling. Inspections are resource-intensive and due diligence is often duplicated by multiple parties, delaying the process.

The DMV tool will be updated regularly to reflect any changes in the assessment approach agreed upon by stakeholders.

President of ARENA Darren Miller said the DMV tool could be another asset in helping Australia to accelerate the transition to renewable energy.

“We are in a critical decade for Australia’s energy transition and we know the country’s electricity market needs to add significantly more renewable energy as quickly as possible.”

“GridWise’s DMV tool can help streamline the grid connection process, reducing rework and avoiding duplication of processes. We need to make it easier for grid service providers to add solar and wind power to the grid without compromising performance standards.”

“We are excited about the results of this test and will work with GridWise on the next steps of its implementation.”

The DMV tool is currently in a trial phase, with the project expected to be completed in March 2025.

Transgrid General Manager Grid Mary of Jordan said: “NSW is currently implementing one of the most ambitious and fastest clean energy transitions in the world, and Transgrid is committed to delivering cleaner, cheaper energy to consumers sooner, while helping to meet Australia’s emissions reduction targets.”

“We welcome opportunities and initiatives to streamline the connection process to bring more renewable energy into the grid, while ensuring that the system maintains security, reliability and functionality.”

“The proposed DMV tool enables self-validation of renewable project models, thereby improving the quality of notifications in the connection process. We look forward to working with ARENA and GridWise as they develop and implement this project.