Australia has allocated $451k to improve distributed energy in low voltage areas

Australia has allocated $451k to improve distributed energy in low voltage area: The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced AUD$451,167 (£239,243) in funding for a demonstration project to increase the usage of household solar power and batteries in low voltage locations.

The project will see eleXsys Energy showcase its innovative technology, which works by dynamically delivering or absorbing reactive power to regulate voltage on low voltage power lines.

eleXsys can better utilise distributed energy resources (DER), such as solar and battery storage, by keeping voltage within typical operating bands and avoiding costly grid improvements.

The AUD$1.92 million (£1 million) trial will be carried out in collaboration with local distribution network service provider (DNSP) Energy Queensland, who will test eleXsys at its Real Time Digital Simulator facility in Cairns to demonstrate how the technology performs across a broader range of network types.

“ARENA’s support and that of Energy Queensland are critical to demonstrating applications of eleXsys in the residential DER market and how existing distribution grids can be supported to host much more exported solar energy than is typically the case in Australia today.” Said Dr Bevan Holcombe, eleXsys Energy CEO

The business will install five of its devices, with three being directly connected to Energy Queensland’s network, one tried behind the metre on a customer’s home and the other utilised for testing at the Real Time Digital Simulator facility.

“To help increase the amount of distributed energy we can have on Australia’s energy network, it’s vital that ARENA supports these new technologies such as the eleXsys which not only help to connect more home solar and batteries but also helps to avoid expensive network augmentation works to support increased demand.” Added ARENA CEO Darren Miller

“ARENA is excited to be supporting eleXsys Energy’s trial of the eleXsys device. After a successful trial in south east Queensland, we could see the technology installed across the grid to save costs for users while also enabling more distributed renewals to be connected to the grid.”

Australia has allocated $451k to improve distributed energy in low voltage area: