INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Green Technology
Schneider Electric works
with Western Power on
flexible energy approach
Schneider Electric and
Western Power have
combined forces to
launch a pilot scheme to
enable Western Australia
(WA) businesses to
manage their distributed
energy resources.
Schneider Electric has joined
forces with Western Power
in a pilot project designed
to enable Western Australia (WA)
businesses through energy retailers
to manage their distributed energy
resources (DER) for compensation
while also providing support for the network.
The pilot is part of Western Power’s drive to
a brighter, stronger energy future through
transforming the network by using emerging
technologies and integrating customer
owned energy resources.
Delivered through a flexibility services
program, the pilot will see WA businesses
through energy retailers managing their
DER, such as solar PV, batteries and
manageable loads like heating and cooling
systems, in return for compensation by
Western Power. Schneider will provide the
technology for the project, which is one
of the first steps Western Power is taking
towards building capability to deliver on the
WA Government’s DER Roadmap.
The roadmap is part of the State’s Energy
Transformation Strategy, which outlines
actions that need to be taken over the
next five years to enable the full potential,
benefits and value of small-scale devices
including rooftop solar panels, batteries and
electric vehicles.
Schneider will provide Western Power
with a platform to manage flexibility
services, which will include features such
as participant portfolio management,
user interfaces for program partners and
transaction management.
Schneider Electric’s Zone President Pacific
Gareth O’Reilly said the company was
pleased to provide a world leading platform
for the business’s grid flexibility project.
“Our remote energy management systems
will provide increased levels of visibility
allowing commercial and industrial program
participants to balance their use from the
grid and their own energy resources, such as
PV and Storage,” he said.
“We’re excited about this innovative
approach and supporting Western Power in a
project that will facilitate greater adoption of
distributed energy resources in WA.”
Western Power CEO Ed Kalajzic said
WA’s energy landscape was rapidly
changing and Western Power was at the
forefront of delivering a more
flexible, smarter and lower carbon
energy future for West Australians.
“By connecting renewable energy
sources such as solar and wind
and using smart technology, we’ve
begun to progressively transform
our network into a flexible grid that
seamlessly connects batteries and
microgrids,” he said.
“Currently, rooftop solar PV across
our network has the potential to
contribute to 45% of our system
needs at certain times of the day –
one of the highest percentages in
the world.
“With households and businesses now not
only consuming energy from the network
but also supplying energy we’ve begun
to transform the grid to ensure it’s more
sustainable, adaptive and responsive for
the future.
“This project aims to demonstrate how both
our customers and the network can realize
value by using customer owned distributed
energy resources in balance with traditional
network solutions.
“With support from Schneider Electric, our
teams are working at the forefront of energy
transformation and believe these advances
will become a relevant benchmark for other
distribution networks globally.”
Western Power’s pilot aims to demonstrate
that by providing flexibility services to pilot
participants, commercial and industrial
costs will reduce helping address voltage
issues while enabling grid flexibility and
greater renewable penetration into the
energy system. •
www.intelligentcio.com INTELLIGENTCIO 69