Flexibility a key to growing renewables

By Mark Vincent, GM Strategy & Transformation, SA Power Networks

SA Power Networks has a multi-pronged approach to support the continued growth of renewable energy sources connecting to the SA electricity distribution network.

We believe that our network can play a key role in SA's transition to a decarbonised energy future. Without a network we can’t share the energy we produce, whether that is generated on the roofs of homes and businesses or from wind farms and large-scale solar or whatever source.

We want that future to become a reality.

Flexible exports – an exciting option that we think will become a standard offering across Australia - is not the only initiative being undertaken by SA Power Networks to help support this transition.

Our initial goal is to double the amount of solar connected to the SA distribution network by 2025. We see customers as partners in achieving this goal.

Double solar on our network

To encourage a shift in demand to the middle of the day, SA Power Networks has introduced a solar sponge tariff (network tariffs 25% of peak charge) and is encouraging retailers to move hot water and other demand such as pool pumps.

"Our initial goal is to double the amount of solar
connected to the SA distribution network by 2025.
We see customers as partners in achieving this goal."

We also have upgraded voltage management at 130 substations serving about 790,000 customers to allow real time management of voltages in the middle of the day (lower voltages) and during the evening peak (higher voltage required). This is a highly cost-efficient step that facilitates more exports and tackles the challenge of high voltages when we have significant exports and low demand in localised parts of the network.

Smart solutions

Flexible exports provide a smart solution to managing network capacity and solar generation in real time rather than a blunt low fixed limit in constrained areas. Effectively, flexible exports create an opportunity for greater partnering between customers and SA Power Networks as network manager, as they open up the opportunity for even more active participation of customers in our energy system.

In the longer-term, we anticipate there will be more clarity in the electricity rules for assessing investment in capacity upgrades to support solar. This is likely to be seen in network proposals to the Regulator in coming years.

Many of the initiatives now underway are highly cost effective and we believe crucial to ensuring the continued success of our energy transition. In the longer term, we look forward to the challenges and opportunities of integrating electric vehicles and facilitating the decarbonisation of transport as well as energy.

It's just one of the ways we are Empowering South Australia.

Learn more on our website’s Flexible Exports page.