Project

AusNet Services Leverages Opus One DERMS® Platform for its Distributed Energy Resources Marketplace

Customer (Utility):

AusNet Services

Status:

Active

Objective:

Project EDGE aims to optimally facilitate the aggregated customer owned DERs participating at scale in the wholesale markets and delivering local network support services. Opus One DERMS® platform enables DER markets at the edge while keeping the safety, reliability, and resilience of the grid at the forefront. This trial project is focused within the Hume Region of north-east Victoria, Australia. This marketplace will demonstrate capabilities which can then be replicated across other areas of Australia’s National Electricity Market.

Solution:

Opus One is implementing its Opus One DERMS platform, specifically the Optimization Engine (OE), Operations (DERMS) and Markets (TEMS) modules, which will be deployed in AusNet’s Azure based cloud environment to enable the aggregated DER to participate and provide efficient, secure, and coordinated wholesale and local network service exchange at the grid edge. The platform will:

  • Integrate source data systems such as customer data, weather data, network models, etc. to enable “as operated” network-based optimizations
  • Forecast load and generation for the network
  • Create dynamic operating envelopes and dynamic export limits
  • Incorporate optimization service developed by the University of Melbourne and Accenture
  • Distribute the operating envelopes and dynamic export limits (flexible exports) to the AEMO EDGE platform and utility server for processing and distribution to aggregators (Mondo) and/or customer DERs
  • Create a Local Exchange Service to facilitate the posting, procurement, and trade of real and reactive power as local DER services between AusNet and Mondo, while managing network congestion and limits
  • Provide visualizations for viewing and configuring network models, customer demand/generation forecasts, voltage forecasts, operating envelopes and dynamic export limits as well as user and access management
  • Leverage international standards (e.g. IEEE 2030.5)

Anticipated Outcomes:

The deployment of our solutions will be undertaken in three phases to demonstrate operating envelopes for grid coordinated DER operations, local service exchange (LSE) and scaled business-as-usual deployment of operating envelopes & LSE with multiple aggregators, and a market-based approach that encourages the adoption of low carbon solutions and support the transformation of the global energy sector. Looking into the detailed outcomes, it includes, but not limited to:

  • Demonstrate how DER fleets could participate in existing and future wholesale energy markets at scale.
  • Demonstrate different ways to consider distribution network limits in the wholesale dispatch process.
  • Demonstrate how to facilitate standardized, scalable and competitive trading of local network services.
  • Demonstrate how data should be exchanged efficiently and securely between interested parties to support delivery of distributed energy services such as operating envelopes or dynamic export limits.
  • Cost-benefit study to evaluate different business models that can help reduce cost for end-customers and facilitate rule changes that promote the optimal integration of DER into the electricity market.