ANU helping build cheaper and greener electricity networks

Through the Bruny Island trial we have demonstrated how the NAC approach can solve wider grid problems, in particular those that can arise through the mass deployment of renewables and battery storage. New smart electricity technology developed at The Australian National University (ANU) has passed a major trial in Tasmania and has proven it can now help manage the supply of renewable energy and battery storage from households to the grid. The Network Aware Coordination (NAC) technology has been successfully trialled across 40 homes on Tasmania's Bruny Island, proving the system could be used Australia wide to both improve electricity security and to drive down energy prices. NAC lead developer Dr Paul Scott said the NAC allowed household solar systems and household battery storage to work seamlessly with the electricity networks to help manage electricity supplies at times of peak demand. "Our trial shows we can successfully get more solar and storage into homes, make the grid more efficient, and at the same time strengthen the reliability of the electricity grid," said Dr Scott, from the ANU Research School of Computer Science. "It will also help bring energy prices down for consumers, particularly as more and more homes across Australia install solar energy and energy storage systems." The NAC technology makes it easier to coordinate when renewable energy should be injected into the grid and when it should remain stored in household batteries. The NAC ensures household energy data is kept private while helping negotiate the best price for the power when it is fed into the electricity grid.