Mapping utility opportunities for energy efficiency and demand management

Panel: 1. Foundations of future energy policy

This is a peer-reviewed paper.

Author:
Chris Dunstan, RACE for 2030 CRC, Australia

Abstract

The electricity sector is changing quickly and new tools are required to manage this transition. The rapid rise of rooftop solar, local genaration, energy efficient equipent and, soon, battery storage and electric vehicles means managing networks is becoming both more challenging and more collaborative. Electricity utilities and network businesses should be supported to procure a least cost mix of energy efficiency, demand management and generation and storage solutions. However, this requires accessible, reliable, detailed information about where and when these resources should be deployed.

The absence of data about network constraints, costs and potentially avoidable investment has been a major obstacle to energy efficiency, local generation and storage, and peak demand management in Australia. Consequently, energy efficiency and other clean energy technologies have not been optimally deployed in relation to network capacity and constraints. This has contributed to over-investment in network infrastructure and the recent doubling of electricity prices.

In Australia, we are now developing freely available, annually updated, online maps of network constraints, planned investment and potentially avoidable costs across the Australian National Electricity Market. Using a Google Earth GIS platform, this will provide clear, consistent and timely information on network opportunities and constraints to energy efficiency and demand management (DM) project proponents. The network opportunity maps will help energy efficiency and demand management project developers to anticipate future network constraints, reduce the need for new grid infrastructure and lower electricity bills. These maps should enable faster development of energy efficiency and demand management by showing precisely where and when they can be most cost effective.

The three-year Network Opportunity Mapping project will provide a key resource for collaboration between networks, customer and energy efficiency and demand management service providers. It should lower electricity costs, improve energy services and develop new markets for networks and energy efficiency.