The Australian Energy Market Operator has confirmed that it will be seeking improved inverter standards for new rooftop solar PV systems, to help it gain more visibility over the increasing rooftop solar pie, and give it the ability to “curtail” rooftop solar output when needed.
The warnings came in the release of the long-awaited Renewable Integration Study, that lays out what’s needed to manage Australia’s rapidly changing energy grid, and help AEMO deal with up to 75 per cent instantaneous wind and solar penetration that is likely to occur before 2025.
Rooftop solar is a major part of this occasion, because it is already contributing up to 50 per cent of instanenous demand across the grid – up to 64 per cent in South Australia – and will contribute up to 85 per cent of instant demand by 2025 in that state.
The push to new inverter standards – which will provide more “connectivity”, and give AEMO more visibility, and the ability to “curtail” output when necessary _ has been well flagged, and is included in Western Australia’s ground breaking Distributed Energy Roadmap, which was done in consultation with the market operator.
In W.A., rooftop solar has already become the largest single generator on the grid, overtaking coal and gas, and causing steep “ramping” issues as rooftop solar output declines in late afternoon, just as grid demand increases.
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