New report shows consumer energy resources key for lower power bills for all and grid must adapt as renewables grow
New analysis shows national consistency in rooftop solar connection processes, better returns for household-generated energy fed back into the grid and greater data transparency from the larger-scale energy network providers are vital for supporting the growth of rooftop solar and home batteries in Australia.
The Accelerating Consumer Energy in Australia report, commissioned by Solar Citizens and conducted by Nexa Advisory, found harnessing the power of consumer energy resources (CER) will provide immediate cost-of-living relief for households, reduce electricity prices across the energy network and accelerate reducing carbon pollution.
Some of the key recommendations of the Accelerating Consumer Energy in Australia report, commissioned by Solar Citizens and conducted by Nexa Advisory, include calling on Federal and state energy ministers to:
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Clearly define the roles and responsibilities related to CER of all industry bodies (including the AEMC, AEMO, AER and the Clean Energy Regulator);
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Task Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and the AEMC with addressing bias towards building more poles and wires in the regulatory framework for electricity networks. The framework should instead incentivise DNSPs to explore non-network solutions in the place of building more network infrastructure;
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Direct the AER to establish open access to network data by the end of 2024 by making it a regulated requirement for all network service providers.
Nexa Advisory CEO and report author Stephanie Bashir said, “Australia’s clean energy transition has stalled. We are struggling to build new large renewable generation and batteries and the new transmission to connect that clean generation to customers. The solution is to give the “power to the people”.
"Consumer energy resources are Australia’s secret weapon in transition. Australians love rooftop solar. They love the cost of living impact, they love the climate impact, and they love the control over their electricity bills and supply.
"To fully unleash that power we need to update Australia’s energy system - it was designed for one-way energy flows from centralised power stations to rooftops and homes across the country. The clean energy future means it must effectively handle two-way energy flows. Governments need to lead the updating of system specifications and regulations so consumer energy resources can be effectively integrated, and Australians are incentivised to invest."
Solar Citizens acting CEO or National Consumer Advocate Campaigner (pending date) Joel Pringle said, “Millions of Australians have invested so far in household rooftop solar and batteries that not only delivers cheaper, cleaner energy for them, but lowers costs for everyone who purchases electricity from the grid.
“Now it’s time for government to step up on consumer energy resources.
“If we get it right, electric vehicles (EVs) can act like ‘batteries on wheels’, with potential to soak up large quantities of solar power when we have excess during the day, whilst providing grid stabilising services. The transition of the grid is underway, but the regulatory frameworks are playing catch-up instead of leading the way.
“The national energy market wasn’t set up to cope well with the move away from large, polluting fossil-fuel generated power to clean energy generated on rooftops in every postcode across the country, with local battery or EV storage.
“Solar Citizens is calling on the Federal Government to invest more in consumer energy resources in its upcoming budget, including investing in the modernising of our energy system governance organisations to better respond to the rise of energy systems that begin and end in the home.
“Without a consumer energy resources advocate with a seat at the table, Australia risks wasting billions of dollars in potential energy bill savings from the solar potential of our houses and apartments,” he said.
Full Accelerating Consumer Energy in Australia report available here
