What is the issue?
The emergence of an intelligent grid is by no means certain and mayface a range of barriers. Many of the possible barriers, advantages and disadvantages remain uncertain and require further research. Electricity industry stakeholders are well placed to identify the research needs. For our electricity network to evolve successfully to an intelligent grid, we will need to address the impacts for different stakeholders, avoiding or minimising major negative aspects and maximising the positive aspects.
Who will take part?
In the context of the intelligent grid, stakeholder groups identified so far include:
- Distribution network service providers (DNSPs)
- Transmission network service providers (TNSPs)
- Other energy businesses, i.e. generators, retailers and consultants
- Large energy customers, i.e. industrial and large commercial users
- Small energy customers, i.e. small business and household users
- Government departments (with policy responsibility)
- Regulatory authorities (with compliance responsibility)
- NGOs representing any of these groups (e.g. consumer advocacy groups) or other relevant issues (e.g. environmental NGOs).
Each of these groups will have specific knowledge relevant to the emergence of an intelligent grid and may have unique concerns.
The Intelligent Grid program includes a program of engagement that seeks to bring together representatives from each of these stakeholder groups. There will be a particular emphasis on distribution network businesses, distributed energy resource providers, energy customers and government departments with policy responsibility.
All interested stakeholders will have the opportunity to attend Intelligent Grid industry workshops, held twice a year. These workshops will be held in capital cities around Australia to make it easier for a wide range of stakeholders to attend over time.
In addition, the Intelligent Grid Research Program will, over the next two years, facilitate a multi-stakeholder process on the future of the intelligent grid. This process will involve a range of electricity industry stakeholders in an ongoing deliberative forum that will explore:
- the advantages and disadvantages of the intelligent grid
- technical, institutional and cultural barriers to its emergence
- ways to facilitate its emergence in a form that will deliver the most benefit.
The deliberative process will be launched in February 2009 and will include a representative set of industry stakeholders. Stakeholders interested in participating in the deliberative process should sign up for email updates which will provide further information. The outcomes of the deliberative process will be documented in a Draft Report by the end of 2009. The report will also include an evaluation of the process itself.
Upcoming Industry Forum
As an integral element of our research we are holding a series of Industry Forums with stakeholders
around the country.
I invite you to attend the upcoming Industry Forum 'Intelligent Grid: Towards an Australian Distributed Energy Roadmap' to be held in Perth on 11th March 2010.
Brochure
To promote the transition toward more sustainable energy, this forum will explore the benefits, costs, barriers and the enabling factors associated with the advancement of low emission distributed energy technologies. More details will features on the website soon or to be on our mailing list please contact:
Louise.Boronyak@uts.edu.au
Intelligent Grid Launch
On 19 August 2008, the Commonwealth Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr offically launched the Intelligent Grid program at the University of Technology, Sydney.
The igrid Industry Forum was attend by over 100 representatives of electricity network businesses, energy efficiency, demand management, distributed generation and metering companies, regulators and government, research institutions, consultancies and consumer and environmental NGOs. Keynote addresses were provided by Ms Nancy Ryan, President’s Chief of Staff of the Californian Public Utilities Commission and Prof Ho Hiang Kwee Director of the Singapore Government’s A*STAR SINERGY Research Centre.
The Sydney forum continued the engagement process that commenced in Brisbane in December 2007. The on-going exchange involves the energy supply industry and other key stakeholders to debate the future role of more intelligent distributed energy options for Australia. The purpose of this Sydney forum was to identify key personnel within the target organisations, raise awareness of the project and engage more New South Wales based stakeholders.
With 80% of Australia’s energy comes from coal-based power, a major contributor to climate change. The Director of the Institute for Sustainable Futures at UTS and iGrid Cluster Leader, Prof. Stuart White stated that “combating greenhouse gas emissions requires greener, more efficient energy sources like solar power or fuel cells. We also need to make the network smarter, to actively manage the way people use power for the benefit of all.”
Past conferences include:
- Adelaide at the University of South Australia on the 5th December 2008.The forum was sponsored by The South Australian Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure and the Land Management Corporation. Please visit the Resources and Publications section to view the program and the presentations made on the day.
- Brisbane at Customs House on the 7th April 2009. The forum was sponsored by Ergon Energy and Energex Ltd.
- Melbourne at the Hotel Windsor on the 14th July 2009
- Sydney at the Museum of Contemporary Art on the 11 November 2009
- Up-coming Forum to be held in Perth and Brisbane stay tuned for more information
