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Comment by Sophie Vorrath on July 13, 2021

Melbourne-based distributed energy management pioneer GreenSync has joined forces with the world’s leading inverter manufacturer Fronius to create “future-oriented” Australian solar homes, ensuring they can meet changing grid requirements and gain new benefits from retailers, and Technical plants such as virtual energy.

GreenSync is working with Fronius to launch its cutting-edge deX software through inverters from Australia's largest supplier of residential solar energy, enabling solar households to "seamlessly" and dynamically manage their solar exports.

This feature will apply to all Fronius' current solar photovoltaic inverter series in Australia, including a large number of installed systems (according to Fronius, it can even be traced back to five years ago).

GreenSync stated that it is also committed to extending the capabilities of the Fronius hybrid inverter and battery technology series to "coming soon" into the local market.

The resulting smart inverter-without additional hardware or installation costs-will most directly meet the mandatory requirements of South Australia, that is, if required by market operators, all new solar systems can be disconnected remotely To keep the grid stable.

This controversial rule has been used once in the South African power grid, but due to the state's extensive use of distributed solar energy, hurried action was taken in September last year, which increasingly resulted in minimum demand in Japan and negative prices.

When a large number of rooftop power generation and a period of downturn in network demand occur simultaneously, negative pricing events will occur, which not only brings system security risks to AEMO, but also leads to market settlement and cost recovery problems.

As reported by One Step’s sister site RenewEconomy, rooftop solar in South Australia sometimes provides “world first” equivalent to 100% of the state’s demand (when excess wind and solar are exported to Victoria). On March 14, the state set a minimum demand level of 358 megawatts, when AEMO issued instructions to shut down a certain amount of distributed solar energy to ensure that operational demand remains above 400 megawatts.

But Bruce Thompson, GreenSync's customer principal, believes that what has been described to a large extent as the dilemma between system control and customer rights is actually a win-win opportunity, which has been opened up because South Australia has accelerated the key shift in the market, and ultimately Will benefit consumers.

"GreenSync is about synchronizing renewable energy to the grid," Thompson told One Step Off The Grid on Tuesday. "The minimum demand is the result of an amazing success story, so we just need to take the next practical step and ensure that solar energy is used effectively.

"Through the software support for [Fronius'] products, it enables customers to meet these direct requirements and also lays the foundation for these products to participate in the development of the market," he said.

In terms of the market, Thompson pointed out that every negative pricing day experienced by South Australia means that the retailer of the customer must bear the price risk on behalf of the customer if the solar energy is exported to the grid.

"If customers are willing to be part of a virtual power plant and reduce [solar] exports during that price period, then retailers can reduce their cost exposure and provide customers with better tariffs," he said.

"[Solar] electricity can still power homes, electric cars, batteries, and hot water systems. At that time, we just wouldn’t send it to the grid.... If the house’s power consumption is low [or there is no battery , Electric cars or hot water systems to absorb excess solar energy], we will only reduce the system’s power generation during that period."

Most importantly, Thompson added that the deX-Fronius system does this in a way that responds to market signals.

"The problem with current market signals is that the technology is not smart enough to react to them. This feature means that customers are actually responding to price signals," and cooperate with the market.

Hans Georg Einwagner, managing director of Fronius Australia, agrees. "I mean, this year there has been some very bad news about the'solar tax'... this has caused a lot of trouble in the market because we are no longer sure what to do with customers," he told One Step in Austria.

"By having a smart solar system, you can avoid all of this, yes, because you can control the output of the solar system when you need it; [including] if the electricity in the market decreases, you can increase the output of the solar system, and you can even make money from it. More money," he said.

"[We should] take advantage of this instead of just saying, well, we will now charge a fee for exports, or you must always keep zero exports, or whatever.

"[The message is not] You have to participate, but it is good for everything-first of all, it can realize the energy transition and truly have enough renewable energy in the electricity market. As an end user, you can even benefit... By using different pricing in the market.

In summary, Fronius is not eager to establish a partnership with GreenSync, and has been careful to ensure product security to protect customer data and systems.

"Fronius always focuses on doing things the right way," Einwagner said. "The things in your home must also be safe. So we really focus on a truly safe channel... Our main goal is to truly create something that is beneficial to all parties in the industry; not only for us , And the same for our retail partners and end customers.

"Especially [end customers], because this is actually to get the best results from their solar system in various situations, not just to have a controllable inverter...it needs to add value, and that’s Goal, basically."

Sophie is the editor of One Step Off The Grid and the associate editor of its sister site Renew Economy. For more than ten years, Sophie has been writing articles about clean energy.

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