Guiding the transition to 100% renewable energy
How modelling, analysis and integration of renewable energy and distributed energy resources today is informing the clean energy transition of tomorrow.
Published on the 22 August 2024
Associate Professor Anna Bruce, Professor Iain MacGill, Dr Naomi Stringer and their team’s collaborative project provides insights on how rooftop solar can support the broader electricity network. PHOTO: UNSW
The transition to clean energy is one of the most pressing areas of engineering, science and technology facing humankind. Associate Professor Anna Bruce, of UNSW's School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering and the Collaboration on Energy and Environmental Markets (CEEM), is at the forefront of this transition. Her research focuses on modelling and integrating renewable and distributed energy resources, so that A/Prof. Bruce and her team can better support stakeholders within national electricity markets and similar industries globally.
Their interdisciplinary approach considers the technical aspects of integrating large-scale renewables alongside distributed energy resources like rooftop solar, batteries, and smart loads – to better understand how these components work together and how other energy sectors can join the electricity energy in becoming 100% renewable.
Empowering consumers with SunSPOT
Over the past decade, A/Prof. Bruce, along with Dr Mike Roberts and the team have been developing SunSPOT – a free online tool which helps Australian households, businesses, and councils make more informed solar and battery choices.
SunSPOT is funded by the Australian Federal Government and uses geographical information systems data to model the tilt orientation of rooftops and shading from surrounding objects. It provides accurate estimates of solar output, so that consumers can make better decisions about how much solar they might consume, how much they’d export to the grid, and how a battery might help to increase use of that solar on site. “It also helps them work out all the bills under different tariffs to understand the implications of different options in terms of getting solar and batteries," says A/Prof. Bruce.
Enhancing energy resilience with Project MATCH
Along with SUNSPOT, the CEEM team, led by Naomi Stringer, is working on Project MATCH to understand the behavior of distributed energy resources during system disturbances. This project, which includes industry partners like the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and Solar Analytics, aims to develop tools which automate data analysis and inform future energy scenarios. The project is already aiding AEMO in creating internal tools that better understand how distributed solar behaves during extreme events.
Bringing the renewable transition to Pacific Island nations
CEEM's efforts extend to the Pacific Islands, where they collaborate with local leaders to transition to renewable energy, reduce emissions, and build planning capabilities. These regions face unique challenges due to their small, remote, and marine-based grids, compounded by limited electricity access. "There are lots of people that still don’t have access to electricity of adequate quantity and reliability," adds A/Prof. Bruce. The team's work involves providing tools and capacity-building initiatives to help these countries undertake effective planning and assess proposals from businesses wanting to develop projects.
Although transitioning from centralized fossil fuel systems to weather-dependent renewable energy generators poses numerous challenges, CEEM’s research – including the work of A/Prof. Bruce and her team – endeavours to understand these challenges but provide solutions that are effective, flexible and fit for a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.
A/Prof. Bruce working on the development of the SunSPOT online tool. PHOTO: UNSW
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