Collaboration on Energy and Environmental Markets - CEEM

22/08/2022

**Job Opportunity with CEEM**

CEEM is recruiting energy systems analysts and modellers to work new projects in the energy transition and DER spaces.

Applications closing 4th September.

To find out more and apply, visit:

Join the interdisciplinary research team working to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the Australian National Electricity Market, and beyond. Contribute to projects aligned with your skills and interests.

08/08/2021

CEEM has two research associate openings available to come and work on DER integration and power system security. This is a great opportunity to develop your research skills, contribute to research papers as well as collaborate with project partners Solar Analytics and AEMO.

For more information of the positions or to apply please visit -https://bit.ly/3jrsyBp

06/08/2021

A new paper from CEEM’s Sophie Adams and Declan Kuch examines how the concept of a ‘social licence to automate’ influences participation in electricity demand side management (DSM) programs. DSM programs involve managing or controlling household energy resources such as EVs, batteries, and heating and cooling devices. As the participation of energy users is paramount to the success of these programs, a ‘social licence’ is explored as a way of informing policy-makers and researchers of public concerns surrounding DSM. This is achieved by analysing the synergies between flexibility and social habits, considering users’ sense of control and trust in the program providers, and emphasising the collective benefit of an individual’s participation in a DSM program. Understanding these concerns is crucial to equip DSM programs with the tools to effectively manage participation and ensure user’s feel a sense of contribution to energy systems.

Read the full paper here: https://bit.ly/3C4HRIA

24/07/2021

Domestic electric water heating (DEWH) systems are widely deployed and have one of the highest peak power draws and overall energy consumption of household appliances. Coupling these systems with DEWH storage tanks offers large thermal energy storage capacity which can be used to shift demand. With increasing levels of distributed PV pe*******on, they provide opportunities to control the storage of excess generation that would otherwise be exported to the grid.

This paper by Baran Yildiz, Mike Roberts, Jose Bilbao, Simon Heslop, Anna Bruce, Jonathon Dore, Iain MacGill, Renate Egan and Alistair Sproul, develops a novel domestic electric water heating control algorithm called Intelligent Water Heating Control (IWHC) which utilises excess distributed PV generation for water heating. The performance has been compared to two commercially available control tools, timers and diverters, using field validated models, to compute energy and financial savings.

For more details, the paper is available here - https://bit.ly/3y0ZLcW

16/04/2021

Invitation to Participate in Research - Energy System Modelling Software Choice Study [HC210169]

Researchers at CEEM are conducting a project aiming to investigate the use and development of energy systems modelling software, as relevant to the context of the Australian National Electricity Market ( ), in order to better inform the development of open-source energy system modelling tools. Of particular interest to this study are the factors influencing how end-users choose energy system modelling software and how developers perceive the factors influencing these decisions. The study adopts a broad definition of energy system modelling, which includes modelling of any system or sub-system including physical, market or financial components.

The is looking to recruit people who meet the following criteria:

- 18 years of age or older
- In the last 12 months have worked on studying/modelling the Australia National Electricity Market using energy system modelling software

If you are interested in taking part, full details of the study, contact information and consent form are available here -

https://bit.ly/2PXgKw2

01/04/2021

We are very excited to share that the Australian Renewable Energy Agency has funded a new three year project being led by CEEM in collaboration with Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and Solar Analytics. The project aims to improve our understanding of Distributed Energy Resources in the field and how we can support power system security into the future.

Thank you to ARENA and the project team including Naomi Stringer, Anna Bruce, Iain MacGill, Jonathon Dore and Jenny Riesz. We are thrilled to continue working together!

For more detail about the project, check out the CEEM and ARENA project pages:

CEEM - http://www.ceem.unsw.edu.au/project-match

ARENA - https://arena.gov.au/projects/project-match/

24/01/2021

What would be your biggest concern with integrating a Energy Management System (SHEMS) into your home? Would you be willing to give partial control of your system to energy companies to manage load and PV export for community benefit?

In this paper, Mike Roberts draws findings from surveys of Solar Analytics customers and other energy users to explore some of the common concerns surrounding SHEMS uptake. Issues raised range from cost to to distrust of energy companies.

Survey results show that clear, effective and simple communication of information and potential savings is important to users, particularly in encouraging for multiple occupants in a household, where some members may be less engaged.

To overcome consumer concern of handing over control, the report highlights the importance of from providers surrounding the distribution of benefits, and a guarantee of fair for the benefit their system provides to the network.

The level of interaction that households want from SHEMS is strongly influenced by whether anyone is at home during the day and by personal preferences towards .

The report is available here on CEEM’s website - https://bit.ly/2NtQRCd

11/01/2021

One small up-side of the awful pandemic has been the temporary reduction in . In an article released at the end of 2020, CEEM’s Mark Diesendorf explores the strategies and policies required to support without returning to our old higher emission levels.

Check out the article here-

Green growth, based on technological change, is necessary but not sufficient for effective, timely, climate mitigation. It must be supplemented by reducing the material consumption of the rich countries. In developing strategies for the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, … Continue read...

14/12/2020

Virtual Power Plants ( ) could play an important role in the clean if the business model is designed with and battery owners at the centre.

In this article, Mike Roberts discusses his own journey as a consumer – from relying on grid energy, to installing to… what next?

Co-authored by Sophie Adams and Declan Kuch from userstcp (https://bit.ly/3esbIiU) and Jonathon Dore from Solar Analytics, this article unpacks some of the common concerns and that need to be overcome so that – particularly those already with solar - will engage and participate in VPPs.

Check it out here - https://bit.ly/2IJCDLt

02/12/2020

Residential Virtual Power Plants ( ) are emerging as a promising new to manage peak demand, control frequency and manage network augmentation costs. However, they require electricity users to configure new & existing appliances for orchestration by a third party operator.

This report by Mike Roberts, Sophie Adams and Declan Kuch delivers findings from 10 interviews with homeowners and focus groups with a total of 37 electricity customers with & without solar PV to explore attitudes towards VPP participation. Findings show are ambivalent about the prospect of taking part in a VPP.

This report unpacks four key themes that contribute to these responses:
(1) the U-turn in energy user's journey, moving from solar to VPP participant
(2) the multiple dimensions of needed
(3) diverse user needs for configuration of control and
(4) ambivalence about participating in another

Interviews in this report were carried out as part of the Consumer-led Distributed Energy Study (VPP) project.
Thank you to Solar Analytics for leading the study and NSW Department of Planning and Environment for funding the project.

The full report is available here -

PDF | Residential Virtual Power Plants (VPP) are emerging as a promising new technology to manage peak demand, control frequency and manage network... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate

01/12/2020

CEEM's recent article unpacks some of the concerns for power system operation as a result of the growing deployment of utility-scale photovoltaic ( ) in electricity industries.

Due to the highly variable and somewhat unpredictable characteristics of short-term PV output, system operators face challenges in balancing electricity supply and demand, which increases the need for short-term frequency management. This article focuses on uncertainty around targets of utility-scale PV plants to assess implications for frequency regulation. 4-second output data from PV plants and all other generators operating in the Australian National Electricity Market ( ) is analysed to assess the deviation from their forecast dispatch targets. The article also investigates the controllability of the operating PV plants in responding to dispatch instructions from the market operator.

The full paper and findings are available here - https://bit.ly/3oaKj8D

25/11/2020

// 1st-4th December - Energy Resilience Workshop Series //

Resilience in an energy system can be defined as its ability to resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform and recover from shocks and stresses. Energy resilience in the region is shaped by dynamics relating to , transitions, and recent disasters, such as coastal flooding, volcanic eruptions, cyclones and COVID-19.

Starting December 1st, UNSW, The University of the South Pacific, The University Of Papua New Guinea and Loughborough University with partners ITP Renewables, GSES Global Sustainable Energy Solutions and CSIRO will run a 4-day interactive workshop series on energy resilience focusing on the experience of Pacific Island Countries, as well as exchange experiences with other regions.

More info and ticket registration are available here:

Resilience in an energy system can be defined as its ability to resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform and recover from shocks and stresses. Energy resilience in the Asia-Pacific region is shaped by dynamics relating to energy security, transitions, reliability and recent disasters, such a...