The Australian Energy Market Commission has warned that Australia’s ageing electricity grid risks being overwhelmed by solar panels unless the government and companies take urgent action.
Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering President, Professor Hugh Bradlow, is available to comment.
He proposes three steps to improve the stability of the grid:
- Interconnections based on High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission systems and innovative low-cost transmission structures
- Smart distribution networks and systems that aggregate and coordinate distributed energy resources to supply grid support services such as demand response
- Large-scale energy storage, including pumped hydro energy storage (best suited for bulk energy storage) and grid-scale batteries (best suited for fast response applications)
The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering is an independent thinktank that helps Australians understand and use technology to solve complex problems. atse.org.au