Energy networks delivering clever solutions to integrate renewables into the energy grid are at the top of the field in the Energy Networks Australia awards program this year.

Energy Networks Australia (ENA) has announced the shortlisted finalists for the 2021 Industry Innovation Awards. These are Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG), Ergon Energy, Horizon Power and Western Power.

ENA Chief Executive Officer Andrew Dillon said the contenders for this year’s awards had a strong emphasis on integrating distributed energy resources and renewable gas into electricity and gas networks, delivering a smarter, cleaner energy grid.

“Networks are evolving at a rapid pace to help deliver a net zero future that also gives customers far greater control over how they use and consume energy,” he said.

“The future is already here, as we begin to see projects that were trials and pilot programs five years ago become business as usual.”

Mr Dillon congratulated all nominees on a high standard of entries and thanked the judging panel of external experts for their hard work.

All submissions will be published in a report later in the year with the winners announced in October.

2021 INDUSTRY INNOVATION AWARD SHORTLIST

AGIG (SA) – Hydrogen Park SA

HyP SA is delivering a 5 per cent renewable hydrogen blend to more than 700 homes in Adelaide. As Australia’s largest renewable hydrogen project and the first to blend hydrogen with natural gas for supply to customers using the existing gas network, HyP SA is key enabler of Gas Vision 2050.

Customers told AGIG they expect gas infrastructure to play a role in the decarbonised future. AGIG is targeting 10 per cent renewable gas in their networks by 2030.

EQL Ergon (QLD) – Maximising Distributed Energy Resources using State Estimation

This ground-breaking work is an Australian-first implementation to further understand how the network is performing in real-time and how networks can maximise opportunities for distributed energy resources (DER), particularly exports from enabled PV systems, without risking network safety or performance.

Horizon Power (WA)– Carnarvon DER trials

Horizon Power conducted a series of DER technology trials to test the technical and economic viability of a high penetration DER business future for towns across regional Australia.

The project installed a variety of DER technologies and the project used collected data and customer interaction with the technology to inform new retail models that will enable and incentivise customers to participate in the provision of energy services to the grid.

Western Power (WA) – Flexibility Services Pilot

The Flexibility Services Pilot was the first project of its kind in WA, arguably in the world, and a key component of Western Power’s drive to create a more sustainable, reliable and innovative network for the future by enabling customer assets.

Western Power recognised the need for better management of a two-way power flow on the network and worked with WA businesses to determine the best way to productively manage their energy in a way suited to both their needs and operations, and the needs of the network.