Distributed Energy Resources – Industry resources

Distributed Energy Resources (DER) are the smaller-scale devices which use, generate or store electricity, including household energy assets such as rooftop solar, batteries, electric vehicle chargers and appliances (such as pool pumps or hot water systems). 

In 2020, the State Government’s DER Roadmap outlined the role of these assets, highlighting the need for these to communicate and interact with our energy system. This is known as ‘DER interoperability’ and is designed to benefit electricity consumers, support the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) and facilitate the renewable energy transition to sustainable energy generation across WA. 

At Synergy, we play an integral role in supporting energy system reliability while supporting the continued uptake of DER. The DER Roadmap outlined critical actions that need to be taken to help realise a renewable energy future. For Synergy, the WA Government and other industry partners, this began with a range of DER pilots, such as Project Symphony where hundreds of DER such as rooftop solar, batteries, air conditioners and hot water systems were coordinated as a virtual power plant to optimise the supply and demand in real-time. Our initial pilots and trials involved extensive research and stringent testing , which has culminated in the knowledge, expertise and experience required for this next phase. 

Now our focus is on building these capabilities at scale so we can seamlessly integrate customer DER into the SWIS. It’s an exciting time for energy in WA – and as an industry participant and electricity consumer, you’re connected to it.