Access Our Content Library for The International Microgrid Event

The classic linear electricity supply model of generation, transmission and distribution networks, and energy retailers is becoming outmoded. Traditional barriers to entry are competed away as consumers seek new and innovative technologies, ideas and business models to achieve their energy preferences and the lines between the various parts of the value chain are becoming increasingly blurred. Microgrids and smart energy systems are predicted to be the next big thing in electricity supply — allowing us to not only produce our own energy, but also share it with our neighbours. 

Ahead of the inaugural International Microgrid Event 2020 we caught up with three local microgrid and renewable energy experts from National Energy Resources Australia, ATCO Gas and the International Microgrid Association about the challenges, opportunities and future of Australian renewable energy.

The review, requested by the COAG Energy Council, looked at the law and rule changes required to allow local distribution network service providers (DNSPs) to use stand-alone power systems where it is economically efficient to do so, while maintaining appropriate consumer protections and service standards. The review also considered regulatory arrangements for SAPS that are provided by parties other than local DNSPs.

If you're interested in learning more about the policies and regulatory frameworks that will impact the growth of microgrids, you'll want to join The International Microgrid Event, and hear from Andrew Truswell, Acting Executive General Manager, Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC).

• Event Location: Optus Stadium, Perth, Western Australia
• Event Dates: 31 March - 3 April 2020

View our in-depth interview with Terry Mohn, Chairman, of the International Microgrid Association to discover the opportunities and challenges facings microgrid development in Australia. 

The interview is featured ahead of the inaugural International Microgrid Event, set to take place on the 31st March - 3 April 2020, at the Optus Stadium, Perth, Western Australia. 

With bushfire haze hanging over most of the Eastern seaboard pushing air quality to dangerous levels and storm season just around the corner, Australian energy providers face a summer of challenging weather related issues that can leave customers in the dark and lead to costly infrastructure restoration costs.

With much of modern life – everything from banking to communications, healthcare and transport reliant on energy, whether electricity, gas or otherwise, the prospect of prolonged outages becomes much more than a mere inconvenience.   

Bushfires and other extreme weather events are becoming more common. More people are moving to areas which are either close to the bush, or in coastal towns serviced by long powerlines which go through national parks and state forests. And while there is a case for short periods of pre-emptive de-energisation in extreme circumstances to prevent far worse consequences, currently only one Australian utility, SA Power Networks, has this authority. 

Green infrastructure presents a huge investment opportunity across the world, with an estimated USD100tn worth of climate/compatible infrastructure required globally by 2030 to meet Paris Agreement emissions reduction targets.

GIIO 2019 advocates increasing green investment in the real economy including green bonds and other green investment products and greater engagement between the financial sector, ASX listed corporates, the superannuation sector and governments around infrastructure and brown to green transition.

The report backs new long-term partnerships to address rising emissions, urban congestion and sustainability pressures, with energy, transport, water, waste and buildings as the priority areas

In the face of coming climate impacts GIIO supports strengthening adaptation and resilience factors in social and economic planning, infrastructure design and operation in Australia. 

The report suggests that building Australia’s green finance capabilities would also support ASX listed companies in undertaking higher levels of green investment, critical to meeting increasing institutional investor expectations of brown to green transition and progress towards low carbon and ultimately zero-carbon business models.

The 2019 GIIO report also points to Australia’s potential role as a leading green finance hub for Asia-Pacific in the 2020s and beyond. To learn more grab your copy of the report now. 

Ever wondered how much rooftop solar panel capacity could in theory be installed in Australia given the rooftop real estate available in this country? Here’s an answer.

A new report authored by the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF), the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE) at UNSW and the Australian PV Institute (APVI) puts a number on it:

179 gigawatt

That’s around twenty times more than the total capacity of all small-scale solar power systems currently installed in Australia (~8.6GW – Clean Energy Regulator, April 2019). There are also 100kW+ rooftop commercial solar systems that have popped up around the place and a bunch of non-rooftop solar farms.

To learn more about this unique opportunity grab a copy of the report now. 

In an Australian first, the CEFC and the National Farmers Federation (NFF) have collaborated to back ready-made clean energy solutions for Australian farmers, with the twin goals of increasing on-farm efficiency and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

In a practical new guide for Australia’s 85,000 farming enterprises, the CEFC and the NFF have identified 51 opportunities where farmers can reduce their energy bills by improving energy efficiency and switching to renewables.

India’s microgrid market is rapidly emerging, driven by multiple factors, including chronically unreliable main utility grids and ambitious government programs to adopt renewable energy and improve energy access – particularly for rural Indians. According to Climatescope, a country-by-country assessment of readiness for renewable energy investment, India ranks second in the list of over 100 countries.

In an effort to meet aggressive renewable energy targets and reduce energy poverty, particularly in rural areas, the India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) was established, as a PPP initiative of the Government of India, to facilitate accelerated development of smart grid technologies in the Indian power sector. 

ISGF, who works closely with policy makers, regulators, research and funding organisations, technology companies and electricity supply companies in India and overseas, assists with smart grid roadmap preparation and implementation, policy formulation, standards development, technology selection, operational support, knowledge sharing, training and capacity building.

Ahead of The International Microgrid Event 2020 we chat to Reena Suri, Executive Director at the India Smart Grid Forum, about India’s Microgrid market, and about the climate and social context in India that made the decentralisation of energy a necessity. 

To view the full interview, simply fill in your details below or alternatively, you can request a copy sent to your inbox here. 

ATCO believes Australia’s gas distribution network will play a key role in the future energy mix, bringing natural gas and new ‘clean’ gas, including hydrogen, to customers playing a central role in reducing energy costs and carbon emissions and an ideal complement to intermittent renewable energy like wind and solar. Ahead of the International Microgrid Summit 2020 we chat to Stevan Green, President of ATCO Gas Division Australia. Stevan explores the major challenges facing Australia’s renewable energy market, and delves into how ATCO is working to overcome these challenges through the ATCO Hydrogen Microgrid project, which incorporates the production, storage and use of hydrogen, as well as the commercial application of clean energy in micro-grid systems.

Learn more about the opportunities available for you to develop relationships with your key target accounts within the entire microgrid ecosystem. View the official International Microgrid  2020 Sponsorship and Exhibition Prospectus for tailored packages specific to your business needs. 

What's unique about The International Microgrid Event 2020?

• The first global microgrid platform held in Australia - to bring together practitioners and foster conversations around the future of the energy industry and the changing face of the network
• A cross-industry suite of expert speakers - from ministers, CEOs and executives from across the energy industry including San Diego Gas & Electric, USA; Western Power; ATCO Gas; Jemena; Horizon Power; AEMO; AEMC; the Department of Defence and more.
• Welcoming The Hon Bill Johnston, MLA Minister for Mines and Petroleum; Energy: Industrial Relations, Western Australian Legislative Assembly
• 2 Site Tours and 4 Workshops faciltated by ATCO Gas, Horizon Power, ARENA, San Diego Gas & Electric, Alinta Energy, 
• In partnership with the International Microgrid Association and chaired by Terry Mohn, Chairman of IMA 

Robert Liam Dohn is a project manager responsible for developing the microgrid business within Siemens. Prior to joining Siemens in 2008, Liam was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps and worked at GE in the lighting and low voltage electrical distribution businesses. He studied finance at the University of Virginia and has an MBA from London Business School.