The final research reports for the CONSORT project have been released to the public and are available on the project’s main webpage.

The CONSORT project has won Energy Networks Australia’s (ENA) Energy Networks Industry Innovation Award. Presented to CONSORT network partner, TasNetworks, the award recognises leadership in the design, development and application of a groundbreaking Australian energy network initiative.

“The trial is innovative in four ways that TasNetworks is extremely proud of,” TasNetworks Network Innovation Team Leader Andrew Fraser said.

“The first is the project team’s diversity. Having a network and technology startup work with three separate universities’ in computer science, social science and economics means not only can we develop a technical solution, but an economic and social one as well.

“The second is the Network Aware Coordination algorithm and how it is a technical demonstration of orchestration that optimises network and customer value. This algorithm allows networks to simultaneously and automatically manage multiple network issues while preserving customer privacy and choice.

“The third is our social science team participating as the voice of the customer and having their own dedicated research objectives.

“And fourthly, the trial foreshadows the future of distribution network operation with customers wanting more control and choice around the way they use electricity.”

Energy Networks Australia CEO, Andrew Dillon, said “TasNetworks has shown how to carry out smart coordination of solar and batteries, which has large economic and environmental benefits by allowing more renewable energy to connect, increasing grid stability and opening new markets.”

The CONSORT Bruny Island Battery Trial has won the Engineers Australia’s Tasmanian Engineering Excellence Award, held in Hobart, and now reaches the final of the 2018 Australian Engineering Excellence Awards (AEEA), which will be announced in September 2018.

The AEEA awards recognise outstanding achievement in engineering and the invaluable contribution engineering makes to the economy, community and the environment. The project was previously awarded EESA’s Energy Project of the year and the Clean Energy Council’s Business Community Engagement Award in 2018.

The award coincides with the CONSORT project passing another important milestone, in demonstrating how smart coordination of home battery systems can help to support electricity networks, while rewarding battery owners for this support.

The trial, based on Bruny Island, Tasmania, was able to prevent project partner TasNetworks from having to start their backup diesel generator during a major network peak.

The full press release can be found here.

We are proud to have won the Clean Energy Council’s Community Engagement Award. This award is a recognition of the hard work put in by all the project partners and the Bruny Island community to make this project a success.

One of the unique parts of the CONSORT project is our focus on the customers’ and in particular, their experience of the technology. This is not just their financial or economic outcomes, but includes how they feel about contributing to the local network for the benefit of their neighbours, and how they respond to things like receiving notifications of upcoming peak load events. Our motivation is to understand what makes customers come to trust that the technology we’ve developed is actually acting in their best interest, and what customers perceive as fair compensation for the network company occasionally making use of energy stored in their batteries. The CEC Business Community Engagement Award reflects the value that the industry puts on these considerations.

You can find more information on the CEC’s website.

The CONSORT Bruny Island Battery Trial has been awarded Energy Project of the Year by the Electric Energy Society of Australia (EESA). The award was presented at EECON 2018, in Brisbane. It recognises a project within the energy sector that has delivered significant benefits to stakeholders and the wider community while being managed and executed with a high level of excellence.