Australia - Smart Grid - Major Players and Projects

Synopsis

Smart grids support the delivery of electricity to consumers using digital communications technology to improve efficiency and reduce costs. The major players building smart grids in Australia are mostly large energy retailers and producers supported by IT and telecommunications firms.

The period over 2011-2013 is likely to see significant development by companies relating to smart grids driven by government initiatives. In 2010 the government rewarded Ausgrid the $100 million smart grid demonstration project that is to be linked to the National Broadband Network initiative in Australia.

This report provides an overview of the major players in the Australian smart grid market and related projects.

Companies covered in this report include:

ActewAGL; AGL Energy; Essential Energy; Ausgrid; Ergon – Nexium Telecommunications; Endeavour Energy; Jemena; United Energy; Hydro Tasmania; Powerlink; SP Ausnet; Transgrid; Western Power; Energex; ETSA

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
• 2. Major Players
  • 2.1 AGL Energy (AGL)
    • 2.1.1 Overview
    • 2.1.2 Largest renewable energy deal in Australia
    • 2.1.3 HAN trial by ActewAGL
  • 2.2 Aurora Energy
  • 2.3 Ausgrid
    • 2.3.1 Overview
    • 2.3.2 Smart meter 1st generation
    • 2.3.3 Smart meter 2nd generation
    • 2.3.4 Communications networks
    • 2.3.5 Newcastle WiMAX trial
    • 2.3.6 Smart grid systems – real-time operational environment (RTOE)
    • 2.3.7 Monitoring the low-voltage grid
    • 2.3.8 Sydney Water smart energy grid
    • 2.3.9 Smart Grid/Smart City Project
  • 2.4 Endeavour Energy (formerly Integral)
    • 2.4.1 Overview
    • 2.4.2 Blacktown solar trial
  • 2.5 CitiPower and Powercor
  • 2.6 Energex
    • 2.6.1 Energex Smart Grid Trials Project
  • 2.7 Ergon - Nexium Telecommunications
    • 2.7.1 Overview
    • 2.7.2 Services
    • 2.7.3 Internet
    • 2.7.4 Townsville Energy Sense Community
    • 2.7.5 Electric vehicles
    • 2.7.6 Solar Cities project
  • 2.8 Essential Energy
    • 2.8.1 Overview
    • 2.8.2 Intelligent Network Communities
    • 2.8.3 Consumer usage surveys
  • 2.9 ETSA
  • 2.10 Hydro Tasmania
  • 2.11 Jemena
  • 2.12 Powerlink
    • 2.12.1 Overview
    • 2.12.2 Telecommunications activities
  • 2.13 SP AusNet
    • 2.13.1 Overview
    • 2.13.2 Electricity transmission assets
    • 2.13.3 Electricity distribution assets
    • 2.13.4 Gas distribution assets
    • 2.13.5 Broadband-over-powerlines (BPL) trial in Mt Beauty
    • 2.13.6 Telecoms activities
    • 2.13.7 WiMAX-based smart grid
    • 2.13.8 AMI roll out
  • 2.14 TransGrid
    • 2.14.1 Overview
    • 2.14.2 Telecommunications network
  • 2.15 United Energy
  • 2.16 Western Power
    • 2.16.1 Overview
    • 2.16.2 In-Home Display Meter
• 3. Technology project
  • 3.1 Fault detection isolation and restoration (FDIR)
  • 3.2 Substation and feeder monitoring
  • 3.3 Distributed generation (DG) enablement
  • 3.4 Other applications
  • 3.5 Smart electricity metering in Fibre-to-the-Home (FttH) project
• 4. Global Intelligent Utility Network Coalition (GIUNC)
• 5. Related reports

• Chart 1 – Best features of an intelligent meter survey – 2010

• Exhibit 1 - Essential Energy: Smart Grid in Action
• Exhibit 2 – Non-regulated business (telecoms) activities