Enabled by Horizon Power’s Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS), Smart Connect Solar has been completed ahead of schedule, enabling the regional energy provider to achieve its strategic goal of ensuring there are zero customer refusals when connecting rooftop solar by 2025.

Related article: Smart Connect Solar technology expands to Broome

The program has now been expanded to all towns in Horizon Power’s service area. The technology is providing thousands more households and businesses, in Horizon Power’s service area, with the opportunity to install rooftop solar and access the benefits of renewable energy.

Smart Connect Solar has delivered critical technical capabilities enabling Horizon Power to remove solar hosting capacity constraints. Previously, the number of solar installations had to be limited to ensure the security and reliability of power supply.

DERMS technology analyses weather patterns, power system conditions and renewable energy resources and uses this data to coordinate power flows to ensure the electricity network can operate safely and reliably at all times—maximising renewable energy output and benefits for Horizon Power’s customers.

In addition to rooftop solar, DERMS will enable Horizon Power to safely and reliably integrate and balance energy across customer energy resources like batteries and electric vehicles.

Horizon Power CEO Stephanie Unwin said, “Horizon Power established the strategic goal of zero customer refusals when connecting rooftop solar by 2025, to solve the technical challenges preventing customer access to rooftop solar.

Related article: Horizon Power’s Smart Connect Solar expands to NWIS

“Achieving this goal creates more customer choice to participate in renewable energy and ways to reduce energy bills. The advanced DERMS technology underpinning Smart Connect Solar will also improve the safety and stability of our systems as they evolve to incorporate greater levels of clean energy.

“We are proud to have completed the roll-out of Smart Connect Solar ahead of schedule, so that thousands of additional customers can reap the benefits of renewables, including reduced energy bills, earlier than expected.”

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Horizon Power is using state-of-the-art technology, known as a Distributed Energy Management System (DERMS), to increase access to renewable energy for these towns, while improving the safety and stability of the state’s electricity network.

Related article: Horizon Power’s Smart Connect Solar expands to NWIS

Horizon Power’s DERMS utilises analytics to consider weather patterns, power system conditions and renewable energy resources. The technology’s advanced algorithms then use this data to coordinate and dynamically optimise the power system to maximise renewable energy and benefits for our customers.

This innovative approach ensures the power system remains safe and secure and enables the removal of hosting capacity constraints in regional towns, which have previously limited the number of solar installations.

Smart Connect Solar is providing thousands of additional residential and business customers the opportunity to install rooftop solar and realise energy bill savings.

By September 2024, the technology will have been delivered to all towns in Horizon Power’s service area. This includes towns in the Pilbara, Kimberley, Gascoyne, Mid West and the Esperance and Goldfields regions.

Smart Connect Solar was launched in Carnarvon in February. Since then, it has expanded to towns in the North West Interconnected System (NWIS), including Karratha, Port Hedland, South Hedland, Point Samson, Cossack and Roebourne, and has been introduced to 20 towns in the Kimberley, Gascoyne and Mid West and Esperance and Goldfields regions.

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In May 2024, the technology was also introduced in Broome, providing more than 6000 homes and businesses in the Kimberley town with the option to install rooftop solar.

Horizon Power CEO Stephanie Unwin said, “Smart Connect Solar provides us with critical technical capabilities so we can deliver on our commitment of ensuring there are zero customer refusals when connecting rooftop solar by 2025, across our networks.”

The post Horizon boosts solar access in Gascoyne and Mid West appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

The state-of-the-art technology is increasing access to renewable energy in towns in regional Western Australia, while improving the safety and stability of the state’s electricity network. It is part of a state-wide program which was launched by Horizon Power in February.

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Horizon Power’s Smart Connect Solar project removes hosting capacity constraints in Broome, which have previously limited the number of solar installations across the town.

This will provide thousands of additional customers the opportunity to install rooftop solar and realise energy bill savings, while improving the safety and stability of the state’s electricity network.

In March 2022, Broome reached capacity for the number of rooftop solar systems it could safely have on the network without it becoming unstable from too much solar. The Smart Connect Solar technology will provide more than 6,000 homes and businesses in the Kimberley town with the option to install rooftop solar and realise energy bill savings.

Smart Connect Solar launched in February in Carnarvon. Last month, the technology was rolled out to Karratha, Port Hedland, South Hedland, Point Samson, Cossack and Roebourne, in the Pilbara.

It was also introduced to 20 towns in the Kimberley, Mid West and Gascoyne and Esperance and Goldfields regions. This included Derby, Wyndham, Halls Creek, Lombadina, Kalumburu, Warmun, Coral Bay, Cue, Meekatharra, Wiluna, Yalgoo, Hopetoun, Laverton, Leonora, Norseman, Camballin, Ardyaloon, Beagle Bay, Bidyadanga and Nullagine.

Horizon Power CEO Stephanie Unwin said, “The demand for solar has been high in Broome and having the hosting constraints removed will mean thousands of additional customers will have the opportunity to benefit from rooftop solar.

Related article: Horizon Power’s Smart Connect Solar expands to NWIS

“Since its launch in February, Smart Connect Solar has quickly extended to towns across our footprint, including those in the NWIS and a further 20 towns. Our next step is to introduce the technology to Exmouth, Sandstone, Denham, Gascoyne Junction and Mount Magnet, which will happen in Q3 2024.

“By the end of the year, we will have deployed this cutting-edge technology to all our service areas, so that thousands of additional Western Australians can reap the benefits of rooftop solar.”

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The state-of-the-art technology will increase access to renewable energy to the towns and is as part of a state-wide program which was launched by Horizon Power in Carnarvon last month.

Related article: Solar access for WA’s regions with Smart Connect Solar

The Smart Connect Solar project is removing hosting capacity constraints which limits solar installations across regional towns, enabling thousands of additional customers to install rooftop solar, realise energy bill savings, and improving the safety and stability of the state’s electricity network.

The technology has been launched in the NWIS towns of Karratha, Port Hedland, South Hedland, Point Samson, Cossack and Roebourne, in the Pilbara.

It has also been rolled out in 20 towns in the Kimberley, Mid West and Gascoyne and Esperance and Goldfields regions. This includes Derby, Wyndham, Halls Creek, Lombadina, Kalumburu, Warmun, Coral Bay, Cue, Meekatharra, Wiluna, Yalgoo, Hopetoun, Laverton, Leonora, Norseman, Camballin, Ardyaloon, Beagle Bay, Bidyadanga and Nullagine.

Karratha was the only town among the 26 which had exhausted its hosting capacity limits, however, Smart Connect Solar removes the requirement to apply future restrictions and enables towns to continue to realise their future solar potential.

Karratha has had active hosting capacity limitations from late 2023. Smart Connect Solar will enable homes and businesses in Karratha to apply and connect solar without existing restrictions.

“By 2025, Horizon Power, WA’s regional energy provider, will have deployed Smart Connect Solar to all towns in its service area, which is a significant milestone in increasing access to solar energy to residents across Western Australia,” Horizon Power CEO Stephanie Unwin said.

The staged rollout will also support regional solar installation businesses, with demand for solar expected to increase once hosting limits are removed.

“Not only does Smart Connect Solar use cutting-edge technology, it will also be a key contributor to the State Government’s goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050,” Unwin said.

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“Furthermore, it equips Horizon Power with the necessary technical capabilities to fulfil our commitment to ensuring ‘zero customer refusals when connecting rooftop solar by 2025’ across our networks.”

Harnessing the power of predictive analytics, Smart Connect Solar analyses weather patterns, and accurately forecasts energy generation and demand. This enables real-time orchestration of a customer’s solar generation, effectively mitigating the risk of voltage and frequency fluctuations that could destabilise the electricity system and cause supply disruptions.

The post Horizon Power’s Smart Connect Solar expands to NWIS appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

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Smart Connect Solar technology uses a Distributed Energy Resource (DER) management system that enables the coordination of high levels of solar energy on the network, which will enable thousands of additional customers in Carnarvon to install rooftop solar while maintaining network safety and stability.

This will eliminate solar installation capacity constraints in Carnarvon and other towns and enable more customers throughout regional WA to access rooftop solar.

In 2019, Horizon Power became the first Australian utility to deploy the technology in a regional microgrid, using it to coordinate customer solar with utility-owned renewables to help power the town of Onslow.

It was also able to use the system to power the town with 100% renewables for approximately 80 minutes.

Smart Connect Solar will be deployed to all of Horizon Power’s service areas, including the Pilbara, Kimberley, Gascoyne, Mid West and Goldfields regions, by the end of 2024.

Horizon Power CEO Stephanie Unwin said, “We are excited to launch Smart Connect Solar into Carnarvon, the first town in the roll out of this innovative technology to our customers across regional Western Australia.

“Our customers are an integral part of our future energy systems, and we are committed to bringing all of them along on this clean energy transition journey.

“Overcoming the technical barriers that prevented more customer renewable energy generation is a significant milestone. It means more of our customers now have access to solar and can reap the benefits of renewable energy, including reduced energy bills.

Related article: Spotlight On: Horizon Power CEO Stephanie Unwin

“The system will also improve stability and therefore reliability of the electricity network, while supporting the state government’s carbon emission goals and our 2025 target of zero refusals when connecting solar.”

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