Single household with zero generation
- is there a retailer offering local renewable energy?
- is there an opportunity to join a community distributed energy resource (DER) project to source energy locally?
Single household with some generation (<10 KW)
- consider adding a household battery so you can join a virtual power plant (VPP) offered by retailers or traders
- find retailers or traders that are offering community battery storage
- find retailers or traders with a VPP participation option
Residential apartments in multi-dwelling units with no individual generation
- does your strata plan have an energy efficiency plan for common areas?
- does your apartment block offers shared use of local generation?
- is your apartment block considering an embedded network?
- find an energy retailer offering local energy usage plans
Household in a residential estate (high-rise apartments, terrace or townhouse), with or without individual generation
- make sure you can meet your own demand using any local distributed energy resource (DER) on offer
- check if your property has an energy efficiency plan for common areas
- check if your estate is considering a communal DER you can participate in as a generator or consumer
- consider how a communal estate DER can implement storage, either a behind-the-meter solution or buying or using a front-of-meter community battery
Business with <100 KW distributed energy resource (DER) capability
- make sure you can meet your own demand using local generation
- find an energy retailer offering localised energy usage
- inquire about joining a local community distributed energy resource (DER) project
Business with >100 KW distributed energy resource (DER) capacity and/or multiple sites
- ensure you can meet your own demand with local generation
- if you have excess generation capability, find an energy retailer that supports net metering across sites, or an employee participation scheme
- consider investing in building management systems such as smart meters and software, providing more insight into your usage to enabling future energy sharing
- consider how a communal DER can provide storage, either with a ‘behind the meter’ estate solution or through ‘front of meter’ community storage
Industrial estate with >100 KW distributed energy resource (DER)
- ensure you can meet your own demand with local generation
- consider how the estate can establish a communal DER you can participate in as a contributor or user
- consider investing in building management systems such as smart meters and software, providing more insight into load usage to enable future energy sharing
- consider how a communal distributed energy resource (DER) can provide storage, either with a ‘behind the meter’ estate solution or through ‘front of meter’ community storage. Discuss opportunities for hosting storage like a community battery in or near your site with your local energy network provider
Community groups
Consider local distributed energy resource (DER) projects for the whole community. This may involve:
- planning
- land allocation
- partial investment in or outright ownership of local DER projects
- negotiations with a distributed network service network provider (DNSP) about connection and integration
- design and construction of local DER components
- outsourcing elements of project development to local businesses
- managing energy sharing internally or outsourcing it to local businesses
- acquiring the capability and resources to become a licensed retailer/trader
- considering a staff participation scheme
- offering an energy sharing community to the local area
- developing DER agreements for buying and selling energy
- liaising with the grid network provider about hosting or co-operation on energy sharing
Remote communities, either council or community-led initiatives
- talk to the local grid network provider about new microgrid solutions using entirely local renewable energy resources, like solar or wind generation, and batteries
