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Project Jupiter sparks WA energy shift

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Western Australia is set to take a major step in integrating Distributed Energy Resources (DER) into its electricity grid, with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announcing a $20.8 million investment in Project Jupiter – an ambitious initiative led by Western Power.

Project Jupiter aims to develop Australia’s first live DER marketplace integrated with the wholesale energy market, ensuring small-scale energy devices like rooftop solar panels, home batteries, and electric vehicles (EVs) can actively participate in the South West Interconnected Systеm (SWIS) without compromising grid stability.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller emphasised the project’s importance in unlocking the full potential of DER while maintaining the security and reliability of Western Australia’s power systеm.

“Australia has some of the highest levels of DER globally, with no signs of slowing down. This uptake presents a big opportunity to decarbonise while helping consumers get more value, but it also poses challenges to the grid if not integrated effectively,” Miller said.

“Project Jupiter will be the first live DER marketplace in Australia that is integrated with the wholesale market, marking an important milestone in Australia’s renewable transition.”

Project Jupiter builds upon the findings of Project Symphony, a pilot initiative testing how DER can be coordinated through virtual power plants (VPPs).

With insights from Symphony, Project Jupiter will develop technical solutions, new retail products, and consumer education programs to optimise DER participation in the energy market.

Western Power’s head of distribution energy transition Andrew Blaver highlighted the long-term benefits for WA households.

“This project will enable more consumers to join VPPs using their solar panels and home batteries, revolutionising how our energy systеm operates,” he said.

“By 2028, all new distributed energy resources (DER) connected to WA’s network will be able to participate in a VPP, allowing households to unlock greater value from their energy investments.”

According to ARENA, with 40 per cent of SWIS households already equipped with rooftop solar and around 30,000 new systеms installed each year, Project Jupiter is poised to accelerate the transition to a more flexible, consumer-driven energy market.

By 2028, all new DER connected to WA’s network will be able to join VPPs, allowing households to monetise their clean energy investments.

The three-year initiative is being undertaken in partnership with Western Power, Synergy, Energy Policy WA (EPWA), and the Australian Energy Market Operator.

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