“Project Edith: A Groundbreaking Initiative Wins 2023 Industry Innovation Award”
In a remarkable achievement, Project Edith, an innovative endeavor born from a conversation among experts and executed through a collaboration between Reposit Power and Ausgrid, has secured the prestigious Energy Network Australia’s 2023 Industry Innovation Award. Named after the trailblazing electrical engineer Edith Clarke, Project Edith, which unfolded throughout 2022, aimed to showcase how residential solar can seamlessly coexist within the electricity grid without pushing distribution network capacity to its limits or necessitating expensive infrastructure expansions.
One Step Off The Grid, a sister site of RenewEconomy, reported that Project Edith had a broader vision: to demonstrate how intelligent management of resources like rooftop solar and electric vehicles could deliver cost-effective and reliable energy for all consumers.
ENAs Chief, Dom van den Berg, emphasized that Project Edith exemplifies a customer-centric approach to innovation, fostering close engagement with various stakeholders on the path to achieving net-zero goals.
Under this initiative, participants invest in a solar system (minimum 6.6kW), battery storage (minimum 11.8kWh), and a “Reposit box” for $18,000, relinquishing control to Reposit Power. In return, participants enjoy zero electricity bills, guaranteed, with Reposit assuming the risk for equipment quality, installation, and trading behavior.
Ausgrid describes this as a dynamic network service, demonstrating how Reposit can respond to complex price signals while offering customers certainty in their energy costs.
The success of Project Edith has prompted Ausgrid to expand its scope, inviting aggregators and virtual power plant retailers to join the next phase of the trial.
This groundbreaking project underscores the power of simplicity, introducing just two fundamental components to the National Electricity Market (NEM): 5-minute Dynamic Network Pricing and a NER change for calculating “Marginal Cost.” These adjustments enable efficient support for consumer energy devices.
Project Edith’s dynamic network pricing adapts daily, promoting energy use during times of surplus capacity, ultimately fostering a greener and more resilient grid.
Project Edith stands as a shining example of innovation in the energy sector, driving Australia toward a sustainable and cost-effective energy future.
