View the recording: MEInetwork24 Seminar #5 - Energy markets in an isolated grid
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About
The Melbourne Energy Institute's fifth seminar in the MEInetwork24 Seminar Series was presented by by Cameron Owens, Head of DER and Engineering, Future Energy at Synergy.
With no interconnection to the National Electrical Market (NEM), Western Australia's electricity network faces some unique challenges as the world progresses through the energy transition. This seminar began with an overview of the traditional electricity market, and how this is implemented on the west coast in the Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM) and the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) on which it operates. It covered some of the key market and network services that come together to provide electricity to customers and how this flows through to their bills.
In the second part of this seminar, Cameron focused on the key changes from the energy transition and their impact on the WEM and SWIS. This included a discussion on the changing fuel mix in the WEM and shift to more inverter-based resources, DER or CER uptake by customers changing the flow of energy in the network, the flow on impacts to the management of the SWIS, how these impacts are being addressed through the WEM, and the change that the customers are seeing. Considering all of this, Cameron provided a view of what the future power system might look like in the WEM.
Presenter
Cameron Owens
Head of DER and Engineering, Future Energy
Synergy
With over 12 years in the energy sector, Cameron Owens leads a team focused on renewables, DER, and storage. He has driven his company’s DER strategic initiative, securing their first Virtual Power Plant (VPP) for market services. Cameron is committed to addressing the challenges of the energy transition, focusing on the strategic integration of renewables, storage, and DER to facilitate a seamless shift from traditional generation. His goal is to deliver the best results for their customers by providing low-cost, low-carbon, and reliable energy solutions, particularly within the context of Western Australia’s unique energy grid. Cameron hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering (UWA) and an MBA (University of Manchester).
Moderator
Dr Andrea Vecchi
Research Fellow - Clean Energy and Clean Transport, Mechanical Engineering
The University of Melbourne
Andrea Vecchi holds a PhD in Engineering jointly awarded by the University of Birmingham (UK) and The University of Melbourne. Prior to undertaking post-graduate research, Andrea received his Bachelors and master’s degree in Energy Engineering from Politecnico di Torino (Italy) and gained industrial experience as an R&D Engineer.
In the last 6 years, Andrea has gained complementary and transversal knowledge in academic and industrial settings, blending research activities with involvement in international projects and student supervision.
About the MEInetwork24 Seminar Series - a deep dive into the electricity supply chain
The aim of the MEInetwork Seminar Series is to give participants a sound understanding of the current technical and economic factors that underpin the Australian energy system. Knowledge of these market factors is critical in determining the changes required to move towards a clean energy system.
Each year, the focus is turned to one of our primary energy vectors, cycling through the major topics of electricity, natural gas, and energy commodities.