Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why is the Guide needed?

Australia leads the world in the deployment of solar PV and other distributed energy resources (DER), with >21% of premises having installed DER1 . By 2025 AEMO forecasts that DER will be one of the largest sources of electricity generation on the grid.2 While this increasing DER penetration is contributing to lower electricity costs for consumers and lower carbon emissions, there are a two key challenges to this continued growth and the delivery of enhanced value for consumers.

Equitably and cost effectively increasing the DER hosting capacity of the electricity networks while maintaining grid reliability and benefits for all energy consumers, and
Increasing the quality of DER systems being installed, and hence their safety, longevity and the renewable energy generated.

The key barrier to addressing the first of these challenges is increased DER operational visibility being available. The major challenges from this lack of data will be – or is being – felt most acutely in the low voltage networks. It is these businesses that are likely to benefit most from to access standardised data and information about newly installed DER. However, to wait until a standard is codified through existing standards and certification processes will take time, leading to unnecessary DER curtailment, inefficient network maintenance and higher electricity costs for all consumers. Increasingly, today’s smart energy technologies have built-in capabilities to collect vital data from these many DER installations, and to communicate it in near real-time via the internet.

What is covered by the Guide?

This Guide applies to data collection and provision of data from new grid-connected Distributed Energy Resources (DER) installed in Australian locations, behind the meter. These resources are defined in the National Electricity Rules (NER) as being capable of generation. DER is defined as per Chapter 10 of the NER as a small generating unit:

With a nameplate rating less than 30 MW; and
Which is owned, controlled or operated by a person that the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has exempted from the requirement to register as a generator in respect of that generating unit in accordance with clause 2.2.1(c).

DER include rooftop solar, batteries, and other appliances such as Electric Vehicles (EVs) that can export energy. This Guide applies to new installations only and does not apply retrospectively to other systems that may exist on the same site.

This Guide has been developed by an industry lead group to facilitate the development of harmonised standards required for our transition to a high penetration electricity network. This Guide covers what data is required to be captured not "how" this data is communicated.

What are the objectives of the Guide?

This Guide has been developed to deliver benefits for DER consumers, all electricity consumers, energy regulators, and energy industry participants. This Guide has two key objectives:

To establish a common static and dynamic (near) real time data set collected for new DER installed behind the meter on the low voltage electricity network
To increase confidence in the quality and performance of DER through the provision of this real time system performance data to DER owners and authorised industry entities

Is the Guide mandatory?

No, the Guide is voluntary, for use by anyone involved in the supply of DER. It is not referred to in any legislation as a mandatory requirement.

How does the Guide integrate with other standards and regulations?

The Guide is complementary to other existing and under development standards for DER. This includes the ARENA DEIP and DER API Working Group that are working towards standardising methods of communicating DER-related data between organisations. It is anticipated that in the fullness of time this Guide would be incorporated into the relevant national standards and regulations as appropriate. It is important to trial the use of this Guide to ensure that it captures the appropriate data set, and that the methods of data communication are effectively establish before it is incorporated into national standards.

Who can use the Guide?

The Guide may be used by industry programs for supply or listings on association sites.
It may be used by purchasers to specify a minimum requirement for the DER systems they wish to purchase. The Guide could be used as a reference or referred to by:

Manufacturers
Importers
Test Facilities
Certifiers
Wholesalers
Retailers
Installers
Organisations Listing DER Systems
End Consumers
Government Agencies

Does the Guide cost anything?

No. The Guide is free to download and can be used by anyone. Any costs to comply with the Guide requirements are the responsibility of the user claiming conformance with the Guide.

Who can support the Guide?

Organisations supporting the DER Visibility and Monitoring Guide include technology vendors and other organisation types. Support is shown via a public statement which includes the key content items listed below.

Technology Vendors

Technology vendors, eg inverter manufacturers, are able to have their company listed on the Guide website as either:

a) Supporting the Guide ; or

b) Supporting and Conforming - providing of equipment that does already or will conform by Dec 2020 with the Guide

To action, please contact admin@DERMonitoring.guide

Industry and other organisations

Industry organisations and other organisations are able to have their organisation listed on the Guide website as a Supporter of the Guide by providing a public statement to the effect outlined below. To action, please contact

How do organisations indicate support?

Any industry organisation can support the Guide. Technology Providers may support the Guide without listing any products that technically conform with the Guide. Supporting the Guide is simply a public statement that the organisation “supports the development and use of this Best Practice Guide to enhance DER visibility”. This statement of support does not require specific agreement with any individual statement or section of the Guide

Organisations are encourage to contact admin@DERmonitoring.guide, and to authorise the organisation to be listed as Supporting the Guide.

What needs to be considered in adopting or implementing the Guide?

As there is a cost involved in securing customer permissions, collecting the data, managing the data to ensure privacy and security, and making the data available to appropriate third parties, implementation equires some form of incentive or compensation for the collection and provision of this data. Also, technology providers and potential recipients of the data require time to negotiate the data communications protocols, data conformity, and to ensure customer privacy, data security and data uses are properly managed.

How will the Guide be implemented?

There are a number of steps required before the Guide can be adopted at scale. As a first stage the proposed implementation pathway is:

Trial a voluntary incentive to conform with the Guide
Evaluate the success of the trial program
Incorpoate the Guide into appropriate national standards or other DER requirements

It is important that for a wider scale implementation can be considered, appropriate timelines are provided to allow industry and technology vendors to respond.

How do products conform to the Guide?

This Guide is a voluntary guide. A Technology Provider such as an inverter manufacturer may have some or all of their products conform with this Guide. Conformance is determined by self assessment by the Technology Provider. This requires:

Stating the equipment collects the required data fields (or will within 6 months)
Being listed as conforming on the Guide website www.DERmonitoring.guide.

This may be done by providing the equipment information and a conformance statement to the Guide administrator admin@DERmonitoring.guide.

How will the Guide be policed?

The Guide will be policed under Australian Consumer Law if false or misleading claims of compliance to the Guide are made.

How often and how is the Guide updated?

The Guide will be updated as needed, based on feedback, changes in technology and changes to the operating and regulatory environment of the DER industry. It is expected the Guide will be reviewed and updates considered every 6-12 months.

Suggested updates to the Guide can be proposed by contacting admin@DERmonitoring.guide.

Updates to this Guide are determined by a workshop process that includes industry consultation and feedback. Draft changes to the Guide are voted on by all current Guide endorsing organisations with each having a single vote. Any change requires a quorum of at least 50% of endorsing organisations to vote and a majority of 75% of votes cast to be approved.

What are the use cases for the Data?

A summary of the use cases identified by industry participants are provided in the DER Visibility and Monitoring Use Cases document. This is available at: www.DERmonitoring.guide