Laying the Foundations Today for the Grid of Tomorrow
By 2030 up to 45% of our energy generation is predicted to be behind the meter. Households and businesses are no longer passive energy consumers but are actively producing and storing energy through rooftop solar, batteries and electric vehicles. With more of these distributed energy resources (DER) connected to the grid, a host of new challenges (and opportunities) are emerging for stakeholders who are responsible for managing our energy systems.
From this session, the audience will gain valuable insight into these emerging opportunities as we move towards a more flexible and decentralised energy system that values and rewards the participation of customer owned DER. Specifically, Doug will cover:
- why we need flexible grids to cope with decentralised energy supply and a future that must be powered, for the most part, by renewables.
- the technologies that are required to achieve it, i.e. dynamic connections for DER; what solar can learn from EVs.
- why market-enabling software platforms, such as GreenSync’s Decentralised Energy Exchange (deX), are playing a vital role in providing the architecture for transactive, flexible grids to operate.
- what is deX and how it is allowing electricity networks to better coordinate the increasing volume of distributed energy resources (DER) in the electricity grid, while helping consumers get more value from assets such as solar, batteries and electric vehicles.
- how we can unlock additional network capacity for solar and storage by increasing visibility and orchestration of DER across distribution networks.
- how customer DER can be contracted (and rewarded) for participating in grid services to ensure long-term reliability sustainability of our energy systems in a low-carbon future.
This seminar is part of a series of Energy Transition Hub events supported by the Victorian Clean Technology Fund (VCTF).
190507 Doug Cook.pdf
Doug Cook has 13 years’ experience in the energy and utilities industry working across Australia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. His current role as Head of Delivery for energy-tech company, GreenSync, has two principal elements: guiding the strategic evolution of the company through business and product development and the direct leadership of the team building GreenSync's distributed energy eXchange ('deX') marketplace.
Doug joined GreenSync from a series of energy-strategy consulting roles at leading firms including Marchment Hill and PwC. His most recent consulting engagements included the successful investment case and delivery of Australia's largest virtual power plant, the creation of a peer-to-peer power trading market model and multiple strategy projects helping steer the evolution of Australia’s power markets.
During his career in energy, Doug has been a British diplomat, senior advisor in a UK utility and public service energy policy advisor. His roles included Senior Policy Advisor on International Renewable Energy for the UK Government and First Secretary – Energy and Climate Change for the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. He holds postgraduate qualifications in power sector regulation and energy engineering, a master’s degree in international affairs and an undergraduate degree in international business and modern foreign languages.