The New South Wales government has changed its Solar Bonus Scheme, due to come into effect on 1 January 2010, from a net feed-in tariff model to a gross feed-in tariff.

Under the new version, householders who generate solar electricity will receive a premium payment for all of the electricity they generate, including the electricity which they use themselves. Under the previous model, householders would have been paid the premium rate only for the surplus generated  above the amount that they used.

The Australian Capital Territory is the only other Australian State or territory with a gross feed-in tariff. ACT residents currently recieve 50.05 cents per kilowat hour (calculated as 3.88 times the retail price of electricity) for twenty years after they join the scheme. The rate in New South Wales will be 60 cents per kilowatt hour for seven years after they join the scheme.

Victorian electricity and gas supplier, SP Ausnet, has announced plans to deploy the world’s first smart grid to run over a wireless 4G broadband (WiMax) network. The program includes the installation of 700,000 smart meters in homes and businesses in Victoria by 2013.

GE will provide the WiMax 4G-based meter communications technology for the network, as well as half of the smart meters. Landis+Gyr will provide the balance of the meters. The network management software will be supplied by GridNet and  Motorola will supply WiMax base stations, as well as its Access Service Network Gateway and new microwave systems to extend the wireless network to new coverage areas. The network will use Unwired’s broadband spectrum in exchange for which Unwired will use the network’s hardware to expand its coverage.

The new system will offer consumers variable pricing throughout the day allowing them to manage their energy consumption and reduce costs. It also gives utilities the capability of monitoring the grid in real-time to help ensure supply reliability. The technology will be scalable, making it possible for the grid to handle a variety of applications such as plug-in vehicles and alternative energy sources.

Energy Australia has awarded IBM a $3.2 million contract to provide a real-time network monitoring system – the next step in the development of Energy Australia’a "smart grid" intelligent network program.

In April, IBM will begin construction of a distribution monitoring and control system for gathering and analysing raw data from 12,000 fibre-optic sensors which have already been installed in Energy Australia’s electricity distribution network. The system will allow Energy Australia staff to monitor the utility’s grid in real time.

By the end of June, Energy Australia will have completed a pilot to determine how to connect the "last mile" between the substation and the customer to gain an even more granular view of its network. The utility is currently trialling WiMAX technology in an area that serves about 100,000 customers in Newcastle. It is also trialling narrowband and broadband power line transmission technologies, standard 2G mobile networks and a wireless mesh network.

IBM is installing similar, although smaller, monitoring systems in Denmark and Malta but Energy Australia claims that it is the first utility in the world that is "committed to getting a street level view" of its electricity network.

Energy Australia intelligent networks manager Adrian Clark, said "It’s not just about responding to faults quicker or getting better power supply, it’s also about helping us to introduce and think of new ways to incorporate new energy initiatives such as renewable energy and load storage as they become more widespread on our grid.’

The CSIRO and five Australian Universities yesterday launched the Intelligent Grid Research Program to investigate "technologies and practices to make our electricity networks smart, greener and more efficient".

The group’s 3-year research program aims to find ways to develop an electricity network that uses distributed energy resources and advanced communication and control technologies to deliver electricity more cost-effectively, with lower greenhouse intensity and better response to consumer needs.

Small generators including wind turbines, solar panels, micro turbines, fuel cells and cogeneration can be closer to the users,  may rely on renewable energy with no greenhouse emissions and may make more efficient use of conventional power generated from coal. However, intelligent grid technologies are needed to seamlessly integrate these intermittent renewable energy sources into the wider network.

The Intelligent Grid Program will contribute to the CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship’s research goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions and doubling the efficiency of the nation’s new energy generation, supply and end-use technologies.

(See GoBizGreen and iGrid for further details.)