Energy Networks Australia (ENA) has welcomed new standards by the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) to help the electricity grid handle increasing amounts of rooftop solar.

ENA chief executive Andrew Dillon says it was particularly positive that the AEMC decided to introduce standards within the existing framework instead of creating a new set of rules.

“It is important that regulatory bodies support the most efficient pathways to enable new technologies and integrate distributed energy resources like solar and batteries into the grid,” he says.

“These new standards will help networks ensure the growing amounts of rooftop solar can operate efficiently and safely and more customers can connect their devices to grid.”

He also adds that other changes being considered by the AEMC were critical to supporting the rapidly transforming energy system: “ENA and its members look forward to the AEMC considering future changes such as incentivising customers to export power during times of high demand.

“With ever-growing new connections of solar and batteries, it’s important we deliver solutions that can work in all the vastly different system conditions right across the country.

“Uniform standards make sense, but a centralise-everything policy approach to integrating new technologies will be costly for customers and cause problems in many regions.”