No limits: Horizon clears way for more regional rooftop solar with smart software

Internet connected technology that helps balance energy across regional microgrids being rolled out by Horizon Power will expand access to rooftop solar for regional Western Australia, starting in the coastal town of Carnarvon.

The WA government and state-owned power company Horizon announced on Tuesday the introduction of Smart Connect Solar, a “cutting-edge internet connected technology” that will help balance energy on regional microgrids.

Historically, access to rooftop solar in regional Western Australia has been limited so as to limit overloading local microgrids with high levels of solar energy.

However, with the introduction of Smart Connect Solar, Horizon Power now says that “we can remove limits on the amount of solar that can be installed in towns.”

Smart Connect Solar works with a distributed energy resource management system to predict weather patterns and forecast energy generation and demand, allowing operators to manage a customer’s solar generation in real time and quickly respond to changes in network load and weather conditions.

This results in a smoother energy flow and preventing sudden spikes that impact grid stability, meaning that more rooftop solar can be connected to the network.

Smart Connect Solar | How it works from Horizon Power on Vimeo.

The first town to benefit is the coastal town of Carnarvon, 900 kilometres north of Perth. However, Horizon Power is rolling Smart Connect Solar to all Western Australian regional towns, with the North West Interconnected System in the Pilbara set to benefit in the second quarter of 2024.

Horizon Power first rolled the technology out to the small town of Onslow in the Pilbara in 2019. The technology enabled Onslow to install more than four times the amount of rooftop solar previously able to be installed and demonstrated the ability to run the town of 100% solar and battery power.

Smart Connect Solar will be deployed to all of Horizon Power’s service areas by the end of 2024, including the Pilbara, Kimberley, Gascoyne, Mid West, and Goldfields regions.

Residents of regional Western Australia can monitor when Smart Connect Solar will roll out to their towns here.

“The State Government is committed to delivering clean energy solutions for our regions,” said Reece Whitby, energy minister for Western Australia.

“We are proud to increase renewable energy access for regional Western Australians while maintaining the safety and stability of the electricity network.

“Making renewable energy more accessible is critical for our environment and will assist WA in its goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.”