FlexPoint™, our Distributed Energy Resources Management System, unlocks distributed energy resource and demand-side management potential, by enabling flexibility owners and aggregators (e.g. Flexibility Service Providers) to participate in flexibility service opportunities, supporting our National Grid.
This kiwi developed and locally software platform enables flexibility providers to offer and enrol distributed energy storage, generation, and demand response resources. Operators use FlexPointTM to call on these resources and request additional flexibility for our Grid.
FlexPointTM:
- Registers resources and organisations offering Distributed and Consumer Energy Resources
- Verifies which Distributed and Consumer Energy Resources to call upon to meet grid needs
- Manages and coordinates Flexibility events
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Enables better visibility of assets to determine which are operational (available / unavailable) and identify issues
- Tracks event performance (Post M&V) and settles payments
- Enables seamless customer relationships, communication, and contract management
FlexPointTM is an open-access platform built around application programming interfaces (APIs) and is certified by the OpenADR Alliance for the OpenADR 2.0 standard (IEC 62746-10-1 ED1).
An alternative to transmission investment
$1.5 billion in generation, transmission, and distribution investment can be avoided for every GW of peak demand saved using flexibility services, as forecasted in our Electrification Roadmap. When combined with Distributed Energy Resources Management Systems (DERMS), flexibility services make excellent alternatives to transmission investment.
We modelled the uptake of Electric Vehicles (EVs) to 2035 and the impact of connecting them to smart chargers which automatically charge at non-peak hours. By using DERMS, automated smart chargers, and batteries, peak demand can be reduced by approximately 2 GW. To put this quantity of conserved power in perspective, 2 GW is equivalent to more than twice the energy generation output of Lake Manapouri, the largest hydro power station in Aotearoa.
The future
Flexibility services are vital to the success of equipping New Zealand’s Grid to meet future electricity needs. FlexPointTM enables the integration of these programmes, alongside Electricity Distribution Businesses, generators, retailers and new market entrants who are working to build new business models to optimally leverage modern flex technologies.
Transpower actively supports the development of local and regional Distributed and Consumer Energy Resource programmes and other non-wired alternatives, where regional major capital project grid investments are considered. This includes working with local lines companies (Electricity Distribution Businesses) in areas where demand is forecasted to exceed system capacity, investigating the potential of flexibility services delaying or replacing additional expensive infrastructure investments. Learn more about potential upcoming Flexibility projects.
Interested in providing an alternative to transmission investment?
If you would like to inform Transpower of potential Flexibility Services which could support our flexibility initiatives, you can Register for providers of transmission alternatives/non-transmission solutions or directly contact Transpower’s Flexibility Services team.