28 | Taranaki: Powerco REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT EDB decarb challenge winners. T T Karen Phelps Electricity key to reducing emissions Electricity distribution company Powerco has begun a trial aimed at helping New Zealand reach its decarbonisation ambitions. The company participated in Ara Ake’s electricity decarbonisation challenge in New Plymouth late last year. Powerco’s Strategy and Engineering Manager Ryno Verster represented Powerco on a panel of judges from other New Zealand electricity distribution businesses (EDBs) involved in the challenge. “It was a live ‘pitch event’ – a bit of a ‘Dragon’s Den’ scenario – where six finalists had five minutes each to pitch their innovation to the judges and then another five minutes each for questions,” he explains. Following the event Powerco chose to work with Australia-based Future Grid on a trial. Future Grid uses data from smart meters, IoT (internet of things) and increasing DER (distributed energy resources such as solar and wind generation) inverters to create real-time power quality visibility, to understand the behaviour and impacts of DER on the low-voltage (LV) distribution grid. “Understanding the LV network will be key to facilitating decarbonisation in New Zealand,” says Ryno who is excited about the potential of the project. “A lot of the innovation and capability of customers to generate, store and participate in the energy market all happens behind the meter, which is LV. That’s something that traditionally networks have had little visibility of. We see these types of trials benefiting the New Zealand electricity industry as a whole. We’re committed to sharing the findings.” He says a key reason why Powerco chose to work with Future Grid is that its model complements technology Powerco already uses to monitor its LV network. “The Future Grid platform appears to be set up to work with the existing tools that Powerco has been investing in, including distribution transformer monitors and has integrations with software such as SAP and Esri.” Initially it’s expected the pilot will centre around testing and validating Powerco’s LV network model and distribution transformer metering data on Future Grid’s platform. The longer term will likely involve incorporating consumption and voltage data from metering equipment providers, says Ryno. Last year Powerco, along with other electricity distribution companies, generators and “Understanding the LV network will be key to facilitating decarbonisation in New Zealand. A lot of the innovation and capability of customers to generate, store and participate in the energy market all happens behind the meter, which is LV. retailers, commissioned the Boston Consulting Group to undertake an independent, sector-wide look at how the electricity industry can help meet New Zealand’s net zero at 2050 goal. The resulting report ‘Climate Change in New Zealand: The Future is Electric’ found that the electricity sector is critical to enabling New Zealand to reduce its emissions, by increasing the use of renewable electricity generation (solar, wind and hydro), and electrifying transport (moving to electric cars) and industry (switching from coal or gas to electricity). Ryno says that through increased electrification New Zealand can make up to 70% of the gross emissions reductions required to meet the net-zero target. “The level of investment in the electricity sector required to create enough capacity will be unprecedented, and requires collaboration between the electricity industry, regulators, and customers to be successful,” he says. Powerco is New Zealand’s second largest electricity and gas distribution utility with over 900,000 customers (across 457,000 connections) connected to its networks. Powerco’s electricity networks are in Western Bay of Plenty, Thames, Coromandel, Eastern and Southern Waikato, Taranaki, Whanganui, Rangitīkei, Manawatū and the Wairarapa. Its gas pipeline networks are in Taranaki, Hutt Valley, Porirua, Wellington, Horowhenua, Manawatū and Hawke’s Bay. The company has offices in New Plymouth, Wellington, Palmerston North, Whanganui and Tauranga.
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