Summary
This work proposes a "DER Bill of Rights and Responsibilities" to address how customers can use and export energy generated by distributed energy resources (DER), particularly solar photovoltaics (PV). It argues that while American legislation has established initial rights to connect PV, these do not account for the evolution of rights in a future dominated by DER. The proposed bill aims to provide clarity on rights to self-consumption and passive participation, fostering customer trust in the integration and control of active DER.
The authors highlight that Australia's high penetration of distributed solar PV is impacting power system security and customer energy export. Despite regulatory reforms emphasizing consumer centrality, discussions have lacked a coherent articulation of reasonable consumer expectations with practical technical definitions. This paper, using Australia as an example, outlines a pathway to enshrine these rights for a DER-dominated future, suggesting that other countries will likely face similar requirements.
Key concepts
- DER Bill of Rights and Responsibilities — A proposed framework to define consumer rights and obligations in energy markets, particularly for distributed energy resources.
- Distributed Energy Resources (DER) — Energy resources, such as solar photovoltaics, that are connected at the distribution level of the electricity network.
- Self-consumption — The practice of using electricity generated by one's own renewable energy system on-site.
- Passive participation — Engaging in energy markets without actively controlling or dispatching energy resources.
- Active DER integration and control — The management and utilization of distributed energy resources for grid services and market participation.
From the book
Title: Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States of America, Bill of Rights and Constitutional Amendments (Including Images of Original Historical American Documents) by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin
We gratefully acknowledge support from the Simons Foundation, member institutions , and all contributors. Donate > eess > arXiv:2112.04855 Help | Advanced Search All fields Title Author Abstract Comments Journal reference ACM classification MSC classification Report number arXiv identifier DOI ORCID arXiv author ID Help pages Full text Search GO --> Electrical Engineering and Systems Science > Systems and Control arXiv:2112.04855 (eess) [Submitted on 9 Dec 2021 ( v1 ), last revised 16 Nov 2022 (this version, v4)] Title: An Australian DER Bill of Rights and Responsibilities Authors: Niraj Lal , Lee Brown View a PDF of the paper titled An Australian DER Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, by Niraj Lal and 1 other authors View PDF Abstract: Australia's world-leading penetration of…
Popular questions readers ask
- Given the historical context of a "Bill of Rights," how does applying this framework to "Distributed Energy Resources" (DER) fundamentally reshape the concept of "rights" from individual liberties to participation in a technical system, and what are the broader implications for both citizens and energy markets?
- The abstract highlights a "haphazard backdrop" leading to breaches of proposed rights. If you were to explain the core conflict this paper addresses to someone unfamiliar with energy policy, how would you articulate the tension between individual consumer energy autonomy and the collective need for power system security?
- The paper suggests using "practical technical definitions" referencing "existing instruments." Choose one example of an existing instrument mentioned (e.g., inverter standards, network connection agreements) and describe how a specific "right" for DER users could be practically implemented and monitored through that instrument, outlining potential challenges.
- The authors state that the proposed rights are "already being breached regularly in Australia." What are the immediate and long-term consequences of these breaches for consumer trust and the overall energy transition, and how might enshrining these rights specifically mitigate these consequences?
- Beyond the "rights," the title includes "and Responsibilities." Based on the issues described, what are some key "responsibilities" that consumers and other energy stakeholders must uphold to ensure a stable and equitable DER-dominated future, and why are these responsibilities equally critical to define alongside the rights?