I think the key here is trust and social license. Consumers do not trust the electricity industry to deliver for them a fair result. VPPs, as you say, require delegation of control and from experience, it's clear that retailers, DNSPs etc do not actually care much about the consumer and merely to control them for their own ends.
For example, SAPN, are VERY keen to control consumers behind the meter but refuse to provide any kind of insight as to why and how that helps the consumer.
The industry needs to stop licking its lips about control and start working on trust and transparency as that's severely lacking.
Thanks Matthew. I think that is exactly the deeper issue.
Whether we are talking about VPPs, flexible exports, network limits or emergency system-security actions, the consumer experience can easily become the same: someone else can affect what my solar or battery does, and I may not clearly see why, how often, what I gain, or who is accountable.
That is where trust and social licence matter.
There may be legitimate technical reasons for some forms of intervention, especially around local network constraints and minimum system load. But technical legitimacy is not the same as consumer legitimacy.
If the industry wants access to consumer-side flexibility, it has to make the purpose, limits, benefits and safeguards much clearer.
That is probably the larger lesson for me. A signal invites a response. Control asks for permission and permission depends on trust.
The DNSPs especially but also the retailers see the system as something THEY do to consumers not they operate for the consumers. Retailers have recently been very much shown to be operating for their own ends (eg. https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-urges-households-to-change-electricity-plans-to-help-offset-price-increases) and DNSPs increasingly want control without transparency - my own example of SAPN who want to control everything but do not want transparency about why based on my discussions with Adam Cameron about it. He didn't even seem to understand why I would want to know.
It's incredibly frustrating as a consumer that our interests come last.
I quote you: “Home batteries may help the grid most through clear market signals rather than broad orchestration models”.
By market signals, I assume you mean price?
I see many discussions about how the CHBP impacts Retail and Wholesale NEM prices.
I see very few discussions about the far more important impact the CHBP is having, which very few people understand or recognize.
Every Behind-the-Meter (BTM) CHBP GFM/SI🔋 added to any DNSP’s grid strengthens the grid by ensuring the DNSP end-of-line voltage (V) remains within the Australian Standard AS/NZS 60038.
The standard nominal distribution voltage for low-voltage (LV) electricity in Australia is 230V AC (single-phase) and 400V AC (three-phase), according to AS/NZS 60038. This standard, which aligns with international standards, has been in place since 2000, replacing the old 240/415V system, with an allowable operating range of +10% to -6% (216V to 253V).
Most consumers are not aware that in the old paradigm, the “Manually Operated, Centralized, Fossil, Nuclear, or Hydro-fueled, Rotational Synchronous Inertia (RSI), One-way, Analog grid" resulted in end-of-the-line Distribution Voltages that all too frequently fell outside the AS/NZS 60038. Brownouts and Blackouts are all too common as a consequence. None of the DNSP’s even monitored their end-of-the-line DNSP V to manage it through SCADA control.
In the new paradigm, “Automated, Distributed, Variable Renewable Energy and Storage (DVRES)-powered, Synthetic Inertia (SI), Two-way, Digital grid”, every BTM CHBP GFM/SI🔋 added to the DNSP grid provides a constant V and f source to the DNSP grid.
It is time for AEMO and AEMC to recognize the "Technical Grid Strength Benefits" that the CHBP is bringing to the NEM, as well as the price benefits.
My personal experience with Amber Electric as a wholesale VPP is very satisfying on the SAPN DNSP grid.
I highly recommend Amber Electric as a Wholesale VPP to anyone with an appropriately sized Rooftop Solar PVG System DC-coupled to their battery with an appropriate Inverter funnel to the Grid.
I am one of 350,000 CHBP clients identified by Chris Bowen in the last 10 months. I live in urban Adelaide, SA.
In late Oct 2025, I installed an 8kW rooftop☀️PV system DC-coupled to a 48kWh Residential GFM/SI🔋. The product was from Sigenstor, a new player based in Shanghai.
My home is 3-phase. I installed a 3x10kW inverter Gateway. I can 💯% discharge from the🔋to the Distribution Grid, or 💯% Charge from the Distribution Grid to the🔋, in about 1.5 hours.I moved from an old Retailer, where I was paying around $200 per month, to a Wholesale VPP provider called Amber Electric.
Because I installed Rooftop☀️PV at my home for the 1st time, it took about 1.5 months for the DNSP and Amber Electric to set up my account. I can see in my Amber Electric Smartshift App that, after 30 days, was>$100 in credit.
During the Australia Day spike, I made >$600.
I will never pay wholesale or retail prices for electricity again. I expect to earn money from now on.
If the old centralized analog grid system wishes to play games with me to test me, I am prepared to disconnect from the grid and operate as a stand-alone "Power Island."
I think the key here is trust and social license. Consumers do not trust the electricity industry to deliver for them a fair result. VPPs, as you say, require delegation of control and from experience, it's clear that retailers, DNSPs etc do not actually care much about the consumer and merely to control them for their own ends.
For example, SAPN, are VERY keen to control consumers behind the meter but refuse to provide any kind of insight as to why and how that helps the consumer.
The industry needs to stop licking its lips about control and start working on trust and transparency as that's severely lacking.
Thanks Matthew. I think that is exactly the deeper issue.
Whether we are talking about VPPs, flexible exports, network limits or emergency system-security actions, the consumer experience can easily become the same: someone else can affect what my solar or battery does, and I may not clearly see why, how often, what I gain, or who is accountable.
That is where trust and social licence matter.
There may be legitimate technical reasons for some forms of intervention, especially around local network constraints and minimum system load. But technical legitimacy is not the same as consumer legitimacy.
If the industry wants access to consumer-side flexibility, it has to make the purpose, limits, benefits and safeguards much clearer.
That is probably the larger lesson for me. A signal invites a response. Control asks for permission and permission depends on trust.
The DNSPs especially but also the retailers see the system as something THEY do to consumers not they operate for the consumers. Retailers have recently been very much shown to be operating for their own ends (eg. https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-urges-households-to-change-electricity-plans-to-help-offset-price-increases) and DNSPs increasingly want control without transparency - my own example of SAPN who want to control everything but do not want transparency about why based on my discussions with Adam Cameron about it. He didn't even seem to understand why I would want to know.
It's incredibly frustrating as a consumer that our interests come last.
Geoff,
I quote you: “Home batteries may help the grid most through clear market signals rather than broad orchestration models”.
By market signals, I assume you mean price?
I see many discussions about how the CHBP impacts Retail and Wholesale NEM prices.
I see very few discussions about the far more important impact the CHBP is having, which very few people understand or recognize.
Every Behind-the-Meter (BTM) CHBP GFM/SI🔋 added to any DNSP’s grid strengthens the grid by ensuring the DNSP end-of-line voltage (V) remains within the Australian Standard AS/NZS 60038.
The standard nominal distribution voltage for low-voltage (LV) electricity in Australia is 230V AC (single-phase) and 400V AC (three-phase), according to AS/NZS 60038. This standard, which aligns with international standards, has been in place since 2000, replacing the old 240/415V system, with an allowable operating range of +10% to -6% (216V to 253V).
Most consumers are not aware that in the old paradigm, the “Manually Operated, Centralized, Fossil, Nuclear, or Hydro-fueled, Rotational Synchronous Inertia (RSI), One-way, Analog grid" resulted in end-of-the-line Distribution Voltages that all too frequently fell outside the AS/NZS 60038. Brownouts and Blackouts are all too common as a consequence. None of the DNSP’s even monitored their end-of-the-line DNSP V to manage it through SCADA control.
In the new paradigm, “Automated, Distributed, Variable Renewable Energy and Storage (DVRES)-powered, Synthetic Inertia (SI), Two-way, Digital grid”, every BTM CHBP GFM/SI🔋 added to the DNSP grid provides a constant V and f source to the DNSP grid.
It is time for AEMO and AEMC to recognize the "Technical Grid Strength Benefits" that the CHBP is bringing to the NEM, as well as the price benefits.
Excellent post, Geoff.
My personal experience with Amber Electric as a wholesale VPP is very satisfying on the SAPN DNSP grid.
I highly recommend Amber Electric as a Wholesale VPP to anyone with an appropriately sized Rooftop Solar PVG System DC-coupled to their battery with an appropriate Inverter funnel to the Grid.
I am one of 350,000 CHBP clients identified by Chris Bowen in the last 10 months. I live in urban Adelaide, SA.
In late Oct 2025, I installed an 8kW rooftop☀️PV system DC-coupled to a 48kWh Residential GFM/SI🔋. The product was from Sigenstor, a new player based in Shanghai.
https://lnkd.in/gjFPCN6S
My home is 3-phase. I installed a 3x10kW inverter Gateway. I can 💯% discharge from the🔋to the Distribution Grid, or 💯% Charge from the Distribution Grid to the🔋, in about 1.5 hours.I moved from an old Retailer, where I was paying around $200 per month, to a Wholesale VPP provider called Amber Electric.
https://lnkd.in/gKZm49ih
Because I installed Rooftop☀️PV at my home for the 1st time, it took about 1.5 months for the DNSP and Amber Electric to set up my account. I can see in my Amber Electric Smartshift App that, after 30 days, was>$100 in credit.
During the Australia Day spike, I made >$600.
I will never pay wholesale or retail prices for electricity again. I expect to earn money from now on.
If the old centralized analog grid system wishes to play games with me to test me, I am prepared to disconnect from the grid and operate as a stand-alone "Power Island."