EA Technology has backed the Federal Government’s proposed Solar Sharer Scheme, saying its success will depend on how well it reflects local low-voltage network conditions as Australia’s electricity system continues to evolve.

The Solar Sharer Scheme is intended to encourage households to use electricity during periods of high rooftop solar generation, reducing the need for curtailment and lowering overall system costs. While EA Technology supports the proposal, it warns that poorly targeted incentives could lead to unintended cross-subsidies across the network.

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EA Technology says managing energy flows increasingly requires a focus on conditions at the low-voltage level, where rooftop solar systems and flexible demand are connected and where constraints vary significantly between feeders.

As the grid transitions, recognising these localised constraints is critical, particularly as programs such as the Cheaper Home Batteries Program seek to absorb excess rooftop solar through household storage rather than costly network upgrades.

“Voltage fluctuations, congestion and export headroom vary between individual feeders, and these differences are largely invisible in today’s market signals,” EA Technology Australia head of future networks Dr Yogendra Vashishtha says.

“Similar to the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, the Solar Sharer Scheme encourages consumers to shift their demand. By using solar energy during peak generation periods, we can reduce the need for blunt constraints such as export limits or curtailing rooftop solar and better manage localised generation on the network.”

The Solar Sharer Scheme consultation paper highlights the complexity of balancing increased renewable energy production with network constraints, including the role of cost-reflective pricing, export tariffs and flexible export arrangements.

Dr Yogendra says better visibility of low-voltage network conditions would be essential for the scheme to deliver meaningful benefits.

“The Solar Sharer Scheme will be the most effective when it is supported by better insights into LV network conditions, allowing networks and regulators to distinguish between areas that genuinely need to be constrained and those that can safely absorb more renewable energy,” he says.

“From a network perspective, export tariffs and flexible exports are really driven by locations, not just time. Knowing what the network’s condition is essential if Australia is to implement the Solar Sharer Scheme more effectively and efficiently.”