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DER CUSTOMER INSIGHTS: THE CUSTOMER JOURNEYJULY 2020
2DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 EXECUTIVESUMMARY 4
2.0 INTRODUCTION 6
2.1 THEDERCUSTOMERJOURNEY 6
3.0 ENGAGEMENTANDACQUISITION 7
3.1 ENGAGEMENT 7
3.1.1 ENGAGEMENTMETHODS 7
3.1.2 KEYCONSIDERATIONSFORSUCCESSFULENGAGEMENT 8
3.1.3 SEEKINGALOCALCHAMPIONINGEOGRAPHICALLY-FOCUSSEDPROJECTS 8
3.2 ACQUISITION 9
3.2.1 THECHALLENGEOFCUSTOMERACQUISITION 9
3.2.2 ENGAGEMENT&ACQUISITION:WHATWORKED,ANDWHY? 9
3.2.3 ENGAGEMENT&ACQUISITION:WHATDIDN’TWORK,ANDWHY? 10
3.2.4 ASSESSINGCUSTOMERSUITABILITY 11
4.0 INSTALLATION 12
4.1.1 INSTALLATION:WHATWORKED,ANDWHY? 12
4.1.2 INSTALLATION:WHATDIDN’TWORK,ANDWHY? 13
5.0 OPERATIONANDMAINTENANCE 15
5.1.1 OPERATION&MAINTENANCE:WHATWORKED,ANDWHY? 15
5.1.2 OPERATION&MAINTENANCE:WHATDIDN’TWORK,ANDWHY? 16
6.0 RETENTION 17
6.1.1 RETENTION:WHATWORKED,ANDWHY? 18
6.1.2 RETENTION:WHATDIDN’TWORK,ANDWHY? 18
7.0 CONCLUSION 19
7.1 THESIXKEYINGREDIENTSTOAHAPPYDERCUSTOMER 19
8.0 APPENDICES 21
8.1 APPENDIXA:SUMMARYOFKEYLESSONS 21
8.2 APPENDIXB:THECOHORTOFARENA-FUNDEDDERPROJECTS ANDTHEIRCUSTOMERS 23
3DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
ABOUTTHISREPORTThisreportispartoftheAustralianRenewableEnergyAgency(ARENA)‘DERCustomerInsightsSeries’whichinvestigatestheexperiencesofcustomersinvolvedintwentyARENA-fundedDistributedEnergyResources(DER)projects(‘projects’).AsummaryoftheprojectsthatweresystematicallyanalysedisinAppendixB
TheanalysiswasundertakenbyUTSInstituteforSustainableFutures,whopreparedthereportinconjunctionwithARENA.
TheInstituteforSustainableFutures(ISF)isaninterdisciplinaryresearchandconsultingorganisationattheUniversityofTechnologySydney.ISFhasbeensettingglobalbenchmarkssince1997inhelpinggovernments,organisations,businessesandcommunitiesachievechangetowardssustainablefutures.Forfurtherinformationvisit:www.isf.uts.edu.au
ISF Research Team
› DaniAlexander
› DrScottDwyer
› DrChrisBriggs
› ProfessorChrisRiedy
DisclaimerTheauthorshaveusedallduecareandskilltoensurethematerialisaccurateasatthedateofthisreport.ISFandtheauthorsdonotacceptanyresponsibilityforanylossthatmayarisebyanyonerelyinguponitscontents.
4DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
ThisreportispartoftheARENA‘DERCustomerInsightsSeries’whichinvestigatestheexperiencesofcustomersinvolvedinARENA-fundedDERprojects.Customerinsightsweredrawnandanalysedfromalmostone-hundredreportsarisingfromtwentyofARENA’sDERprojects.
Thisreportfeaturesinsightsdrawnfromthecustomerjourney.TheDERcustomerjourneywasassessedacrossalltwentyprojectsasfourseparatestages,documentingapproaches,experiences,issuesandkeylessons.Thesefourstagesweredefinedas:
› Engagement and acquisition:involvingallstepsintheleaduptoproduct’sinstallation,includingallawarenessraisinguptothepointofthefinancialtransactionandsigningofcontracts.
› Installation:involvingallthestepsdirectlyrelatedtotheinstallation,includinganypre-installationsitevisit.
› Operation and maintenance:coversallongoingactivitiesrelatedtotheoperationoftheDERsystem(firmwareandhardware),includinganyscheduledorunscheduledmaintenance.
› Retention:thepost-installationphasethatensurescustomerscontinuetobesatisfiedwiththeirproductandservice,leadingtoon-goingengagementandthecustomerbecominganimportantadvocateofDER.
1.0EXECUTIVESUMMARY
THEDERCUSTOMERJOURNEYILLUSTRATESTHESTEPSTHATCUSTOMERSGOTHROUGHINENGAGINGWITHADERPRODUCTORRELATEDSERVICE.
Installation
Engagement& acquisition
All steps in the lead up toproduct's installation,including all awarenessraising up to the point of thefinancial transaction andsigning of contracts.
Operation &maintenance
All steps related tothe installation,including any pre-installationsite visits.
All ongoing activitiesrelated to operation of the DER system,including any scheduledor unscheduledmaintenance.
Retention
Part of the post-installationphase thatensures customerscontinue to be satisfiedwith theirproduct/service, leading to continuedengagement advocacy
Figure1:TheCustomerJourney
Note:Thecustomerjourneydepictedheretakesintoaccounttheproductlifecycleexcludingtheend-of-lifephase.Whileanimportantaspecttoconsiderintermsofsustainability,thiswasoutsidethescopeofthisproject.
5DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
Characterisingthecustomerjourneycanfacilitatebetterunderstandingofthecustomerfortheorganisationsinvolvedintheprojects,andleadtocontinualimprovementofthevalueproposition.FromanalysingtheinsightsderivedalongtheDERcustomerjourney,6key‘ingredients’wereidentifiedthatcontributetocreatingahappyDERcustomer:
1. Customer knowledge & understanding:knowwhoyourcustomersareandthevaluesthatdrivethem.
2. Clear value proposition:thecustomervaluepropositionandthebenefitsareclearlyarticulated.
3. Smooth customer experience: Providedthroughouttheentirecustomerjourney.
4. Market-ready product: theDERproductsareofsufficientcommercialmaturity.
5. ‘Super installers’:Installationisacriticalmoment–enlistwell-trained,knowledgeableinstallerswhoknowtheircustomers.
6. Earned trust: trustiscriticalinpublicacceptanceandadvocacy.Thisshouldbeearnedalongtheentirecustomerjourney.
UltimatelythiswillhelpacceleratetherateatwhichDERisdeployedbythesectorandmaximisethepotentialbenefitstocustomersandtheenergysystem.
Earned trust
'Super installers'
Smooth customer experience
Customer knowledge& understanding
Clear value proposition
Market-ready products
Figure2:SixkeyingredientstoahappyDERcustomer.
6DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
2.1THEDERCUSTOMERJOURNEY
CharacterisingandcriticallyassessingthejourneythatDERcustomersgothroughcanfacilitatebetterunderstandingofthecustomer,whileleadingtocontinualimprovementfororganisationsinvolvedinthissector.ItcanalsoleadtobettercustomeroutcomesandhelpmaximisethebenefitsofDERtobothcustomersandtotheenergysystem.Acustomerjourneyillustratesthestepsthatcustomersgothroughinengagingwithaproductorservice.
ForARENA’sDERCustomerInsightSeries,thisencompassesthephasesfromwhenacustomermaybecomefirstawareofaDERproductorserviceoffering,throughthetransactionalpurchase,andbeyondaspartofanongoingrelationshipthatistheresultofthecontinuedservicingofthatcustomer.
ManyoftheARENAprojectsemphasisedtheneedforprovidingasmoothcustomerexperiencealongtheentirecustomerjourney.Aspartofthis,listeningto-andactingon-customerfeedbackwasseenasessentialforensuringcontinualimprovementofthecustomerexperienceacrosstheentirejourney.
ForthepurposesofthisCustomerInsightsSeries,theDERcustomerjourneyhasbeensimplifiedintofourmainsteps.ThecustomerjourneywasassessedacrossthesefourseparatestagesfortwentyARENADERprojects,documentingapproaches,experiences,issuesandkeylessons.
ThefollowingsectionsaddressstepsonetofourinthecustomerjourneydetailedinFigure1.Eachsectioncontainsmoredetailsofeachstep,resultingfromtheanalysisofalmostone-hundredreportsthatweregeneratedbytwentyDERprojectsfundedbyARENAanditsindustrypartners.
ENGAGEMENTANDACQUISITION
INSTALLATION
OPERATIONANDMAINTENANCE
RETENTION
2.0INTRODUCTION
7DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
TheacquisitionandengagementstepinthecustomerjourneyinvolvesallstepspriortoinstallationoftheDERproduct.Thisincludesanyawarenessraisingonthepartoftheproviderviamarketingandcommunications,aswellasthecustomeracquisitionprocessitself.
3.1ENGAGEMENT
AwiderangeofengagementmethodswereemployedbyprojectpartnersinthetwentyARENA-fundedprojectsanalysed.Engagementactivitieswereundertakenthroughavarietyofonlineandofflinemethodsinordertoreachpotentialcustomersand/orthetargetedcommunities.
3.1.1ENGAGEMENTMETHODS
Thevarietyoftheengagementmethodsusedacrossthedifferentprojectsisdetailedinthetablebelow.
TABLE2:OFFLINEANDONLINEENGAGEMENTMETHODSEMPLOYEDBYARENA-FUNDEDPROJECTPARTNERS
1 A‘LocalChampion’isanindividual,group,ororganisationwhoistrustedamongthetargetcustomergroup/communityandsupportstheoffer/project.
OFFLINE ONLINE
Directmail Emailcampaigns
Public/townhallmeetings Projectpartnerwebsites
Communityworkshops Otherwebsites(includingnews)
Homevisits Socialmedia
Marketingmaterial,bannersandsignage Mediareleases
Traditionalmedia(radio/tv/newspapers) Webinars
Surveys Surveys
Communitygroups/Localchampions1
3.0ENGAGEMENTANDACQUISITION
Figure4:Synergy’scommunitybatterysignagefromAlkimosBeach.
Themarketingsignagewasdesignedtocreateabuzzinthecommunitywithsimplebutenticingmessagingforthecommunitybatteryinstallation.
Source:Synergy
8DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
Synergy & partners community battery trial (at a new residential development at Alkimos Beach). ANU & partners
Consort Trial (on Bruny Island, Tasmania)
UTS & partners Networks Renewed VPPs' (centred on Collombatti in NSW and Yackandandah in Victoria).
United Energy & partners residential solar storage trial (at a number of network constrained locations east of Melbourne).
3.1.3SEEKINGALOCALCHAMPIONINGEOGRAPHICALLY-FOCUSSEDPROJECTS
Identifyingandengagingalocalchampionwasconsideredcriticalwhereaprojecthadageographicfocus,suchasaspecifictown,area,orhousingdevelopment.Thecriticalstepforthesetypesofprojectsistoidentifytrustedagentsasearlyaspossibleinaprojectandpriortoanypubliccommunicationtakingplace.
Projectsthathadaparticularlystronggeographicfocusandwereassessedaspartofthisresearchwere:
› UTS and partners‘NetworksRenewed’VirtualPowerPlant(VPP)trialthatwascentredonCollombattiinNSWandYackandandahinVictoria.https://arena.gov.au/projects/networks-renewed/
› Synergy and partnerscommunitybatterytrialthattookplaceatanewresidentialdevelopmentatAlkimosBeach,WA.https://arena.gov.au/knowledge-bank/alkimos-beach-energy-storage-trial-customer-insights-2019/
› ANU and partners‘CONSORTBatteryTrial’thatwasundertakenonBrunyIsland,Tasmania.https://arena.gov.au/projects/consumer-energy-systems-providing-cost-effective-grid-support-consort/
› United Energy andpartnersresidentialsolarstoragetrialthatfocussedonanumberofnetworkconstrainedlocationseastofMelbourneCBD.https://arena.gov.au/projects/united-energy-distribution-demand-response/
3.1.2KEYCONSIDERATIONSFORSUCCESSFULENGAGEMENT
Anumberofconsiderationsemergedaskeywhenitcametosuccessfulengagementactivities.Theseweredrawnfromacrossthedifferentprojectsandwerearesultofexistingknowledgeandexpertisethatpartnersbroughttotheprojects,aswellfromlessonslearnedthroughfromtheprojectengagement.
Keyconsiderationsfor successfulengagement
Communicate the offerand pricing simply
Address customerenquiries quicklyand effectively
Maintain resourcesthat are accessible,
relevant and up to date
Use the engagement to create excitement in
the community for the offer
Identify and work with a ‘Local Champion’
(where relevant)
Figure5:MapofARENA-fundedDERprojectswithastronggeographicfocus.
Theseprojectswerefocussedonaparticulardevelopment,town,orareainordertoaddressanidentifiedelectricitynetworkconstraintatthatlocation.
9DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
3.2ACQUISITION
Acquisitionisthephasewhenthecustomerconsiderstheoffer.Keyactivitiesofthecustomerwouldinclude:
› Undertaking their own researchthroughaccessingonlineandofflineinformation,engagingwithemployeesoftheprojectpartners(in-person,onthephone,orviaemail),andspeakingwithfriends,family,orneighbours(word-of-mouth).
› Facilitating any pre-installation suitability assessment andsiteinspections.
› Participating in the actual transaction and purchase itself,whichisinitiatedthroughreviewandsigningofacontract,payingthesupplier,andagreeinganinstallationandactivationdate.
3.2.1THECHALLENGEOFCUSTOMERACQUISITION
CustomeracquisitionwaschallengingforthemajorityofDERprojectsstudied.Thistypicallyresultedintheprocesstakinglongerthanexpected,orrecruitinglesscustomersthanwasoriginallytargeted.Thosethathadmoresuccesswiththispartofthecustomerjourneyhad:
› Undertook detailed customer research in advance tobetterunderstandtheneedsoftheirtargetcustomers2.
› Targeted communities that they were already familiar and/or had high-levels of engagementonenergyissuesalready(suchastheANU-ledBrunyIslandtrial,ortheUTS-ledYackandandahtrial).
› More conservativecustomeracquisitiontargets
3.2.2ENGAGEMENT&ACQUISITION:WHATWORKED,ANDWHY?
Engagementandacquisitionofcustomersrepresentsakeystageinthecustomerjourney.Belowsummariseswhatworkedinparticular,andwhy.
› Thorough planningofallcommunicationandengagement–ensuringthatmessagingwasconsistentandavoidingconfusionormisinformationspreading.
› Careful consideration of which partner’s branding to use–themorefamiliar,welltrustedbrandwillhavethemostpositiveimpactonacquisition.
› Understanding which communication channel works bestfordifferenttypesofcustomers–allcustomersaredifferentandmakingassumptionsaboutpreferredmethodsofcommunicationcanmeanmissingengagementwithalargesectionofthemarket.
› Ensuring that all partners and key stakeholders have the relevant and up-to-date information (e.g.scripteddescriptionsoftheproject,propositionandbenefits,andanswerstofrequentlyaskedquestions)–thisensuresthatallpartnersarepreparedtodeliveraccurateandconsistentinformationandmessaging,avoidingcustomerconfusion.
› Updating information in response to developments as part of a constant feedback loop–thisensuresthatthecustomerjourneyandtheirexperienceiscontinuallyimproved.
› Increasing publicitythroughlaunchevents,communityforums/events,andwordofmouthwerefoundtobeanimportantwaytoacquirecustomers.
2 For more information see ARENA’s DER Customer Insights Report on Customer Values.
CASE STUDY: THE CONSORT BRUNY ISLAND BATTERY TRIAL
Background BrunyIslandisaTasmanianislandandpopulartouristdestination.Itcomprisesfarmsandsmalltownshipscomprisingsuburbanhousing.Whilemostoftheislandhasmainssuppliedelectricity,theelectricitydistributionnetworkmustdeliverpowertothewidelydispersedpopulationthatcanposechallengesforreliabilityandresilience.
ProjectDetails TheaimoftheBrunyIslandBatteryTrialwastouseresidentialsolarPVandbatteriesinthehomesof34oftheisland’sresidentstoreducerelianceondieselgenerators.TheprojectinvestigatedwhethersolarPVandbatteriescouldmanagehouseholdenergydemandwhilealsosupportingtheisland’selectricitynetwork.Consumersandtheirexperienceswereanimportantfocusforthetrial.
TheCustomerJourney
Followinginitialawarenessraisingthroughvariouschannels(e.g.communityandindustryforums,anduptoatleast50mediaitemsacrossvarioustypes),interestedparticipantswererequiredtosubmitanexpressionofinterest,whichhelpedselectthosethatmetabasiccriteriafortrialparticipation.Thoseexpressionsofinterestthatqualifiedwerethenenteredintoarandomballot.Thoseselectedwereofferedtheopportunitytoparticipateinthetrialandwereallowedtoselectaninstallerfromapre-selectedlist(intendedtomimica“real-worldsituation”).
10DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
› Trusted platforms(suchasthewebsitesofgovernmentagencies)werefoundtobeanimportantsourceofinformationpotentialcustomersturnedto.
Publicity surrounding launch events, community forums/events, and word of mouth were found to be an important way to acquire customers.
Trustedplatforms(suchasthewebsitesofgovernmentagencies)wereanimportantsourceofinformationpotentialcustomersturnedto.
Personalisedemailcommunicationwasfoundtobethepreferredmethodofcommunicationinsome(butnotall)projects,althoughdifferentresponseratescouldbeexpecteddependingonwhenemailsweresent.Forexample,inGreenSync’sdeXConsumerInsightsReport3,8amonaSundaywasfoundtoworkbestcomparedwitheveningorweekdaymailings.Thishasimplicationsforincreasingthemarketingleadsintosales.
› Working with local championswhoaretrustedwithinthecommunityareparticularlyimportantincertaincases-theyplayamajorroleinhowaprojectisperceivedandacceptedsotheirbuy-iniscrucial.
› Providing detailed information on benefits(e.g.savings)incommunicationmaterial(includingoptimalsizingforacustomer’sspecificsystem,andthelikelyimpactontheirbillsunderdifferentscenarios)providedtransparencytothecustomeronthelikelybenefits.
Focusing on a simple proposition and avoiding jargon
Inonetrial,inresponsetofeedbackfromcustomers,theterm‘smart’wasremovedfromthedescriptionoftheiroffer.Insteadthiswasreplacedwithadescriptionofasimplevaluepropositionbasedonaspecificfinancialreturnoverafixedtimeperiod(i.e.earn$5,000over2years).Thisresultedinanincreaseinthecustomeracquisitionrate.
› Minimising the number of customer stepsforregisteringinterestandsigningup–fewerstepsandasimplifiedsalesprocesscontributestoalowerattritionrateduringthecustomeracquisitionprocess.
› Timely and effective follow-up of leads–afast,wellmanagedsalesprocesscontributestoalowerattritionrateduringthecustomeracquisitionprocess.
› Early determination of customer eligibility–reducescustomeracquisitioncosts,andminimisesthetimeinvestment(andsubsequentdisappointment)ofpotentialcustomers.
› Ownership models tailored to the target customergroup–earlyadopters(whowerewell-representedwithintheprojects)highlyvaluedtheirenergyindependencesodidnotfindthird-partyownershipmodelsappealing.
3.2.3ENGAGEMENT&ACQUISITION:WHATDIDN’TWORK,ANDWHY?
Initialapproachestoengagementandacquisitionweren’talwaysfoundtobesuccessful.Belowsummariseswhatdidn’tworkinparticular,andwhy.
› Complexmessagingorprovidingtoomanyoptions–leadingtocustomersnotunderstandingtheofferandthebenefitstothemresultinginlowacquisitionrates.
Too many options are daunting for customers who preferred simple brochures and products
ANU’sConsortTrialfoundthatprovidingasuiteofchoicesoftechnologytypesandbillingoptionswasdauntingforcustomers.Othertrialsalsofoundthatsimplebrochuresthatfocusedonthebenefitsweremosteffective,and“simpleproducts”werepreferredbycustomers.
› Slowand/orcumbersomeacquisitionprocesses(e.g.delaysduetonetworkconnectionapprovals,orwheretherewasarelianceonpostaldeliveryinareaswherethiscouldbesloworinfrequentlychecked)–leadingtoalowerrateofcustomeracquisition.
› Anirregularorimpersonalpointofcontact–thesebarrierstoeffectivecommunicationledtolowerlevelsoftrust,thespreadofmisunderstandingsormisinformation,andlowerratesofcustomeracquisition.
3 https://arena.gov.au/assets/2019/03/dex-consumer-insights-report.pdf
11DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
3.2.4ASSESSINGCUSTOMERSUITABILITY
Duringtheacquisitionandengagementprocess,itiscriticaltoidentifyasquicklyaspossiblethesuitabilityofaprospectiveDERcustomerforinstallation(i.e.thenextstageinthecustomerjourney).Forexample,havingenoughroofspaceforsolarPVorhavingasuitablelocationtohouseabattery.
Severalprojectsconductedthorougheligibilitychecksandpre-inspectionsbeforeattemptinginstallationtospeedupcustomerrecruitmentwhileminimisingcustomeracquisitioncosts.Asharedsentimentacrossallprojectswasthatinstallationwasoftenmorecomplex,timeconsuming,andcostlythanexpected.
Ifthecustomerisdeemedsuitable,andthetransactionproceeds,the‘potentialcustomer’becomesan‘actualcustomer’andtheirjourneyadvancesintotheInstallationphase.
12DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
4.0INSTALLATION
TheinstallationofanyDERproductisakeymomentwithlastingimpactsonthecustomerandtheirviewofthetechnologyandtheprovider.Thisphaseinvolvesallthestepsdirectlyrelatedtotheinstallation,includinganypre-installationsitevisits.
Iftheinstallationisnotplannedwell,itcanbeasourceoffrustrationforbothinstallersandcustomerswithmultiplecommunicationsandrepeatvisitsneeded.
Thisstepinvolvesdirectcontactwiththecustomer,withwhomtheinstallermayormaynothavebeenincontactbefore(dependingoniftheywereinvolvedintheengagementoracquisitionprocess).Anumberofprojectsemphasisedstronglytheneedtoenlistwell-trained,knowledgeableinstallerswhodeeplyunderstandcustomers,theirrequirements,andtheproduct.
4.1.1INSTALLATION:WHATWORKED,ANDWHY?
Belowlistswhatworkedwhenitcametotheinstallationphase,andthereasonsconsideredbeingbehindthis.
› Including installers in the project design phase–earlyinvolvementhelpedgetinstallers’buy-intotheprojectanditsoverarchingobjectives.Itislikelytoalsohavehadapositiveimpactonimprovedcostestimation,planning,andmanagementofcertainrisks.
› Investing resources in the installation process(e.g.pre-installsiteinspections,technicalsupportforinstallers,knowledgetransfer)–thishelpedensurehigherqualityinstallationswithfewerreturnvisitstoremedyissues.
› Comprehensivetrainingofinstallersincludingupskillingandembracingtheircapacitytobe‘knowledgebrokers’–customerslooktotheirinstallersforadviceandarewillingtoplacetheirtrustinthem.Therefore,theyhaveamajorinfluenceontheoverallcustomerexperience.
› Quick, effective installation with a single site visit–thisminimisescostandtimefortheinstaller/provider,whileleadingtoamorepositiveexperienceforthecustomer.
Figure6:TypicalcustomerinstallationsfromUnitedEnergy’sresidentialsolarandstorageprogram.
UnitedEnergyreviewedanumberoftechnologyprovidersfortheirtrialbeforeselectingapreferredinstallertoundertakethework.
Source:UnitedEnergy
13DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
› Providing an early indication to customers if they are likely to need non-standard installations(longer,morecostly,moreintrusive)–managingtheexpectationsofcustomerswillavoidthechanceofanegativecustomerexperience.
› Providing firm pricing options with no hidden costs–addingtoamorepositivecustomerexperiencewhenthecostsaretransparent.
› Planning for internet connectivity issues(e.g.installerswereabletoconfirm3/4Gcoverageatacustomer’shomepriortovisitingthehomefortheinstallation.Thiswasthecasewiththe“RepositBox”thatwasdeployedacrossmanysitesinanumberoftheprojects)–thiswouldavoidpotentialfrustration,additionalcosts,anddelaysforthecustomerandinstaller.
Internet connectivity could pose a challenge but could be mitigated with forward planning
Someprojectswereawarealreadyofthechallengestosetupdevicesandmaintaininternetconnectivityonhomenetworks.Gatheringinternetproviderandconnectiondetailspriortoasitevisithelpedidentifyandaddressissuesinadvanceoftheinstallervisit.
Customers(ortheirfamilymembers/co-inhabitants)withthelowestleveloftechnicalexpertiseshouldbeexpectedandbeabletobecateredfor.DERtechnologiesshouldideallybeabletocopewithfrequentinterruptionsininternetconnectivity.
› Survey customer emotions before and after installation–thiscangiveanindicationofanydeeperissuesorproblemsthathaveemergedinthecustomerjourneyuptoandincludingthecrucialinstallationphase.
› Timely, effective response to any issues–leadingtoamorepositivecustomerexperience.
4.1.2INSTALLATION:WHATDIDN’TWORK,ANDWHY?
› Underestimating the time, complexity and cost in planning the installation of a new technology–inparticulartheelectricalinfrastructureandphysicallayoutofhomescanvarywidely.Thiscanmeanadditionalwork,fromlayingconcreteplinthsandupgradingswitchboards,tofixingcrackedrooftilesandtrimmingsurroundingvegetationtoreduceshading.
Many homes needed some form of upgrade to the infrastructure to accommodate a residential battery
ForAGL’sSouthAustralianVPPproject,78%ofsitesneededavariationduetocertaincharacteristicsofthehome.Thiswasduetotherequirementsofinstallingthebatterystoragesystem.Thishadimplicationsfortheamountofwork,cost,andcomplexityoftheinstallation.
› A drawn-out, “diffuse” processthatwasslowwithmultiplevisitsrequiredcanleadtonegativesentiments,suchasfrustration,anxietyandanger.Repeatvisitstofixtechnicalissueswereacommonissue.
› Cashflow for installers was an issue that delayed installs significantly.Thisisparticularlytruewhenmostinstallsneededsomerectificationandinstallerswereonlypaidwhentheseissueswererectified
› Pre-suitability checksareingeneralausefultoolfortheinstallationphasebutissuescanstillarise-theycanimproveprocessefficiency,minimisecosts,andaddressanysafetyissuesinadvance.However,evenwhentheyareemployed,unexpectedissuescanstillleadtolowerthanexpectedcustomeracquisitionrates.
Pre-suitability checks can be a useful tool but unforeseen issues can still arise
Synergy’sAlkimosBeachprojectfoundalargenumberoftheirtargetcustomersweren’teligibleastheyhadreversibleairconditioningunitsthatdidn’tmeetwiththerequiredstandardfordemandresponsecontrol.
› Over-stretched supply chains or those covering large areascanbeslowertorespond.Addressingcustomerissuesquicklycanbeamajorchallengewhereinstallerscoveralargearea,forexampleinregionalareaswithlowerpopulationdensities.
14DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
Stringent management of supply chains critical to a positive customer experience
In2015,ErgonEnergytestedahybridenergysystemwith33customersinToowoomba,Cannonvale,andTownsville.Thenetworkfoundthat“stringentmanagementofsupplychainswascritical”toapositiveconsumerexperienceaswellasacost-effectiveservice.
› Variable installer quality,includingvaryinglevelsofservice,ability,knowledgeandtechnicalcompetence–leadingtoapoorexperienceforsomecustomers.
› Poor aestheticsofinstalledequipment–notfittingwithanexistinghome’slookandfeelaffectedthesatisfactionlevelsofcustomers.
Aesthetics as a barrier to DER uptake
CSIRO’sstudy,‘Householderinterestandactiveparticipationinthesolardistributedenergymarket’,foundthataestheticswereabarriertoDERuptake,particularlyaroundthesizeofbatteriesandwheretheywouldneedtobelocated.Newindustrystandardsrequirethatbatteriesbemountedona“non-combustiblesurface”(oftenacementblock)andextracementsheetingmaybeneededtolinethewallwherethereisa“habitableroom”ontheotherside.
15DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
Thisstepinvolvesallactivitiesrelatedtothescheduledandunscheduledoperationandmaintenance(O&M)oftheDERequipmentoveritslifetime.Thiscanincludeinteractionwithboththehardwareandfirmware.
MostcustomersinvolvedinARENA-fundedDERprojectsreceivedatleastoneadditionalhomevisitafterinstallationandthisisakeystageofthecustomerjourney.However,therewasnotthesamewealthofinsightsthatwerefoundinthepreviousstages.Onereasonmayhavebeenbecausetheprojectswerefocusedonreportingoutcomesoncustomerrecruitment/acquisition,installationandearlyoperation.AnothermayhavebeenbecausepositiveexperiencesofO&Minthefirst1-2yearsarelesslikelytobeasreportedcomparedtonegativeones(thereisabase-levelexpectationthattheproductwillwork).
Mostprojectsacknowledgedtheimportanceofprovidingtimelyandeffectivesupporttocustomers.Keepingcommunicationchannelsopenisawaytoensureintegrityoftheinstalledtechnologyandbuildtrust.Aswithinstallation,customerscaredabouthavingaccesstowell-trainedandknowledgeablepersonnel.
5.1.1OPERATION&MAINTENANCE:WHATWORKED,ANDWHY?
Belowprovidesasummaryofwhatwasfoundtohaveworkedwithregardstotheoperationalandmaintenancestageofthecustomerjourney,aswellasthereasonswhy.
› Effective, fast follow ups to customer issues–thiswascoretoachievingahigherlevelofcustomersatisfaction.
› Providing detailed and accessible technical documentation to the customer-allowingthemtoeithertroubleshootissuestosolvecommonproblems,orunderstandwhenexternalsupportwasneeded.
› Comprehensive technical and customer engagement trainingforinstallersandsupportservicepersonneltoreduceissuesforthecustomerfurtherdowntheline.
› Keeping online resources (e.g. product manuals, user guides) current and up to datetoresolvecommonissuesmoreeasilyandquickly.
› Providing clear, end-to-end processesfortheentireprojecttoallprojectpartners,stakeholdersandsubcontractorsinthesupplychaintoensureasmoothprocessforthecustomer.
Half of post-installation issues avoided for one project by investing in the installation process
Ergon’sResidentialSolarPV+Battery(HybridEnergyService)Pilotfoundthat50%ofpost-installationissuescouldbeavoidedwithacombinationofbetterdocumentation,training,andthroughtheestablishmentofend-to-endprocessesthatwereeasyforcontractorstofollow.
5.0OPERATIONANDMAINTENANCE
Figure7:TheLO3mobileappforDERcustomers.
TheappprovidedcustomersinLO3’strialwithanoverviewoftheelectricitybeinggeneratedbytheirDER,aswellaschoosingwhatdevicestoenactfordemandresponse.
Source:LO3
16DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
5.1.2OPERATION&MAINTENANCE:WHATDIDN’TWORK,ANDWHY?
Belowprovidesasummaryofwhatwasfoundtohavenotworkedwithregardstotheoperationalandmaintenancestageofthecustomerjourney,aswellasthereasonswhy.
› Gaps in processes and a lack of documentationthatincludedadescriptionoftherolesandresponsibilitiesofeachactorinthesupplychain–thiscouldleadtoconfusionandincreaseinpost-installationissues.
› Lack of training for key customer-facing rolesincludinginstallers(whomayneedtoreturntothepremisestoremedyissues)andsupportservicepersonnel(whowillhavetodealwithcustomercallstofieldqueriesandcomplaints)–thiswouldleadtoapoorercustomerserviceandexperience.
› Issues with DER functionality,particularlyforinverterconnectivitythatwasdisrupted(e.g.bynetworkvoltageissues).Theseinterruptionswouldthenimpactonthecustomereconomicsandtheirperceptionofthetrialandtechnology.
Some operational issues were linked to wider energy system challenges
AGL’sVirtualPowerPlanttrialfoundthataroundaneighthoftheenergystoragesystemsinitsprojectexperiencedhighvoltagesthatwouldleadtodisconnectionfromthegrid.ThismeantthattheywouldbecomeunavailableassetswithintheAGLfleetattimesofhighgridvoltage.
Thesehighvoltagescanbeexacerbatedbylowelectricitydemandandhighsolargeneration(e.g.duringthemiddleoftheday),andisachallengeforAustralia’snetworkbusinessestoremedy.AnotherofARENA’sprojects(theUTS-ledNetworksRenewed)wasfundedtolookatwhetherofferingnetworksupportservicesthroughacustomer’sconnectedDERcouldaddressvoltageissues.Thetrialprovedthatbothsolarandbatteriescansupportnetworkvoltageinthisway.
› Issues or discomfort with third-party ownership or control of the DER–ForsomecustomersintheDERtrials,greatercontrolandindependenceovertheirenergywereimportantmotivators,sometimesevenmoreimportantthanthefinancialbenefitsonoffer.
A majority of customers in some trials valued control over any additional financial benefits
Oneprojectsaidonly16%oftheircustomerswerecomfortablewiththis,althoughitwasfeltthatthiswasaddressableifframedinadifferentway.
Anothersaidthatitexpectedthatifconsumerswereremuneratedwell-enough,thentherewouldbegreatereaseovertheirbatterysystemsbeingcontrolled.Instead,itwasfoundcustomersputamuchhigherpremiumonback-uppowerthanwasassumedandwerewillingtoforegotheadditionalfinancialbenefitstomaintaincontrol.
17DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
Thisstepinvolvesthepost-installationphasethatensurescustomerscontinuetobesatisfiedwiththeirproductandservice,leadingtoon-goingengagementandthecustomerbecominganimportantadvocateofDER.
Thisincludesanypotentialinteractionsbetweenthecustomerandtheirsystem.Forexample,controllingtheirdevice,visitinganonlineportal/smartphoneapptoreviewenergyusageandanysavingsmade,proactivelycontactingthesupplier/operator/installeroftheirDERsystem(andhavingqueriesorcomplaintsansweredquicklyandeffectively),orpassivelyreceivingalerts(viaemail,text,oramobilephoneapp).
Theimplementationofongoingcommunicationplansaspartofaretentionstrategycancontributetomaintainingagenerallypositivesentimenttowardsthetechnologiesandtheproviders.
ThetwentyARENA-fundedDERprojectsweremainlydemonstrationsthatsoughttoshowhowtheeffectiveuseofdistributedenergyresourcescanhelpAustraliatransitiontoasecureandreliablegridwithahighshareofrenewables.Theseweretypicallyinnovativeapplicationsoftechnologiesand/orbusinessmodelsthattookplaceoveradefinedperiodoftime.Aswouldbeexpected,theprojectreportsthatweregeneratedcontainedlesscustomerinsightsontheretentionphase.Someindividualfindingsarereportedbelow.
ACUSTOMERPERSPECTIVEONARENADERTRIALPARTICIPATION
DERSharonfromOsbornesFlatinYackandandahsharesherperspectiveonwhyitwasgreattobeinvolvedinanARENA-fundedDERtrial.
YackandandahisasmallformergoldminingtowninNorthEastVictoria.In2014,itsetitselfatargetof100%renewablesforthetownby2022.TotallyRenewableYackandandahisthelocalcommunitygrouprunbyvolunteersthathasestablishedaroadmapforachievingthistarget.Forthisreason,itisanidealcommunitytotargetforDERprojects.
AswellasthelocationforoneoftheARENA-fundedNetworksRenewedtrials,italsohasseveralmicrogridsfundedbyvariousagenciesincludingtheVictorianGovernmentthatseekstohelpittowardsits2022target.
Source:UTS
6.0RETENTION
18DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
6.1.1RETENTION:WHATWORKED,ANDWHY?
Theretentionphaseisthefinalstageinthecustomerjourney.Belowprovidesasummaryofwhatinparticularworkedandthereasonswhy.
› Ongoing certainty was preferred,evenifgreatersavingswereonoffer–forsomecustomersintheDERtrials,greatercontrolandindependenceovertheirenergyweremoreimportantmotivators.
Lower capped earnings were preferred to higher variable ones
Oneprojectfoundthata$2adayofferwithacappedpriceprovedmorepopularevenifitwasshownthattheycouldbebetteroffonavariablerate.
› Ongoing and planned engagementfortheyearsbeyondinstallationthattheprojectislikelytolast(e.g.communityforumsandevents,onlineforumsand/orsocialmedia‘communities’)–directedatcustomerretentionandbuildingadvocacy.
› Influencing changes in consumer behaviour–fromparticipatinginthetrials,customersdecidedonmovingtoatime-of-usetariff.Thisshowedcustomerswereabletoadapttheirbehaviorasrequired.
› Offering ongoing support–helpingcustomersoptimisetheirDERovertime,notingthatsomecustomerswishto“setandforget”,whileotherspreferregularnotifications.Thisongoingsupportwasabletoimprovethechancesofretainingthosecustomersforwhomthiswasanimportantrequirement.
Customer knowledge and understanding will help inform engagement for retention
Possessingagoodunderstandingofthecustomersisalsoimportantforunderstandinghowdifferenttypesofcustomersprefertoengageandbeengagedwith.ThismayrequirethedevelopmentofdifferentmodelsforcustomersdependingonhowtheyprefertoengagewiththeirDERasset.
Forexample,regularnotificationswouldassistthe‘optimisers’getmostvalueoutoftheirDERassetsbutswitchingoffofthenotificationswouldbethepreferenceofthe‘set-and-forget’typecustomers.
6.1.2RETENTION:WHATDIDN’TWORK,ANDWHY?
Belowprovidesasummaryofwhatwasfoundtobelesssuccessfulwiththeretentionphaseofthecustomerjourneyandthereasonswhy.
› Complex pricing structures or value propositions that change over time–leadingtoconfusionanddisengagement
› Designing optimisation algorithms without customer participation–leadstosystemsthatlacktheabilitytoadapttotheoperationalschedulesanddemandsofthedifferenttypesofcustomers.
A need for greater consumer input into the design and refinement of algorithms for DER control
Anumberoftrialsfoundtheneedforgreaterconsumerinputindesigningandimprovingthealgorithmsthatcanreturnpositiveoutcomesforbothsupplierandcustomer.Thereisaroleformachinelearningandartificialintelligenceifitcandeliverbetterongoingoutcomesforcustomers.
› Not planning for legacy–itisunclearhowcustomerswillbesupportedattheconclusionofeachtrial,whichmayaffectthelong-termtrustandinterestinfutureDERprojects.
19DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
7.0CONCLUSION
Thecustomerjourneycanfacilitatebetterunderstandingandleadtocontinualimprovementfortheorganisationsinvolvedintheprojects.ItcanalsoleadtobettercustomeroutcomesandhelpmaximisethebenefitsofDERtothemandtotheenergysystem.
AwealthofcustomerinsightsarecontainedwithinthereportsthataregeneratedbytheARENA-fundedDERprojects.Thishasbeencondensedintosevenbroadkeyfindings,aswellassixkeyingredientsforahappyDERcustomer.ThiscanservetohelpinformfutureARENA-fundedDERprojects,aswellasbeusedbyotherorganisationswithinterestsinDERrelatedproductsorservices.
7.1THESIXKEYINGREDIENTSTOAHAPPYDERCUSTOMER
CharacterisingandcriticallyassessingthejourneyDERcustomersgothroughwillfacilitatebetterunderstandingfortheorganisationsinvolvedintheseprojects,encouragingcontinualimprovementaswellasleadtoabetteroutcomeforcustomers.UltimatelythiswillhelpacceleratetherateatwhichDERisdeployedandmaximisethepotentialbenefitstocustomersandtheenergysystem.
Thesixkeyingredientswereformedbasedonthecustomerinsightsanalysedfromthealmostone-hundredreportsgeneratedbytwentyARENA-fundedDERprojects.Thesearesummarisedbelow:
Earned trust
'Super installers'
Smooth customer experience
Customer knowledge& understanding
Clear value proposition
Market-ready products
Figure6:KeyingredientstoahappyDERcustomer.
20DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
CUSTOMERKNOWLEDGE&UNDERSTANDINGKnowwhoyourcustomersareandthevaluesthatdrivethem-throughcustomersegmentation,customerresearch,andcustomerfeedback.Tailorcustomerpropositionandengagementaccordingly.
CLEARVALUEPROPOSITIONThecustomervaluepropositionandthebenefitsareclearlyarticulatedforthecustomer.Communicatethecostandbenefitinsimpleandtransparentwaythatappealstotheindividualcustomerandtheirvalues.Costisacrosscuttingmotivatorsoensurethefinancialaspectsarealignedwiththecustomer’svalues.
MARKET-READYPRODUCTSTheproductworksandisreadyforbeingdeployedwithcustomers.Thismeansacertainlevelofcommercialmaturityhasbeenreached.Thesupplychainknowshowtoinstallandhowtoovercomecommoninstallationandoperationissuesquicklyandeffectively.
SMOOTHCUSTOMEREXPERIENCEProvideasmoothexperiencealongtheentirecustomerjourney,withakeyandknowledgeablepointofcontactforwhensupportisneeded.Thismeansminimizingtouchpointsaspartoftheacquisitionprocessaswellasmakingtheinstallationasshortandnon-intrusiveaspossible.
‘SUPERINSTALLERS’Installationisacriticalmoment–enlistwell-trained,knowledgeableinstallerswhounderstandcustomersandtheproductsbeinginstalled.Involvethemintheoverallprojectdesignprocessasearlyaspossible,trainthemwell,andprovidesufficientresourcesfortheinstallationphase.
EARNEDTRUSTTrustiscriticalinpublicacceptanceandadvocacy.Thismaybeearnedalongtheentirecustomerjourneythroughregularandappropriatecommunicationandengagementwithcustomersandotherstakeholders(suchascommunitygroupsorlocalgovernment)Seektoworkwithpartnerswhoarealsotrusted.
21DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
8.1APPENDIXA:SUMMARYOFKEYLESSONS
What worked The Customer Journey
What didn’t work
› Undertakingdetailedcustomerresearchandsegmentation.
› Carefullyplanned,regularcommunicationandengagement.
› Communicatingyouroffer,options,andpricingsimply.
› Providingcustomerswithasingle,accessible,pointofcontact.
› Respondingandaddressingfrequentlyaskedquestionsquicklyandeffectively.
› Maintainingonlineresourcesthatarerelevant,accessible,andup-to-date.
› Creatingexcitementoftheofferwiththetargetcustomergroup/community.
› Workingwithtrustedpartners/localchampions.
› Establishedandsmoothprocessforacquiringcustomers
Engagement & Acquisition
Thisstageinvolvesallstepsinthelead
uptoproduct’sinstallation,includingall
awarenessraisinguptothepointofthefinancial
transactionandsigningof
contracts.
› Complexmessaging.
› Providingtoomanyoptions.
› Slowand/orcumbersomeacquisitionprocesses.
› Anirregularorimpersonalpointofcontact.
› Includinginstallersinthedesignphaseofthemainproject.
› Investingsuitableresourcesintheinstallationprocess.
› Providingcomprehensivetrainingandupskillingofinstallers.
› Quick,effective,non-intrusiveinstallationwithasinglesitevisit.
› Considerationofhomeaesthetics.
› Transparencyoverfinalinstallationrequirementsandcost.
› Planaheadforcommonpitfalls,suchasinternetconnectivityissueswhererequired.
› Respondingandaddressinganyinstallationissuesquicklyandeffectively.
› Customerresearchbeforeandafterinstallationtoidentifyanyconcernsearly.
Installation
Thisstageinvolvesallthesteps
directlyrelatedtotheinstallation,
includinganypre-installationsite
visit.
› Underestimatingthetime,complexityandcost.
› Aslow,drawn-outand“diffuse”processrequiringmultiplesitevisits.
› Over-stretchedsupplychainsthatcanbeslowtorespond.
› Variableinstallerquality,someofferinglowerlevelsofservice,ability,knowledgeandtechnicalcompetence.
› Pooraestheticsofinstalledequipmentthatdoesn’tfitwithanexistinghome’slookandfeel.
8.0APPENDICES
22DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
What worked The Customer Journey
What didn’t work
› Respondingandaddressinganyoperationalissuesquicklyandeffectively.
› ProvidingaccessibletechnicalinformationandupdatedFAQstoallowcustomertroubleshooting.
› Comprehensivetechnicalandcustomerengagementtrainingforinstallersandsupportservicepersonnel.
› Providingallprojectpartners,stakeholdersandsubcontractorsinthesupplychainwithclear,endtoendprocesses.
Operation and Maintenance
Thisstagecoversallongoing
activitiesrelatedtotheoperation
oftheDERsystem(firmware
andhardware),includinganyscheduledorunscheduledmaintenance.
› Poorlymanagedprocesses,andundefinedsupplychainpartnerrolesandresponsibilities.
› Lackoftrainingforcustomer-facingroles.
› IntermittentissueswithDERfunctionalityandcontinuityofoperation.
› Issuesanddiscomfortwiththird-partyownership/controloftheDER.
› Certaintyoffinancialcostsandreturnspreferredtovariablerates,evenifthosevariableratesoffergreaterbenefit.
› Ongoingandplannedengagementdirectedatcustomerretentionandadvocacy
› Changingconsumerbehaviour,suchasthroughtime-of-usetariffs.
› Tailoredengagementdependingoncustomerpreferences,suchasthroughdifferentdegreesofcontrolofferedforoptimisingtheirDER.
Retention
Thisstagecoversthepost-installationphasethatensurescustomerscontinuetobesatisfiedwiththeirproductand
service.
› Complexpricingstructuresorvaluepropositionsthatchangeovertime.
› Designingoptimisationalgorithmswithoutcustomerparticipationoracknowledgingdifferentthetypesofcustomers.
› Notplanningforlegacyandhowcustomerswillbesupportedattheconclusionofeachtrial.
23DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
8.2APPENDIXB:THECOHORTOFARENA-FUNDEDDERPROJECTSAND THEIRCUSTOMERS
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
SolarandStorageTrialatAlkimosBeach
LendleaseCommunities,Synergy,DevelopmentWA
2014 TheSolarandStorageTrialatAlkimosBeachResidentialDevelopmentprojectinvolvesdeveloping,deployingandtestingthecommercialfeasibilityofanewenergyretailmodel.Itwillcombinecommunityscalebatterystorage,highpenetrationrooftopsolarPVandenergymanagementwithinanewresidentialdevelopmentatAlkimosBeach,WesternAustralia.
LatrobeValleyMicrogridFeasibilityStudy
LO3 Energy 2018 TheLatrobeValleyMicrogridFeasibilityStudywillassesstheviabilityofcreatingalocalenergymarketplacefordairyfarms,residentialparticipantsandcommercial/industrialcustomersintheLatrobeValley.Participantswillsellexcessenergygeneration,demandresponsecapabilitiesandnetworksupportservicestoimproveintegrationofDistributedEnergyResources,suchasrooftopsolar.TheProjectwillincorporatePV,storage,demandresponseandLO3Energy’sExergyplatformtodeliveranoptimaldistributedenergymodelintheregion.
IndraMonashSmartCity
Indra Australia Pty Ltd
2018 TheIndraMonashSmartCitywilldemonstratehowsmartandrenewabletechnologiescanbeintegratedattheMonashUniversityClaytonembeddednetworktomaintainpowerqualityandtestmarketdrivenresponsesandbusinessmodels.Indra’sActiveGridManagement(InGRIDAGM)platformwillprovidereal-timemonitoringandcontroloverthegrid-connectedassets,andbeoptimisedtoaddvaluetocustomers,marketparticipantsandtheelectricitygrid.
IntelligentStorageforAustralia’sGrid
Reposit Power Pty Ltd
2014 TheIntelligentStorageforAustralia’sGridprojectinvolvespilotingGridCredits,abatterystoragecontrolmodulethatallowsconsumerstomonitorelectricityusageandaccesstheirsolarpowerovernightandatpeaktimes.Repositwillofferthe‘GridCreditsSystem’tovolunteerhouseholdsinCanberra.ThepilotwilldemonstratethevalueofsmartstorageandalsoincreasetheunderstandingofhowresidentialsolarandenergystoragesystemscanoperateinAustralia’selectricitygrid.Theprojecthasthepotentialtoincreasetheuptakeofrooftopsolarandmayallowmorerenewableenergytobeconnectedtothegrid.
WA3 projects ~132 customers
SA2 projects >1,000 customers
VIC4 projects~100 customers
TAS1 project 34 customers
NSW/ACT2 projects 47 customers
QLD1 project 33 customers
The analysed projects are mostly on-grid residential solar and storage trials therefore it is important to consider the nuances of other contexts when applying these findings.Presentation to ARENA I Institute for Sustainable Futures
19 ARENA projects* across almost all states and territories hosted ARENA-funded projects. The demonstration projects involved over 1,300 customers who chose to have DER systems installed in their homes.
*13 demonstration projects and 6 non-demonstration projects (including feasibility studies, standards development and market testing).
24DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
DistributedEnergyMarket
Australian Photovoltaic Insitutute (APVI)
2012 TheDistributedEnergyMarketprojectassessedarangeofwaysinwhichcustomersandelectricityutilitiesmightparticipateinadistributedenergymarket.
HigherRenewablePenetrationinNewLand&HousingDevelopments
Brookfield Energy Australia Pty Ltd
2015 Thisprojectaimstoexplorethecommercialviabilityandimpactofrenewableenergyforlargenewhousingdevelopmentswithoff-gridmicrogrids.BrookfieldEnergyAustralia,throughFlowSystems,willworkwithSiemens,KinesisandCSIROtodeterminewhetherrenewables,batterystorageandenablingtechnologiescanreliablyandcosteffectivelypowernewsuburbs.
CONSORTBrunyIslandBatteryTrial
ANU,TasNetworks,RepositPowerPtyLtd,UniversityofSydney,UniversityofTasmania
2016 TheCONSORTBrunyIslandBatteryTrialsuccessfullydevelopedanddemonstratedaninnovativeautomatedcontrolplatformthatenablesconsumerswithbatterysystemstoprovidesupporttoaconstrainedelectricitynetwork.Itcontinuestodosoinawaythatisofmaximumbenefittoboththeconsumerandthenetwork.AttheheartofCONSORTisaplatformcalledNetworkAwareCoordination(NAC).TheNAC’sprimarytaskistoautomaticallycoordinatehouseholdenergysystems(inanonintrusiveway)enablingthemtoadheretoandalleviatenetworkconstraints.Thetrialeffectivelydemonstratedtheuseofthisapproachtomanagehighrenewablepenetrationandotherconstraintsatamuchlowercostthanisconventionallypossible.
IncreasingtheUptakeofSolarPVinStrataResidentialDevelopments
Curtin University,LandCorp,ElectricityNetworksCooperation,CRCforLowCarbonLiving,CityofFreemantle,BalanceUtilitySolutions
2016 TheIncreasingtheUptakeofSolarPVinStrataResidentialDevelopmentsprojectwilldevelopgovernancemodelstoallowsharedsolarphotovoltaics(PV),batteryandmonitoringsystemstobeusedinmediumdensityapartments.Thegovernancemodelswillbetestedat50unitsoftheWhiteGumValleydevelopmentinPerth.Thegovernancemodelsdevelopedwillexaminethesharedbenefits,risksandcostsbetweendevelopers,owners,tenants,stratabodiesandutilities.Themodelswillalsoincludetheenergysystemdesign,billing,legaladdendumsfordwellingpurchasersanddwellingleases.Thefinancialaspectsofthegovernancemodelswillbestudied,testedanddemonstratedinthreedifferentstratalotdevelopments.Themodelsdevelopedareexpectedtobeadaptableandscalabletosuitdifferentdevelopmenttypes.
NetworksRenewed
UTS,RepositPowerPtyLtd,EssentialEnergy,UnitedEnergy,AusNetServices,APVI
2016 TheNetworksRenewedprojectinvestigatedpathwaystoincreasetheamountofrenewableenergyinAustraliabypavingthewayforsmall-scalesolarphotovoltaic(PV)andbatterystorageinstallationstoimprovethequalityandreliabilityofelectricityinAustralia’sdistributionnetworks.Twodemonstrationsfocussingonvoltagemanagement,recruited90customersinthreelocationsacrossNSWandVictoriaundernewcommercialmodelsfornetwork-relatedbusinesses.Akeyoutcomeoftheprojectisapracticalunderstandingofthecommercialvalueofnewsmartinvertertechnology.
AGLVirtualPowerPlant(VPP)
AGL Energy Limited
2017 TheAGLVirtualPowerPlantisaworld-leadingprototypeofavirtualpowerplants(VPP)createdbyinstallingandconnectingalargenumberofsolarbatterystoragesystemsacross1000residentialandbusinesspremisesinAdelaide,SouthAustralia,tobemanagedbyacloud-basedcontrolsystem.Thebatterieswillbeableto‘talk’toeachotherthroughacloud-basedplatformusingsmartcontrols,formingaconnectedsystemthatwillbeabletooperateasa5MWsolarpowerplant.
PeakDemandReductionusingSolarandStorage
United Energy 2017 ThePeakDemandReductionusingSolarandStorageprojecthassuccessfullydemonstratedareductioninpeakdemandasanalternativesolutionfordeferringnetworkaugmentation.UnitedEnergy:developedoperatingmodesforthesystemsincludingautomatedcontrolalgorithms;andinvestigatedbusinessmodelsthatcouldfacilitatethedeploymentofstoragetoaddressnetworkissues.Theoutcomesfromthedispatcheventswerecomplementedbyongoingmarketresearchinordertofacilitatetheprovisionofnon-networksolutionstosystemplannerswherenetworkconstraintsareidentified,andtofeedintoongoingassetstrategydevelopmentregardingtheapplicationofenergystorageinanetworkcontext.
TriallingaNewResidentialSolarPVandBatteryModel
Ergon Energy,Sunverge,SunPower
2015 TheTriallingaNewResidentialSolarPVandBatteryModelprojectinvolvesQueenslandenergyproviderErgonRetailundertakingapilotdemonstrationtotestacommercialandoperationalmodelforprovidinggrid-connectedsolarphotovoltaic(PV)andbatterystoragesystemstoresidentialcustomers.
Thedemonstrationwillinvolveinstallingandtesting33systemsinCannonvale,ToowoombaandTownsville.
25DER Customer Insights: The Customer Journey
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
CarnarvonDistributedEnergyResources(DER)trials
Horizon Power 2017 Thisprojectaimstoresolvethetechnical,operationalandtransitionalbarrierstoahighpenetrationDERbusinessfuture.ItalsoaimstoleverageHorizonPower’sexperienceandpioneeringuseofdistributedenergystoragetobuildcapabilitiesinthemanagementandoptimisationofhighpenetrationrenewableenergygenerationinremotemicrogrids.Heldoverthreeyears,theDistributedEnergyResource(DER)trialswilltestdistributedenergysystemsthroughavarietyofbehind-the-meterenergysystemstests,withtheaimofbetterunderstandinghowtomanagethevariabilityofrenewableenergyanditsimpactonthenetwork,andultimatelyincreasingPVsystempenetrationthroughoutourremotenetworks.
BatteryStorageSystemPerformanceStandard
DNV-GL 2018 TheBatteryStorageSystemPerformanceStandardprojectaimstoproduceaproposedAustralianBatteryEnergyStorageSystem(BESS)PerformanceStandard(ABPS)forbatteriesconnectedtoresidentialorsmall-scalecommercialsolarphotovoltaic(PV)systems.TheintentionisforthisproposedABPStobesubmittedtotheStandardsAustraliastandardcreationprocess.AGuidelinebasedontheproposedABPSwillalsobeproducedforusebyindustrystakeholderspriortoafinalABPSbeingagreedandfinalisedviaStandardsAustralia.
SimplyEnergyVPP
Simply Energy,GreenSync,SAPN,AEMO,Tesla,Flextronics
2018 TheSimplyEnergyVirtualPowerPlant(VPP)projectwilldeliverupto1200TeslaPowerwall2batteriestoAdelaidehouseholds.Thisrepresents6MWofresidentialenergystorage,whileafurther2MWofdemandresponsecapacitywillbedeployedacross10commercialbusinesses.
SolarAnalytics:MonitoringforBetterEnergyOutcomes
Solar Analytics Pty Ltd,APVI
2016 TheprojectaimstoacceleratedeploymentofanAustralian-developedtechnologydesignedtomonitortheperformanceofresidentialsolarPVsystemsandprovidelowcostanalyticsandfaultdiagnostics.Thetechnologycomparesenergygenerationagainstperformanceexpectations,reportingsystemdatabacktotheresidentialuser,whilealsoidentifyingfaultsandprovidingcorrectiveactions.
DecentralisedEnergyExchange(deX)
GreenSync,UnitedEnergy,ANU,MojoPower,ACTEnvironmentalPlanningDirectorate,VictorianDELWP,ActewAGL
2017 DecentralisedEnergyExchange(deX)isaprototypeonlinemarketplacethatwillprovideawayforhouseholdsandbusinesseswithrooftopsolarandbatterystoragesystemstobepaidforallowingelectricitynetworkbusinessestoaccesstheirrooftopsolarandstoredelectricitytostrengthenthegrid.
Buildingtheworld’sfirstconsumerownedsolarretailandservicescompany
DC Power Co 2018 DCPowerCo.isadisruptivebusinessplanningtolaunchtheworld’sfirstsolarfocused,customerownedenergyretailerandservicescompany.Takingaccountofthe1.8m+Australianhomeswithrooftopsolarthatareripefordisruptioninthecurrentenergyretailmarket,theDCPowerCo.modelproposestodeliver:
› Adisruptiveelectricityretailsolutionfocusedonsolarprosumers
› Customerengagementthroughownership
› Enhancedsavingsbydivorcingprofitsfromconsumption
Furtherinformationisavailableatarena.gov.au
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