Assembling data for AEMO

AusNet has partnered with Siemens to assist in the transition to the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO’s) 5-Minute Settlement rule change: a key step towards the renewable energy future.

Siemens coordinated a global team as part of AusNet’s 5MS program to upgrade EnergyIP meter data management software in order to manage the vast amount of data AusNet collected at the new five-minute intervals. The complex multi-year program now enables AusNet to collect, handle and decipher usage data from over 700,000 electricity meters and provide this to AEMO and electricity retailers to better reflect the changing energy mix of renewable and traditional energy sources. The meter data management software forms a critical part of the technology AusNet uses to process and manage this significant volume of data.

Jeff Connolly, Chairman and CEO of Siemens Australia, said that harnessing data and using it intelligently through advanced software is an important part of the path to net zero. “Digitalisation is key to mastering the increasing complexity of power grids,” Connolly said. “5MS was a significant program for AusNet that involved thousands of hours of design, configuration, project management and testing.”

AusNet’s program, along with the Siemens EnergyIP software, was ready for the regulatory change date and the solution is now successfully processing the new volumes of data for the electricity market.

Stephen Thompson, Program Director AusNet, said that it was important for AusNet to work with a partner on its program that could ensure confidence in delivery and compliance with the new regulations. “5MS was a significant initiative for AusNet and the electricity market. Finding reliable technology partners was important. We were able to work with Siemens as a key partner in our program to assess and understand the regulations, and then design and deliver a robust solution for our business.”

The rule change, which came into effect in late 2021, is designed to align the electricity market’s price signals with the physical electricity system, matching demand and supply every five minutes.

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