Project SHIELD Taking Shape

Project SHIELD (Synchronising Heterogeneous Information to Evaluate Limits for DNSPs), an ARENA funded investigation which aims to unlock the potential of existing data sources by establishing greater visibility of low-voltage networks, commenced just over six months ago. But with a consortium comprising GridQube, Energex and Ergon Energy, Essential Energy, Luceo Energy and The Centre for Energy and Data Innovation (CEDI) at the University of Queensland, SHIELD has taken shape.

After a period of discovery, setbacks, recognition, and success, the Project team has quickly come together and endeavoured to identify disparate sources of data and establish the impact these sources may have on the Project’s findings. When dealing with data though, there’s always going to be legal and privacy related issues, something we’ve discovered quickly.

The priority and the challenge continues to be around the identification and collection of potential data sources.  Initial insights and results are already painting a picture of what’s out there in relation to data, its availability and the information it can convey, and future findings will assist grid operators to better manage renewable energy in real time.

In the meantime, we are continuing with the integration and investigation of data we’ve already successfully brought onto the Project. This has been supported continuously over the initial months of the Project by the Stakeholder Advisory Committee, Steering Committee and Project Working Group. We are now seeing data sets flow between GridQube’s State Estimation Tool and Luceo Energy’s visualisation platform.

The Project is extremely lucky to have pioneers of the renewable industry aiding in its cause. Terese Milford, Senior Engineer for Energy Queensland’s distribution networks, was recently recognised as a pioneer in the renewable industry and was awarded the Rising Technology Award as part of the Women in Technology awards. Congratulations from the entire consortium on these incredible achievements.

So, what’s next for Project SHIIELD? Well, moving forward the Project team will go to Government, industry, and the wider community in order to evaluate the accessibility of data, gauge the sentiment of the wider community when it comes to sharing data and explain the potential outcomes of the Project. The first workshop is scheduled for December 2021 with two more to follow in the first quarter of 2022.