The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has launched the AU$3 million upgrade of its Renewable Energy Integration Facility (REIF) at its Energy Centre in Newcastle.
The upgrade will significantly expand Australia’s capability to test, validate and commercialise technologies needed for a more sustainable, reliable and secure electricity system.
The new facility includes a suite of advanced capabilities, including the ability to simulate microgrids and grid faults.
The REIF was established in 2009 to offer researchers, industry and system operators with an independent laboratory to test renewable and grid integration.
The facility can simulate microgrids, grid faults, household and commercial energy systems and interactions between solar, batteries, electric vehicles and a diverse mix of generators under real-world conditions.
CSIRO’s Chief Executive, Dr Doug Hilton, said the new facility strengthens Australia’s ability to test new energy technologies.
“As Australia transitions to a cleaner, more electrified economy, we need the confidence that new energy technologies can operate safely and reliably across the system. This upgraded facility strengthens Australia’s capability to test exactly that,” Hilton said.
“The facility will support more efficient use of electrical infrastructure, ultimately helping improve energy affordability for Australian homes and businesses.”
The upgrade doubles REIF’s power testing capacity, introduces improved high‑resolution data capture and adds advanced grid and battery emulation tools, programmable inverters and real time hardware in the loop simulation for large scale, real‑world experiments.
CSIRO Energy Systems Research Program Director Dr John Ward said the new laboratory will allow researchers to stress-test real-world conditions for new clean technologies.
“The Renewable Energy Integration Facility allows us to simulate and stress‑test real‑world grid conditions, giving us deeper insight into how inverter‑based technologies like solar and batteries perform as their share grows across the electricity system,” Ward said.
“This facility allows us to work side‑by‑side with industry and market bodies to design innovative solutions.
“The facility also supports Australian innovation and manufacturing by providing a rigorous, independent environment to evaluate new technologies before they reach market.”