02 Oct 2018
Project Overview
Evoenergy is currently working with the Toscan’s, a local family who are building a home that will be majority powered by gas, the first of its kind to be built and trailed in Australia.
The home is currently being built in Googong, just 10 minutes outside the ACT border. The family of five will be moving into the home in November 2018.
The purpose of the Googong Gas-Plus Smart Home trial is to gather gas consumption data from a number of different household appliances to understand usage patterns, the efficiency of gas in the Canberra climate, individual appliance efficiencies, and to facilitate the advancement of natural gas appliance smart-home solutions. These culminate to provide a better understanding of the role of natural gas in the ACT.
Transforming the gas network into one with a renewable future is in line with a longer plan to balance energy securities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve affordability. Understanding customer usage and appliance efficiency under the real Canberra climate is important for educating the community and assisting the deployment of new technologies that will drive the decarbonisation journey of gas in Evoenergy networks.
The project involves partnership between Evoenergy, appliance manufacturers – Seeley and Rinnai and the Australia National University (ANU).
An advanced communication and data management system (DMS) will be installed into the home capturing (almost) real-time, accurate energy usage data for individual appliances and the home’s external and internal climate condition. This data will be analysed and communicated to the public.
The Gas-Plus Smart Home Trial will provide Evoenergy with three key outputs for future business opportunities:
- Real-time gas usage data on a single-home level;
- Gas appliance efficiency data for the Canberra climate; and
- Testing of the integration of gas appliances in smart-home solutions.
This trial highlights forward-thinking, change-embracing and innovative new systems for the collection of previously unseen data. Leading the way in reducing emissions via smart-home solutions, and possibly transitioning the natural gas network towards renewable sources.
Understanding gas usage in Canberra is also important for the ACT Government. For example, a clear depiction of the total gas usage in one house on a winter’s evening will describe the extent to which renewable generation would need to increase to fill the energy requirement.
The trial will provide a platform for:
- New systems to be tested for gas appliance manufacturers with accurate data being collected in a real-use environment for the ACT region.
- The currently unreleased Seeley CW3 dual system (heating and cooling) has been installed into the Googong Smart Home. Once the CW3 is in use Data on gas, electricity, and water use provided to the manufacturer for observation and analysis.
- Data acquired through the trial can be used to reinforce efficiency calculations.
- The energy data acquired in the trial will provide direction for gas suppliers, appliance manufacturers, with individual appliance and overall gas usage made clear over seasonal and daily timeframes.
Research & Development
The project will provide a new understanding of gas usage in ACT region homes and is an opportunity to develop smart-home systems that includes gas energy.
The project is the first of its kind, currently unseen in the ACT gas space, with an unknown outcome ahead of time. The sub-metering of energy delivered to appliances that is collected by a management system is an experiment for Gas Networks, which will be routinely monitored, particularly closely during the early stages of the pilot house. Through the trial new detailed data and subsequent knowledge of gas will be acquired that will be documented. Evoenergy will work closely with ANU for data processing and analysis to produce beneficial information during, and upon completion of the trial.
