Australian IEA Consortium Incorporated
Incorporated
under the Associations Incorporation Act 1984 NSW
Incorporation No INC9883039 ABN 89 790 134 192
Purpose
The Australian IEA Consortium (AIEAC) was established in mid-2004 to enable Australian organisations to participate in multi-national R&D projects carried out under the auspices of International Energy Agency Implementing Agreements.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an intergovernmental body committed to advancing security of energy supply, economic growth and environmental sustainability through energy policy co-operation.
The IEA provides a framework for international co-operation and collaboration in energy technology R&D, deployment and information dissemination under more than 40 Implementing Agreements. These Agreements enable experts from different countries to work collectively and share results, which are usually published.
In IEA terminology, multi-national R&D projects are called ‘Tasks’. AIEAC provides a vehicle whereby its member organisations share the costs of participating in IEA Tasks. AIEAC members can therefore participate in international collaborative energy research at moderate cost.
AIEAC members include energy companies, industry associations, government agencies and academic institutions. Organisations become members of AIEAC by paying a small entrance fee and annual subscription plus a financial contribution, the level of which varies depends on the particular Task(s) the member wishes to participate in.
Operation
IEA Tasks are undertaken collaboratively under the management of an ‘Operating Agent’ (Project Director). The Operating Agent is responsible for overall management of the Task, including deliverables, milestones, schedule, budget and communications.
The actual research work for a Task is carried out by a combination of the Operating Agent and a group of Country Experts, depending on the nature of the work to be carried out. Each country which is participating in a Task nominates one person as its Expert. Each Expert is responsible for carrying out any research work within his/her country which is required for the Task.
All Country Experts for a Task meet regularly to review
and assess the progress of the work completed by the Operating Agent and by the
group of Experts. Experts meetings are
usually held between two and four times a year on a rotational basis in one of
the countries participating in the Task including, on occasions, in
Finances
Financial contributions from AIEAC members raise sufficient funds to pay for:
• the
costs involved in
• the
costs payable by
• travel by one Australian Expert per Task to attend Experts meetings; and
• the administrative costs of AIEAC.
Tasks
AIEAC currently participates in Tasks carried out under an Implementing Agreement known as the International Energy Agency Demand Side Management Programme. The 18 member countries of the IEA DSM Programme undertake collaborative research on demand side management (DSM) and energy efficiency. Participation in this work is a very effective way of gaining valuable information about international experience in implementing DSM and energy efficiency programs.
Since 2004, AIEAC has participated in three IEA DSM Programme Tasks: one of these has been completed and two are still being carried out.
The two IEA DSM Programme Tasks in which AIEAC currently participates are:
• Network-driven DSM (IEADSM Task XV); and
• DSM and Climate Change Task (IEADSM Task XVIII).
AIEAC also participated in the following completed Task:
• Demand Response Resources (IEADSM Task XIII).
Network-driven DSM Task (Current)
This Task focuses specifically on problems in electricity networks and is concentrating on the most appropriate DSM measures to overcome the types of network problems which have been linked to the blackouts seen during 2003 in the USA and Europe. The Task is identifying and developing a wide range of DSM measures which can be used to relieve network constraints, including energy efficiency, interruptibility, fuel switching, distributed generation and power factor correction. Such network-driven DSM measures are often more cost-effective, and may also have lower environmental impacts, than network augmentation (ie building ‘poles and wires’). The Task is also studying DSM activities which provide services for electricity network system operators, achieving peak load reductions with various response times for network operational support.
The Network-driven DSM Task involves the international collaboration of Australia, France, India, New Zealand Spain, South Africa and the United States.
Further information about the Network DSM Task is available at the Task website.
DSM and Climate Change Task (Current)
This Task is investigating the potential contribution to mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that can be made by demand side management technologies. The Task is also examining the extent to which GHG emissions mitigation measures can provide benefits to electricity systems. Currently, DSM and GHG emission mitigation measures are implemented quite independently. DSM measures are implemented primarily to assist and improve the operation of electricity systems. Any impacts (positive or negative) of DSM measures on climate change are only a minor consideration, if they are considered at all. Efforts to mitigate GHG emissions from electricity production have focussed on improving the efficiency of both electricity generation and end-use. However, emission mitigation measures focussed on increasing end-use efficiency have usually not considered any benefits to the electricity system (eg peak load reduction) that might be gained through implementing the measures. The overall aim of the DSM and Climate Change Task is to reconcile these two different approaches so as to identify circumstances in which DSM can contribute to mitigating GHG emissions and emission mitigation measures can achieve benefits for electricity systems. The Task will then determine what is required to maximise the emissions reductions and electricity system benefits from these two types of measures.
Participants in the DSM and Climate Change Task comprise Australia, France, India and Spain.
Further information about the DSM and Climate Change Task is available at the Task website.
Demand Response Resources Task (Completed)
Demand response
resources comprise changes in electricity consumption levels and patterns,
either requested of customers by an upstream electricity supplier or undertaken
directly by end-use customers in response to the prices they pay, or are
offered, for electricity. The Demand
Response Resources Task developed technology, economic and implementation tools
to enable the rapid implementation of demand response to address growing peak
electricity demand which could create reliability and price volatility issues
in the participating countries.
The Demand
Response Resources Task involved the international collaboration of ten
countries: Australia, Norway, Sweden,
Finland, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Japan, Korea and the United States.
Further information about the Demand Response Resources Task is available at the Task website.
Contact Details
Organisations interested in participating in IEA multi-national R&D projects should contact AIEAC as follows:
Australian IEA
Consortium
11 Binya Close
Hornsby Heights NSW 2077
Australia
Telephone: + 61 2 9477 7885
Facsimile: + 61 2 9477 7503
E-mail: aieac@efa.com.au