UNSW, ARENA, Transgrid, AEMO, ElectraNet, Power Electronics, SMA, Tesla and Siemens launch PROFILES project to address grid protection challenges for inverter-based renewable systems

Type: Partnership · Technology: Transmission · Country: Australia · Value: AUD 12.9M · Announced: 2026-08-17

Researchers at the University of New South Wales Sydney launched the Protection & Relay Operation for Inverter-based Low-inertia Electricity Systems (PROFILES) project to address grid protection challenges arising from high shares of inverter-based renewable resources. The AUD 12.9 million initiative, with AUD 6.45 million funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), will run until December 2030 and focus on ensuring safe and reliable power system operation amid Australia’s renewable energy transition. The project involves industry partners Transgrid, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), ElectraNet, Power Electronics, SMA, Tesla, and Siemens, who will collaborate to investigate fault current contributions from solar, wind, and battery systems and their impact on grid protection systems. Using modeling, simulation, and hardware-in-the-loop testing at UNSW’s Real-time Digital Simulation Laboratory—the largest of its kind in Australia—the team will assess protection equipment options and identify necessary replacements or reconfigurations for transmission network service providers. The project aims to support least-cost system strength procurement decisions and establish technical foundations for future network trials, directly addressing AEMO’s prior concerns about grid-forming inverters providing reliable fault currents.

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