In line with government policy on retail contestability, small customer CER in the WEM can only access wholesale market value streams via Synergy. This aligns its position as sole electricity retailer for non-contestable customers and parent aggregator for small-scale CER. All VPP participation, tariff structures, dispatch rights, settlement and metering obligations are mediated through Synergy-led programs. Third party aggregators can engage directly with customers but must access markets for WEM or network services via Synergy.

Key points

• Synergy is the main retailer and CER aggregator for non-contestable customers in the SWIS.
• The WA Residential Battery Scheme requires participants to join an eligible VPP product.
• Project Jupiter is developing the systems and market arrangements to facilitate CER participation in WA’s electricity market.
• CSIP-AUS is Synergy’s chosen communications approach, but not a universal requirement imposed directly by the underlying WA rules.

Synergy’s battery rewards scheme

Battery Rewards is Synergy’s primary pathway for CER participation and is mandatory for participants in the WA Residential Battery Scheme. It enables Synergy to remotely dispatch customer batteries to support grid stability and market operations.

Customer incentives include:

• Activation credits: Payments for each event where Synergy actively dispatches the battery to provide energy or system services
• Offset credits: Payments for energy exported from the battery during dispatch events, offsetting household consumption or contributing to the grid.

Technical requirements include:

• Devices and integrations must be listed on Synergy’s Supported Solutions List
• Whole-of-site CSIP-AUS (WA variant) compliance for interoperability
• A certified site controller to manage orchestration and communications
• Ensure the battery has at least 5 kWh usable capacity.

Customers cannot join another VPP while enrolled in Battery Rewards.

Project Jupiter

Project Jupiter is Western Australia’s flagship initiative for integrating CER into the SWIS. It is jointly delivered by Synergy, Western Power, AEMO, and EPWA, with funding support from ARENA.

Jupiter is defining the technical and operational baseline for future CER participation in WA’s electricity market. Its outcomes will influence VPP specifications, equipment standards, interoperability requirements, and market participation frameworks for CER and aggregated portfolios.

Key focus areas include:

• Interoperability: CER is required to meet requirements under the WA variant of CSIP-AUS
• Central orchestration: Supporting activation and dispatch of CER participation in VPPs
• Site-level control: Whole-of-site controllers coordinating multiple CER assets.

Project Jupiter signals the capabilities and standards that will underpin small-customer market participation toward 2030. Compliance with CSIP-AUS (WA variant), support for site controllers, and readiness for aggregated dispatch will be critical for future integration.

What technical requirements apply to CER?

To connect CER within the WEM, product developers must ensure their devices and control systems meet a set of WA-specific technical, interoperability, cybersecurity and other requirements. These requirements determine whether a device can be registered, orchestrated and ultimately enrolled in Synergy programs or future CER markets.

Key requirements for product developers include:

• DER register: All CER devices must be compatible with the WEM DER Register. Developers must provide accurate standing data, device metadata and site-level parameters to ensure visibility and compliance with market and network requirements.
• CSIP-AUS compliance: Devices and controllers must implement Synergy and Western Power’s specific adaptation of CSIP-AUS, including support for import/export limits, site-level control, secure PKI authentication and required telemetry attributes. Developers must ensure their firmware, API stack and communications layer conform to the WA variant.
• Supported solutions list: Only devices or control systems approved under Synergy’s supported solutions list may participate. Developers must complete Synergy’s technical assessment, demonstrate compliance (e.g., inverter mode behaviour, data schema, cybersecurity controls) and maintain version control for approved firmware.
• Controller requirement: All CER at a site must be orchestrated through a single certified site controller. Developers must design CER devices or EMS/gateway devices capable of enforcing Synergy dispatch commands across the entire site, including PV, BESS, EVSE and other flexible load.
• Cybersecurity: Communications must meet Synergy and EPWA expectations for certificate-based authentication, encrypted transport, device integrity, and secure credential management. Developers must ensure that devices can securely authenticate to utility servers and support certificate lifecycle management.

More information on emerging national cybersecurity requirements for CER is provided in the section Cyber security and data privacy arrangements.

Emergency solar management

To maintain electricity system stability and support the continued installation of rooftop solar, the WA Government introduced ESM in February 2022. ESM requires new and upgraded rooftop solar systems with an inverter capacity of 5 kW or less to have the capability to be remotely curtailed and restored. This requirement applies to Synergy customers, including all customers consuming under 50 MWh per annum who are on the DEBS export tariff.

To meet ESM requirements, Synergy has established two pathways that can currently be used to remotely manage rooftop solar systems:

• API cloud solution: Synergy sends a signal through an API to the inverter OEMs cloud platform, which then communicates the command to the inverter.
• Metering solution: A dedicated control circuit connected to the customer’s smart meter is remotely opened to curtail inverter output.

The choice of pathway is left to the customer and installer, although the API-based solution is generally preferred due to its flexibility and extensibility.

Looking forward, interoperability standards are expected to play an increasing role in ESM implementation. In July 2025, EPWA released an interoperability statement committing to CSIP-AUS capability for all new or upgraded rooftop solar and battery systems installed at non-contestable consumer premises. In parallel, Synergy has adopted CSIP-AUS as its preferred standard for the remote management of CER, reflecting its national alignment and support for future use cases.

In November 2025, Western Power published a draft procedure in anticipation of new rules requiring a final version to be released by 1 February 2026. This procedure introduced updated technical requirements for Standard Small User Facilities (i.e. systems with combined inverter capacity below 30 kVA), including provisions for static export limits (e.g. 1.5 kW) or dynamic management arrangements.

Further technical guidance for CER product and project developers is available in the knowledge base sections covering Dynamic Network Export and Generation Control Schemes and Utility Interconnection (CSIP-AUS).

Related articles

• Participating in the Western Australian Electricity Market
• Key market mechanisms and structures
• C&I CER participation
• Utility Interconnection (CSIP-AUS)
• Participating in the National Electricity Market