EXPLORE KNOWLEDGE BASE
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CERI Knowledge Base
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About the CERI knowledge base
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Introduction to Australia’s electricity markets
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Australian consumer insights
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CER technical and interoperability standards
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Connecting a customer to an electricity network
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Connecting a generator to a distribution network
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Utility interconnection (CSIP-AUS)
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Dynamic network export and generation control schemes
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Network load control schemes
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Network tariffs and network support services
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Participating in the National Electricity Market
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Participating in a frequency control market
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Participating in the RERT
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Participating in the Wholesale Electricity Market (Western Australia)
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Participating in the I-NTEM (NT)
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Cyber security and data privacy arrangements
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Consumer protection frameworks
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Registering as a small resource aggregator
Last Updated on 24 July 2026
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A Small Resource Aggregator (SRA) is a type of FRMP that purchases or sells electricity from one or more SRCP. This category provides a simplified pathway for smaller resources to participate in the NEM, reducing telemetry, bidding and scheduling obligations compared with larger-scale market participants.
Key points
- A small resource aggregator can aggregate CER into a registered portfolio
- Each resource must generally have its own market connection point and market meter.
- General customer load cannot normally be included, apart from permitted ancillary load.
- SRAs must register with AEMO and meet prudential, settlement and compliance requirements.
- Embedded networks can be used to financially separate eligible CER from a customer’s retail electricity supply.
What resources can an SRA include?
Under the integrated resource provider (IRP) framework, an SRA can aggregate multiple consumer energy resources into a registered portfolio. Eligible resources include small generating units (SGUs) and bidirectional units (BDUs).
Each SGU or small BDU must have its own market connection point and market meter. The connection point cannot include general customer load, other than permitted ancillary load. Hybrid systems must generally be DC-coupled to qualify.
SRA registration requirements
SRAs are required to register directly with AEMO, establish an Austraclear account, and meet prudential requirements to participate in wholesale settlement processes. As with other market participants, SRAs must demonstrate the organisational and financial capability to manage market exposure, settlement obligations and ongoing compliance.
Scheduling obligations depend on nameplate capacity and other requirements, typically:
- ≥ 5 MW aggregate BDU or SGU: Must be classified as a scheduled unit unless AEMO approves otherwise and must be capable of participating in central dispatch processes including bid submission and following dispatch instructions.
- < 5 MW BDU or < 30 MW SGU: May be classified as non-scheduled, enabling direct wholesale settlement without participating in central dispatch.
All SRAs must comply with relevant provisions of the NER, including registration, market operation, power system security, network access standards and metering requirements.
Small resource aggregators and embedded networks
In an embedded network, an SGU or small BDU can be established at a market-facing child connection point, financially separating the CER asset from the customer’s or facility’s retail supply. While this separation limits certain use cases, such as direct self-consumption of generation by an adjacent customer load, any network tariff reductions realised at the parent connection point can be allocated between parties by the embedded network operator. Some jurisdictions (such as Queensland and Victoria) may also require additional licensing steps or exemptions for this arrangement.
This model is increasingly common for C&I CER deployments and in strata-titled environments such as shopping centres and retirement villages. However, because SGU and BDU generators must be metered separately from customer load, they generally cannot offset a customer’s retail load, unless implemented through an embedded network structure that specifically enables benefit allocation.
This use case is expected to become less common as SSP reforms are implemented. These are described in the next article.