The Grid Has Changed. Reactive Compensation Must Follow.

Distribution networks were designed around a straightforward premise: power flows from a substation to passive loads, and fixed reactive compensation devices — principally capacitor banks — manage voltage along the way. That premise no longer holds.

Rooftop solar, battery storage, electric vehicles, and variable industrial loads have fundamentally altered the direction, magnitude, and predictability of power flow on low-voltage networks. In this environment, fixed capacitor banks — devices that deliver a predetermined block of reactive power, regardless of real-time grid conditions — are structurally limited in what they can address.

EcoJoule Energy develops and supplies the EcoVAR, a Low Voltage Distribution Static Synchronous Compensator (D-STATCOM), purpose-built for the operational demands of the modern distribution grid. This bulletin sets out the technical distinctions between fixed capacitor banks and D-STATCOM technology across the parameters that matter most to network operators.

Dynamic Response vs. Fixed Correction

A capacitor bank delivers reactive power in discrete steps, determined by the switching of fixed capacitor elements. The correction is basic, in discrete steps and generally cannot compensate for high voltages associated with high renewable generation and reverse power flow.  Furthermore where load or generation varies continuously — as it does wherever solar PV, EV chargers, or variable industrial plant is present — a capacitor bank has to switch frequently, compromising its design life.

The EcoVAR operates as a voltage-source converter. It measures grid conditions on a sub-cycle basis and adjusts reactive power output continuously, from full capacitive to full inductive, within a single electrical cycle. This response characteristic is not an incremental improvement on capacitor technology — it is a categorically different operating mode.

Where a network carries solar PV, cloud-driven irradiance changes can drive voltage from below statutory minimum to above maximum within seconds. A capacitor bank, limited by switching frequency and fixed step size, cannot track this. The EcoVAR does so automatically, without operator intervention and without equipment wear associated with mechanical switching.

Voltage Boost and Reduction: Both Directions of Control

A conventional capacitor bank provides one direction of voltage correction: it raises voltage by injecting reactive power. It cannot absorb reactive power. This means a capacitor bank is of no utility — and can be actively harmful — when overvoltage is the prevailing constraint.

Overvoltage is increasingly the binding constraint on distribution feeders with embedded solar. As generation ramps up during the middle of the day, feeder voltage rises. Without the ability to absorb reactive power and suppress that voltage rise, a capacitor bank has nothing to offer at the moment the network most needs assistance.

The EcoVAR provides both boost and reduction. It raises voltage at times of high import demand and suppresses overvoltage during periods of high solar export. This bidirectional voltage control capability is what enables the EcoVAR to be the primary reactive compensation device on a feeder, rather than a partial solution requiring supplementary equipment.

Additional Functions: Harmonics, Phase Balancing, and DC Integration

Reactive power compensation is one of three primary functions the EcoVAR delivers. The other two — active harmonic filtering and independent per-phase reactive compensation — address constraints that capacitor banks not only cannot resolve but can worsen.

Harmonic distortion from variable-speed drives, switched-mode power supplies, EV chargers, and grid-tied inverters is a growing operational challenge on distribution networks. Capacitor banks present a low-impedance path at certain harmonic frequencies and can create resonant conditions that amplify, rather than attenuate, harmonic voltages. The EcoVAR includes active harmonic filtering, measuring distortion and injecting compensating currents in real time.

Phase imbalance from single-phase loads and generation creates neutral current, increases feeder losses, and degrades the voltage quality experienced by three-phase customers. The EcoVAR operates independently on each phase, redistributing reactive current to minimise imbalance. No capacitor bank configuration delivers this capability.

The EcoVAR architecture includes an 864 VDC secondary bus, which provides a direct integration interface for battery energy storage systems. This allows reactive compensation and energy storage to share a common power conversion stage, reducing total equipment footprint and capital cost for operators deploying both technologies.

Network Augmentation Deferral and DER Hosting Capacity

The financial case for D-STATCOM deployment rests substantially on two outcomes: deferring capital expenditure on network augmentation, and increasing the volume of distributed energy resources that can be connected without constraint.

Distribution network augmentation — reconductoring, transformer upgrades, substation expansion — is triggered when one or more network parameters exceed their operating envelope. Under voltage, over voltage, thermal loading, phase imbalance, and harmonic distortion each represent a separate augmentation trigger. A capacitor bank addresses only one of these: undervoltage, and may exacerbate harmonics. The EcoVAR addresses all four simultaneously.

The practical consequence is that the EcoVAR can defer augmentation that a capacitor bank cannot. Where a feeder has a thermal constraint and a harmonic constraint as well as a voltage constraint, only a device that addresses all three delivers meaningful augmentation deferral. Deploying a capacitor bank in this scenario removes one constraint while leaving the others intact.

Hosting capacity for distributed energy resources is limited by whichever network constraint is reached first. Increasing that capacity requires addressing the binding constraint. On most heavily loaded feeders with material solar penetration, the binding constraint during high-export periods is overvoltage — a constraint a capacitor bank is structurally incapable of addressing. The EcoVAR, with its ability to absorb reactive power and suppress voltage, directly increases the volume of solar and storage that a feeder can host without statutory exceedance or equipment damage.

EcoJoule technology enables the energy transition to benefit all grid users: generation that would otherwise be curtailed reaches more customers, and network capacity already built into existing poles and wires is used to its full extent before new capital investment is required.

Installation: No Planned Outage Required

Network operators and field crews consistently identify planned outage requirements as a constraint on the deployment of new equipment. Each outage requires notification, coordination, and customer impact management.

The EcoVAR is designed for live installation. Deployment does not require a planned de-energisation of the feeder or the connection point. This characteristic reduces the total cost and elapsed time from procurement decision to operational commissioning, and removes a material barrier to the scale of deployment that distribution network service providers need to achieve across their asset base.

Capability Comparison: Fixed Capacitor Bank vs. EcoVAR D-STATCOM

Capability	Fixed Capacitor Bank	EcoVAR D-STATCOM
Voltage Response	Fixed step correction only; capacitors switched in or out in discrete banks	Continuous, stepless correction from full capacitive to full inductive within one cycle
Voltage Regulation	Boost only; cannot absorb reactive power or suppress overvoltages	Boost and buck; raises undervoltages and suppresses overvoltages including PV export surges
Harmonic Filtering	None; can amplify harmonics at resonant frequencies	Active harmonic filtering built in; reduces voltage distortion from non-linear loads
Phase Balancing	None; three-phase devices cannot address single-phase imbalance	Per-phase independent control; corrects current and voltage imbalance in real time
Response to PV Variability	Cannot track cloud-driven fluctuations; switching frequency limited	Responds within milliseconds; tracks rapid irradiance changes without hunting or oscillation
EV Load Response	Stepped correction cannot match fast-ramping EV charger demand	Continuous reactive compensation matches dynamic EV charging profiles automatically
DER Hosting Capacity	Limited by inability to manage overvoltage from generation	Increases hosting capacity by managing export overvoltages and reactive current flows
Network Augmentation Deferral	Partial; voltage boost only, limited thermal relief	Defers augmentation by addressing voltage, thermal, imbalance, and harmonic constraints simultaneously
Installation Requirement	De-energisation typically required for switching equipment	Live installation possible; no planned outage required for EcoVAR deployment
DC Bus Architecture	N/A	864 VDC secondary bus; supports direct integration with battery storage
Grid Code Compliance	Passive device; limited programmable response	Programmable to comply with evolving grid codes for reactive power, voltage, and harmonics

Summary

Fixed capacitor banks were fit for purpose on the distribution grid that existed twenty years ago. On the grid that exists today — and on the grid that will exist in five years — they address a subset of the reactive power problems network operators face, and introduce failure modes that did not exist in the unidirectional, load-only network for which they were designed.

D-STATCOM technology, as delivered in the EcoVAR, is not a premium upgrade to a working solution. It is the appropriate device for a grid environment characterised by bidirectional flows, embedded generation, dynamic loads, and tightening power quality standards. Network operators evaluating reactive compensation assets should assess fit for purpose against the grid they operate, not the grid they operated.

About EcoJoule Energy

EcoJoule Energy designs and supplies Low Voltage Distribution STATCOMs and Battery Energy Storage Systems for electricity distribution networks worldwide. The EcoVAR delivers reactive power compensation, active harmonic filtering, and per-phase voltage balancing without requiring network outages for installation. EcoJoule operates through a global distributor network and direct market presence in selected regions.

Efficient deployment of the EcoVAR begins before the unit leaves the warehouse. Utilities that have built repeatable installation programmes have converged on a practical site selection methodology that balances electrical performance with installation practicality. 

Start with the voltage problem, not the substation 

The EcoVAR is a point-of-connection device. Its reactive power compensation, phase balancing, and active harmonic filtering act locally — so placement relative to the voltage problem matters. 

Utility field experience with the EcoVAR suggests the optimum investment-to-benefit placement on most low voltage feeders is between the halfway and two-thirds point along the feeder length. That zone is the starting point for site assessment, not the substation end where access is easiest. 

Smart meter data has made this assessment considerably more precise. Utilities with advanced metering infrastructure can identify specific spans and phases where voltage deviations are most frequent and most severe, reducing the selection process to a short list of candidate poles rather than a manual survey of the full feeder. 

Practical constraints shift the selection, but rarely far 

Once the electrically preferred location is identified, the assessment turns to what is already on the pole. Streetlighting attachments, distribution fuses, telecommunications equipment, and vegetation encroachment each add time, cost, or safety risk to installation. Where the optimal pole carries a heavy load of existing equipment or access is constrained, utilities move to the next viable pole in either direction along the feeder. 

This trade-off is manageable because the EcoVAR’s installation footprint is small. A standard installation does not require a supply outage and can be completed in under two hours. The cost of shifting one or two spans from the theoretical optimum is low relative to the cost of managing a congested pole or scheduling vegetation clearing. 

An action bias is often the right economic decision 

Because the EcoVAR can be relocated if a better site is later identified, over-engineering the initial site selection carries its own cost. Utilities that treat the first installation as a testable hypothesis — rather than a permanent capital commitment requiring exhaustive pre-work — generally reach resolution faster and at lower total cost. 

The practical rule that has emerged across experienced deployment programmes: identify the voltage problem zone, find the cleanest pole in that zone, install. Refine if the data warrants it. 

Australia’s 10 million energy consumers are missing out on $1.1 billion a year in savings due to underinvestment in voltage management technologies on the energy distribution grid, according to Australian-based global power electronics manufacturer EcoJoule Energy.

Voltage control issues are also destroying about $317 million worth of appliances each year. 

While governments and network operators are investing billions in infrastructure like synchronous condensers across Australia to enhance transmission-level grid stability, this investment will do little to help consumers affected by energy waste and appliance damage caused by inefficiencies in low-voltage distribution networks.

Analysis by EcoJoule found implementation of a nationwide Conservation Voltage Reduction (CVR) program would save the average customer about $110/annum¹ on their electricity bill, while increased appliance life would result in savings of about $35/annum² per customer.

EcoJoule Energy Founder & CEO Mike Wishart said the continued growth of rooftop solar, electric vehicles, and home electrification was expected to add further pressure on the distribution grid over the next decade.

“We’re investing heavily in transmission infrastructure, but the reality is most Australians experience the grid at the distribution level. If we don’t address voltage inefficiencies there, households will continue to miss out on significant savings while absorbing unnecessary costs. Without targeted investment in voltage management, these inefficiencies will compound and become even more costly for consumers.”

“This isn’t just about energy waste, it’s about real dollars lost by households every year and avoidable damage to appliances. Smarter voltage management is one of the most immediate and cost-effective ways to return those savings to consumers.”

The problem of overvoltage on distribution grids is increasingly recognised worldwide, with EcoJoule recently completing several installations of its EcoVAR STATCOM in the UK, Europe, and Asia. EcoVAR is a static compensator mounted on existing power poles using power electronics and software to correct grid voltages.

EcoJoule last year secured a $15 million investment, led by Ellerston Capital and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), to expand the rollout of its platforms across Australia and the world. EcoVAR STATCOMs have now been installed on four different continents.

EcoJoule Strategic Advisor and Director of the Energy Futures Network at the University of Wollongong, Ty Christopher, said more efficient use of scarce energy resources would contribute to the energy transition.

“The cheapest and cleanest energy is the energy that never has to be used in the first place,” he said. “Managing overvoltage means less energy is wasted and more clean solar energy can be exported.”

“Many of the challenges affecting reliability and renewable uptake are occurring on the distribution system,” he said.

“If we do not start approaching stability issues on the distribution grid with the same enthusiasm as the transmission grid, reliability will continue to decline.”

“While large-scale assets provide essential inertia and support the bulk power system, they are not designed to resolve the highly localised issues that arise on distribution feeders.

“These include voltage rise from rooftop solar, imbalances between phases and fluctuations that occur in real time as demand and generation shift.

Distributed STATCOM technology is increasingly being deployed to provide that capability. EcoJoule Energy’s EcoVAR system, a pole-mounted STATCOM, delivers real-time voltage control and reactive power support at the feeder level, helping stabilise networks and improve overall performance.

“EcoVAR allows utilities to manage voltage and reactive power dynamically, right where the problem exists,” Dr Wishart said. “It complements transmission level investments by extending stability across the entire network.”

EcoJoule Chief Commercial Officer Martin van der Linde said the shift in grid dynamics was driving a need for more balanced investment across both transmission and distribution.

“Network operators are seeing growing constraints at the edge of the grid,” van der Linde said. “If we want to continue connecting solar, EVs and new loads, we need to invest not just in the transmission backbone, but in the distribution network that connects directly to customers.”

He said distributed solutions provide a practical and cost-effective way to address these challenges while maximising existing infrastructure.

“Targeted deployment of distributed STATCOMs can improve power quality, unlock additional capacity and reduce the need for large-scale upgrades,” Mr van der Linde said. “It is about getting more value from the network we already have while supporting future growth.”

A coordinated approach that combines transmission-level assets, such as synchronous condensers, with distribution-level technologies will be essential for maintaining a stable and reliable grid.

“Grid stability is a whole system issue,” Dr Wishart said. “Investment needs to reflect that by supporting both the transmission network and the distribution network, where much of the change is happening.”

The company, which was established over a decade ago, currently has both local and international customers, including Endeavour Energy, UK Power Networks (UKPN), CLP Power (Hong Kong), Essential Energy, Ausgrid, SA Power Networks and AusNet Services.

EcoJoule has also developed EcoSTORE, a battery energy storage system (BESS) that absorbs excess solar energy and releases it when needed, while also improving the grid power quality for consumers using the same voltage stabilisation technology.

ENDS

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Media enquiries to:

Ben Ready
RGC Media
0415 743 838
ben@rgcmm.com.au

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References

1. AER RIN data excluding HV connections and using AEMC analysis of national average residential retail electricity price ($0.28c/kWh)
2. https://documents.uow.edu.au/content/groups/public/@web/@eis/@secte/documents/doc/uow278855.pdf

EcoJoule Energy’s EcoVAR Low Voltage D-STATCOM delivers utility-scale power quality outcomes from distributed installations — addressing voltage instability, phase imbalance, and harmonics at the point of cause, rather than attempting centralised correction downstream.

A common assumption in network planning is that system-scale problems require system-scale equipment. EcoJoule Energy’s EcoVAR challenges that assumption — and the evidence from operating deployments supports a different conclusion: distributed power quality correction, applied at the source of grid stress, is more effective, more cost-efficient, and more resilient than centralised approaches.

The EcoVAR is a Low Voltage Distribution STATCOM (D-STATCOM) installed on the LV distribution network by the utility. A single unit serves all customers downstream on a feeder segment, from typically 5 to 200 residential connections, or a combination of residential and commercial loads including three-phase commercial buildings.

The device is not a customer-premises solution. It is utility infrastructure, approved, owned, and operated by the network business.

The Case for Distributed Correction

Distribution networks are not uniform. Voltage instability, phase imbalance, and harmonic distortion each originate at specific points on the network. They are at the customer connection, at the inverter, at the motor load. Centralised solutions, whether at the substation or at transmission level, address these problems after the fact, working against the impedance of the network itself.

The physics favour distribution. Reactive power, which governs voltage stability, cannot be efficiently transported over long distances. Every kilovar of reactive support sourced locally avoids the losses associated with delivering that support from a remote point. An EcoVAR installed at the end of a feeder provides reactive compensation where the voltage drop is greatest, with no transmission losses and no dependency on upstream infrastructure capacity.

“Centralised solutions address power quality problems after they have already propagated through the network. The EcoVAR eliminates them at the point of origin,  which is where they do the most damage.”
Dr Mike Wishart, CEO EcoJoule Energy

The same principle applies to harmonics. Distortion generated by inverter-based loads, variable speed drives, and EV chargers propagates upstream through the network. Filtering that distortion at or near the source, before it reaches the substation transformer, reduces impedance stress throughout the network. Centralised harmonic management addresses the symptom; distributed filtering addresses the cause.

Stacked Economic Benefits: How Utilities Build the Business Case

The EcoVAR’s value is not derived from a single performance metric. Its business case is built by stacking measurable outcomes across the performance categories that regulators and utilities already track: voltage compliance, loss reduction, asset life, and capital deferral. Each benefit is independently quantifiable; together they produce a compelling investment case even at the individual feeder level.

Scale Through Distribution: Many Units, One Outcome

The objection that distributed solutions cannot achieve system scale impacts misunderstands how distribution networks function, they are in fact distributed systems themselves. It makes intuitive sense that a distributed solution is the best solution for distribution networks.  A utility deploying EcoVARs across a portfolio of feeders achieves network-wide power quality improvement through coordinated distributed correction. This is the same principle that underpins modern distributed energy resource management. The EcoVAR is not a substitute for system planning; it is a tool that makes existing infrastructure more capable, deferring the need for system-level intervention.

KEY INSTALLATION ADVANTAGE
The EcoVAR requires no network outage for installation. It connects to existing LV infrastructure and eliminates the switching costs and customer disruption associated with alternative network upgrades. This reduces the total cost of deployment and simplifies scheduling for network operators.

Critically, each EcoVAR installation is independently valuable. The business case does not depend on network-wide deployment. A single unit on a constrained feeder delivers measurable, reportable outcomes from day one. Voltage compliance, loss reduction, asset life extension, all while the utility builds confidence in the technology before broader rollout.

This deployment model reduces investment risk significantly compared to large, centralised infrastructure projects, which require full commitment before any benefit is realised.

About EcoJoule Energy

EcoJoule Energy designs and manufactures Low Voltage Distribution STATCOMs (EcoVAR) and Battery Energy Storage Systems (EcoSTORE) for electricity distribution networks worldwide. EcoJoule’s technology is deployed by utilities across Australia, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. The company’s mission is to ensure that the benefits of the energy transition reach all users of the distribution grid — by relieving grid congestion, enabling solar generation to reach more customers, and maximising the capacity of existing network infrastructure. EcoJoule is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Martin van der Linde
Chief Commercial Officer
sales@ecojoule.com

Global operator of Distribution STATCOMs across four continents brings field-proven grid management expertise to the Australian engineering community.

EcoJoule Energy today announced it has joined the Electric Energy Society of Australia (EESA) as a Bronze Sponsor. The membership reflects EcoJoule’s commitment to contributing global operational experience in low voltage distribution management to Australian power engineers as the sector navigates the challenges of widespread distributed energy resource (DER) integration.

EcoJoule’s EcoVAR Distribution STATCOM is currently in service across four continents, making it one of the most operationally validated low voltage STATCOM platforms available to distribution network service providers worldwide. The company joins EESA at a time when Australian networks face mounting pressure from rooftop solar penetration, load imbalance, and power quality degradation across low voltage feeders.

A core principle guiding EcoJoule’s deployment approach is that Distribution STATCOMs are most effective when applied close to the point of voltage excursion — at the low voltage lines where solar generation, excess load, and power quality issues interact directly. This distinguishes the EcoVAR from upstream voltage management approaches, which address symptoms rather than causes and leave low voltage customers with limited relief.

The EcoVAR delivers simultaneous reactive power compensation, phase balancing, and active harmonic filtering in a single field device. Its 800 VDC secondary architecture and installation process that requires no network outage reduce deployment cost and customer disruption. These are both material considerations for networks managing increasingly tight maintenance windows.

EcoJoule positions the EcoVAR as the commercially demonstrated, field-proven alternative to network augmentation for managing the modern distribution environment. Augmentation carries a structural disadvantage that is widely understood but rarely quantified in investment decisions: the stochastic nature of network demand means new assets routinely enter service years ahead of their utilisation curve, creating capital that earns no return until load growth catches up. The EcoVAR allows networks to extract maximum capacity from existing infrastructure now, deferring augmentation expenditure until it is genuinely warranted — and in many cases avoiding it entirely.

The installed cost of EcoVAR deployment is a fraction of augmentation, and the device operates dynamically, responding to real-time network conditions rather than being sized for a future peak that may arrive later than modelled, or not at all. Through its EESA membership, EcoJoule intends to contribute to the Society’s technical program with content grounded in operational data from live network deployments, supporting Australian power engineers with practical, evidence-based guidance on low voltage STATCOM application as DER penetration continues to grow.

About EcoJoule Energy

EcoJoule Energy develops and deploys Low Voltage Distribution STATCOMs and Battery Energy Storage Systems for electricity distribution networks. The company’s EcoVAR platform is in service across four continents, enabling distribution network operators to manage voltage excursions, phase imbalance, and power quality issues at the low voltage level — maximising the capacity of existing network infrastructure and enabling greater solar generation to reach more customers. EcoJoule believes the energy transition should deliver benefits to all electricity users, and designs its technology to ensure the benefits of distributed generation flow equitably across the distribution grid.

Martin van der Linde 
Chief Commercial Officer
EcoJoule Energy
sales@ecojoule.com

As distributed solar generation and EV charging reshape load profiles hour by hour, static compensation and scheduled phase balancing can no longer keep pace. EcoJoule’s EcoVAR addresses the root cause: dynamically, continuously, and without taking feeders out of service.

Distribution engineers across four continents are specifying EcoJoule’s EcoVAR low voltage D-STATCOM as the primary tool for managing congestion, voltage instability, phase imbalance, and harmonic pollution on LV networks. The EcoVAR is pole-mounted on existing overhead LV infrastructure. In form and installation footprint it closely resembles a conventional MV/LV distribution transformer, connected directly to each LV phase conductor. Four technical characteristics consistently drive specification decisions.

1. Maximise existing infrastructure: defer or eliminate capital augmentation

Traditional network congestion has a traditional answer: build more poles and wires. Overhead line augmentation typically costs an average of $560,954 per km, with some DNSP’s reporting over $1.5M AUD per km in submissions to the energy regulator. LV augmentation often requires easements, community consultation, and civil works measured in years, and delivers capacity that may be underutilised for the first decade of operation.

A single EcoVAR unit provides reactive power compensation, voltage regulation, and harmonic filtering from an existing pole position on the LV overhead network. By correcting power factor and reducing resistive losses in real time, it recovers usable capacity on conductors already in service. In documented deployments, a single installation has deferred line augmentation by three to seven years, with capital savings representing a substantial multiple of the device and installation cost.

Installation note: The EcoVAR’s 800 VDC secondary bus architecture enables connection directly to the LV overhead lines with no HV interruption, no planned outage, and no network access window required. Australian distribution utilities are commissioning EcoVAR units in a few hours, at a total installation cost of a few thousand AUD per unit.

2. Manage dynamic and bidirectional loads: rooftop solar and EV charging simultaneously

The operating envelope that distribution equipment was designed for has changed. A residential feeder that once carried predictable morning and evening peaks now experiences reverse power flows during midday solar export, rapid load ramps as EV chargers cycle on and off, and voltage rise events that trip inverters and curtail generation. Static capacitor banks and fixed tap changers were not designed for this environment.

“The question for distribution planners is no longer whether to adopt dynamic compensation. It is how quickly existing feeders can be equipped to handle the resource mix that is already being connected.” — Dr Mike Wishart, CEO EcoJoule Energy

The EcoVAR operates as a fully dynamic compensator, responding to network conditions in under one cycle. It absorbs or injects reactive power continuously, suppresses voltage swings caused by variable generation, and provides active harmonic filtering to address the harmonic currents introduced by inverter-based resources and EV chargers. The result is a feeder that can accommodate significantly higher penetration of distributed energy resources without voltage limit violations, increasing the volume of solar generation that reaches end customers through existing infrastructure.

Network-level impact: Voltage rise on congested feeders is the primary technical constraint limiting rooftop solar connection approvals. An EcoVAR installation directly expands the connection capacity of the feeder, reducing deferred solar connections and improving returns on existing network assets.

3. True dynamic phase balancing: manual rebalancing is no longer a viable maintenance strategy

Phase balancing on LV overhead networks has historically been performed by a linesman crew travelling to the affected area, climbing poles, and physically disconnecting overhead line connections to individual properties before reconnecting them to a different phase. This is not a switchboard adjustment. It is live overhead work requiring traffic management, safety exclusion zones, and multiple crew members. A single rebalancing job across a suburban street can consume a full day of skilled labour and plant, at significant cost per intervention, before accounting for repeat visits as conditions change.

This approach had a reasonable basis when load profiles were stable and predictable, and when a survey conducted on a Tuesday morning could be relied upon to reflect typical conditions. It no longer does. On a modern LV feeder, a household’s net phase contribution changes sign between 11am and 6pm as rooftop solar generation gives way to EV charging. The phase that appeared lightly loaded during the morning survey may be the most heavily loaded by the time the crew reaches the end of the street.

Manual rebalancing performed against one set of conditions creates imbalance under another, and the cost of scheduling a return crew visit is non-trivial. Neutral current increases, transformer losses rise, and voltage deviation across phases widens, accelerating asset degradation and increasing energy costs for every customer on the feeder.

The EcoVAR resolves this because each internal phase operates independently, referenced phase-to-ground rather than phase-to-phase. The unit measures imbalance continuously and compensates in real time, injecting or absorbing current on each phase independently to maintain balance across the full 24-hour cycle, regardless of how the generation and load mix shifts throughout the day. There is no crew dispatch, no overhead line work, no residual imbalance between surveys, and no cost for a return visit.

Asset life consequence: Voltage imbalance across phases introduces negative sequence currents whose losses are disproportionate to their magnitude, due to the lower impedance presented to negative sequence components. These currents cause localised winding heating in distribution transformers, where the Arrhenius relationship means ageing is exponentially accelerated with temperature. Even modest sustained hotspot increases measurably compress asset life. Dynamic phase balancing via EcoVAR reduces transformer thermal stress continuously over the asset life, compounding the return on installation.

4. Active harmonic filtering: protecting network assets as device quality varies across the customer base

The proliferation of inverter-based devices — rooftop solar systems, EV chargers, variable speed drives, and consumer electronics — has fundamentally changed the harmonic profile of residential LV feeders. Many of these devices, particularly lower-cost units that drift into non-compliance after prolonged service in harsh conditions, generate significant harmonic currents that propagate through the network. These currents heat conductors and transformers beyond their rated thermal capacity, cause nuisance tripping of protective devices, and degrade power quality for neighbouring customers.

Distribution utilities cannot simply instruct affected households to replace their devices. The customers most likely to have purchased lower-cost equipment are also the customers for whom replacement costs are most prohibitive. Excluding these households from participation in rooftop solar and EV charging on the basis that their equipment has drifted out of compliance is not a viable social or commercial position for a utility to hold. The energy transition must be accessible to all energy users, not only those who can afford premium equipment or frequent replacements.

The EcoVAR provides active harmonic filtering as an integrated function, continuously measuring harmonic content on each phase and injecting compensating currents to cancel distortion at the point of common coupling. This protects transformers, cables, and switchgear from premature thermal degradation. Those are assets whose replacement cost is substantial, and whose loss of service is disruptive to all customers on the affected feeder.

Asset protection framing: A single distribution transformer replacement typically costs tens of thousands to over $100,000 installed, excluding outage costs and customer compensation. Active harmonic filtering that extends transformer service life by even two to three years generates a return that is straightforward to quantify in any business case.

RELATED
UK Power Networks — Content from this release supports EcoJoule’s contribution to the UK Power Networks innovation programme. See: Innovation on electricity poles helps drive UK toward Net Zero · UK Power Networks, 2024.

About EcoJoule Energy

EcoJoule Energy is headquartered in Loganholme, Queensland, Australia. The company designs and manufactures low voltage D-STATCOMs and Battery Energy Storage Systems for distribution network operators worldwide. The EcoVAR product family is pole-mounted on existing LV overhead infrastructure and provides reactive power compensation, active harmonic filtering, dynamic phase balancing, and voltage regulation from a single unit connected directly to each LV phase conductor. EcoJoule distributes through a global network of accredited utility partners and operates directly in selected markets. EcoJoule’s position is that the benefits of the energy transition should flow to all energy users, and that existing poles and wires, properly equipped, are the most cost-effective path to that outcome.

Media and technical enquiries: sales@ecojoule.com

Distributor and partnership enquiries: martin.vanderlinde@ecojoule.com

EcoJoule Energy, a leading Australian energy technology company focused on improving grid stability and enabling renewable integration, has announced the appointment of former NOJA Power executive Martin van der Linde as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).

As Chief Commercial Officer, Mr van der Linde will lead EcoJoule’s global commercial strategy, including market expansion, customer engagement and revenue growth.
Martin joins EcoJoule after more than 13 years in various roles with NOJA Power, most recently as General Manager Marketing. He is a seasoned management, marketing and engineering leader with extensive international experience.

An accomplished communicator, Martin has presented to executives, engineers, conferences and training audiences across 23 countries. He has been published in eight industry magazines on topics related to power systems, utilities and the broader energy sector.

Martin is a member of Engineers Australia and a member of the Electrical Energy Society of Australia (EESA).

EcoJoule Founder and CEO Dr Mike Wishart said Mr van der Linde was a widely-respected leader in the energy industry and he would play a crucial role in EcoJoule’s continued growth.

“Martin brings a rare combination of engineering depth and commercial acumen, which is exactly what EcoJoule needs as we scale,” Dr Wishart said.

“His ability to apply engineering principles to marketing and commercial strategy will be instrumental in accelerating our growth both in Australia and internationally.”

Mr van der Linde said he was excited to be joining EcoJoule at such an important time in their history.

“EcoJoule is at the forefront of solving one of the most critical challenges facing modern electricity networks,” Mr van der Linde said.

“I’m excited to help scale the company’s commercial operations and bring its innovative technologies to more markets globally.”

With a growing customer base that includes major network operators such as Endeavour Energy, Essential Energy, Ausgrid and AusNet Services, EcoJoule is playing a key role in enabling a more stable, resilient and renewable-ready electricity grid.

EcoJoule Energy’s technology platforms include pole-mounted community energy storage units that store the excess solar energy generated by residents for later use, and a voltage regulation device to help integrate more renewables into the grid.

EcoJoule Energy, a leading Australian energy technology company focused on improving grid stability and enabling renewable integration, has announced the appointment of former senior Ausgrid executive Trevor Armstrong as a Non-Executive Director.

As Non-Executive Director, Mr Armstrong brings significant board-level experience and strategic oversight, and will support EcoJoule’s governance, growth strategy and engagement with key stakeholders across the energy sector.

EcoJoule Founder and CEO Dr Mike Wishart said the appointment would strengthen the company’s governance and strategic capability as it continued to scale its operations across Australia and international markets.

“Trevor brings valuable experience and insight that will support EcoJoule’s continued growth,” Dr Wishart said.

“As demand increases for technologies that help electricity networks manage the impacts of distributed energy resources like rooftop solar, strong leadership and governance are critical to delivering on our strategy.”

Trevor has more than 35 years’ of experience in the energy sector. He has held senior executive roles with Energy Australia, Networks NSW and Ausgrid, including interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer.  More recently, Trevor was the Chief Executive of ACEREZ, the Network Operator of the first renewable energy zone in NSW.

Trevor is currently on the Board of Power and Water in the Northern Territory and a Partnership Representative on ACEREZ. He has served on the Reliability Panel of the Australian Energy Market Commission, and Chair of CIGRE Australia.

EcoJoule is playing a key role in enabling a more stable, resilient and renewable-ready electricity grid. And works with a growing client base that includes major network operators such as UK Power Networks (UKPN), Endeavour Energy, Western Power, Essential Energy, Ausgrid and AusNet Services,

EcoJoule Energy’s technology platforms include pole-mounted community energy storage units that store the excess solar energy generated by residents for later use, and a voltage regulation device that helps integrate more renewables into the grid.

EcoJoule Energy has completed the first installation of an EcoVAR™ Static Compensator (STATCOM) in the United Kingdom, marking a significant step in the company’s international expansion and global growth strategy.

The project, delivered in partnership with UK Power Networks (UKPN) and EcoJoule’s UK partner Fundamentals, represents the first of five EcoVAR units to be deployed across the UKPN network as part of a trial aimed at assessing the technology’s capability to manage voltage variability in the grid.

EcoJoule Energy Founder and CEO Dr Mike Wishart said the installation was a key milestone in the company’s expansion into international markets, demonstrating the global relevance of its technology.

“We’re thrilled to partner with UKPN and Fundamentals to have an EcoVAR system deployed for the first time in the UK,” said Dr Wishart. “This installation is an important step in our international growth plans and reinforces EcoJoule’s position as a global innovator in voltage management and grid stability.”

“The challenges facing electricity networks in the UK and Australia share a common theme – rapid electrification and the transition to cleaner energy. Our technology is helping utilities adapt to that transition cost-effectively and sustainably.”

UK Power Networks has partnered with Ecojoule Energy and Fundamentals to deliver an innovation project called LeVeR (Low Voltage Regulator). The initiative will see five EcoVAR units installed — smart, pole-mounted devices — that keep the network balanced and operating efficiently at the low-voltage level, where most homes and businesses are connected.

The technology works by managing the flow of electricity across the network’s three separate lines, known as phases. Sometimes one phase can become overloaded while others are underused.

The EcoVAR unit automatically redistributes electricity to the quieter lines, helping the network accommodate more clean energy technologies without spending customers’ money on infrastructure where it is not needed. Installed on existing poles, the device can be up and running within hours.

The first EcoVAR unit has been installed in Graveney Bridge, with data collected during the trial being used to assess how effectively the system improves network efficiency. Each unit can be monitored and updated remotely, allowing for smarter, more responsive management of electricity distribution.

The trial will also test the unit across different weather conditions, helping to ensure that as low-carbon technologies become widespread, electricity networks remain resilient, flexible and ready for the low-carbon future.

Luca Grella, head of innovation at UK Power Networks, said: “Being the first to install this kind of technology in the UK highlights our commitment to working with partners who share our vision for a smarter, more resilient grid. The EcoVAR trial is helping us understand how digital solutions can deliver real improvements for customers at street level.”

Colin Relf, treasurer of Graveney & Goodnestone Village Hall, said: “The EcoVAR device has been a godsend. Without it, export was very unreliable, preventing a much-needed income that without it would have ultimately led to the Village Hall closing. It provides peace of mind and security for supplying back onto the grid.”

EcoJoule announced a major partnership with Fundamentals in 2024 that combines Fundamentals’ existing expertise in high voltage networks with EcoJoule’s low voltage network platforms – EcoVAR and EcoSTORE.

Fundamentals CEO Dr Jon Hiscock said: “Voltage management is becoming one of the defining challenges for UK network operators. The rapid growth in distributed and variable generation is creating an increasingly complex and dynamic grid that demands a smarter, more agile reponse. Working with UK Power Networks to deploy EcoJoule’s proven solutions gives us a real opportunity to show how intelligent control can make our grids more resilient, efficient and ready for a low-carbon future.”

While much of Australia’s voltage variability arises from the rapid growth in rooftop solar generation, the UK is experiencing similar challenges from the increasing prevalence of electric vehicle (EV) chargers and heat pumps. The EcoVAR installation will play a crucial role in stabilising voltage on local networks affected by these new load dynamics.

EcoVAR™ is a pole-mounted static compensator that uses power electronics and software to regulate voltage levels on low-voltage networks in real time. The technology enables network operators to integrate more distributed energy resources and electrification technologies without the need for costly grid upgrades.

The UK project follows installations of EcoJoule Energy’s EcoVAR in multiple states and utilities across Australia, further demonstrating the adaptability of its technology across diverse grid conditions and regulatory environments.

“Our technology is designed to make grids more flexible, resilient and efficient,” Dr Wishart said. “Whether it’s managing solar export in Australia or supporting electrification in the UK, EcoVAR provides a common solution to different manifestations of the same global problem – network instability.”

Established nearly a decade ago, EcoJoule Energy is a 100% Australian-owned company providing innovative solutions to help electricity distributors integrate renewable energy and manage grid reliability. The company’s products include the EcoVAR™ voltage regulation system and the EcoSTORE™ community energy storage platform, both designed to reduce the need for expensive network augmentations and enhance power quality for consumers.

EcoJoule Energy is proud to support the Australian Science & Engineering Fair (AUSSEF). AUSSEF is a national STEM competition that showcases the creativity and dedication of Australian students in Years 9 to 12.

How does it work?

👉 A record 120 Stage 1 Judges review submitted projects, with each project scored by five or six judges. From this stage, the strongest 30 to 40 projects will progress.
👉 Stage 2 judging will narrow the field to the top 18 to 20 shortlisted projects.
👉 Students will learn their results in early December, and shortlisted students will receive interview details on 3 December.

The top nine projects will win an all expenses paid trip to the USA to compete at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in May 2027 (pending funding).

This is the largest pre-college STEM competition in the world and an incredible opportunity for young Australian innovators.

At EcoJoule Energy, we believe in encouraging the next generation of problem-solvers who will help shape a smarter, cleaner energy future. Good luck to all participating students. Your ideas are helping inspire the future.