Australia is seeking to harness its abundant rooftop solar capacity through a new system that will convert households and businesses into miniature power stations that electrical grid operators can manage. Dubbed “Project Symphony,” the $35.5 million pilot program in Perth, Western Australia (WA) will last two years and involve 500 residences and a total of 900 energy assets, which includes both battery and solar generators. Of the $35.5 million figure, the state of WA will be investing $19.3 million together with the federal government’s $8.6 million backings and a further $7.6 from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). WA Energy Minister Bill Johnston lauded the new program as key to solving problems of increased transmission cables compared with centralised renewable energy stations while also helping lower costs for consumers. “Virtual Power Plants could be the future for electricity in WA,” Johnston said. “We currently have power stations, at the edge …