• NEM

  • In this section

  • This section is useful for implementers of interfaces to AEMO’s systems and participants requiring an understanding of the web applications and other interfaces AEMO provides.

    Participant IT interfaces

    AEMO has numerous systems with multiple interfaces to provide for the needs of all participants. Access to some systems depends on a participant’s registration category.

    Systems are available to participants in accordance with the NEM rules and procedures. Access is 24/7, except for notified periods of system maintenance and unplanned outages. AEMO constantly monitors its information systems to ensure performance standards are met.

    There are pre-production and production environments, each separately maintained. New features are added to pre-production first, and announced in change notices and technical specifications. The pre-production environments are intended for participant testing and training purposes.

    The interfaces include: file upload (HTTPS), web portals (HTTPS), file server (FTP), web services (HTTPS), and AEMO's website (HTTP).

    NEM Participant Interfaces diagram


    Web Services

    Web services is an additional option to the web portals and file interfaces for system-to-system interaction with AEMO's systems. There are web services for both the retail and wholesale systems.

    The .CHM file below is a searchable guide to AEMO's web services. To use the CHM file:

    1. Download and save it to a local Windows drive (it cannot be viewed on a network drive.)
    2. Right-click the filename and then click Unblock to remove the security settings.
    3. Double-click the filename to open it.

    Explains the different IT interfaces available for participants to access AEMO's electricity systems to obtain, submit, send or receive data.

    Data network connection - MarketNet

    MarketNet

    Any access to AEMO’s market systems requires a data network connection to MarketNet. This is the first step in implementing your access to AEMO’s market systems.


    Security

    The National Electricity Rules (NER) require AEMO, registered participants, and metering service providers (MSPs) to comply with the Systems Access Policy and Procedure. Other parties granted access to AEMO's market systems are required to contract with AEMO their compliance with the Systems Access Policy and Procedure.

    Discusses AEMO’s private data network connection, MarketNet.

    Retail IT systems

    MSATS

    MSATS is used for NEM energy settlements by determining energy flows from generators and retailers. MSATS does not determine the cost of energy.

    For help accessing AEMO's retail interfaces, see Connecting to AEMO's Electricity IT Systems.

    B2B

    MSATS provides B2B functions for electronic communication between participants.


    aseXML

    MSATS supports the standard developed by Australian energy industries to facilitate the exchange of information between participants using XML. The aseXML Standards Working Group (ASWG) is responsible for the development and maintenance of the aseXML standard.

    Information about the Market Settlement and Transfer Solution (MSATS).

    Retail IT systems software

    MSATS Participant Batcher

    The MSATS Participant Batcher is sample software to exchange data with AEMO using the file interface.


    B2B Validation Module

    The B2B Validation Module is validation application software participants can embed in their B2B systems allowing them to validate an XML file before it is deployed to the MSATS B2B Web Portal.


    Web Services

    Web services is an additional option to the web portal, batch, and file interfaces for system-to-system interaction with MSATS.

    Information about the example software AEMO provides to help participants interface with MSATS.

    Wholesale IT systems

    EMMS is used to determine the cost of energy. EMMS also provides: ancillary services, dispatch, market information, NEM reports, offers and submissions, settlements and prudentials, trading facilities, and intermittent generation and PASA forecasting.

    For help accessing AEMO's wholesale interfaces, see Connecting to AEMO's Electricity IT Systems.


    EMMS Web Portal Applications

    Market Info

    This application provides:

    • A summary of the market in each of the regions.
    • Public and private market notices.
    • A tool allowing participants to view constraint equation IDs in a human readable format.
    • Access to Market Direct that publishes AEMO reports and statements.
    • Guide to Market Direct.

    Settlements and Prudentials
    Settlements Direct

    Settlements Direct provides participants with access to information, including settlement statements, published by AEMO.


    NEM Prudential Dashboard

    The NEM Prudential Dashboard allows market participants to make informed prudential management decisions. It provides useful information about participant's accrued financial position with AEMO. The dashboard is updated every time a new prudential run becomes available throughout each business day to provide an up-to-date snapshot of prudential information.


    NEM Prudential Forecast

    The Prudential Forecast provides participants with a forecast of their expected prudential position for the next NEM business day.


    Electricity Reallocations

    The Reallocations system enables Reallocations registered participants to create, submit, authorise, and view Reallocations in accordance with the Reallocation procedures.


    Credit Support

    NEM Participants can view and analyse their Credit Support.


    Payment Nomination

    Payment Nomination provides a facility for participants to view and manage their nominations for settlement payments. You can find assistance using Payment Nomination in the web portal.


    Offers and submissions

    Participants can submit offers by file to the participant file server or interactively using the EMMS Web Portal.


    Settlement Residue Auction (SRA)

    The SRA gives eligible registered participants access to inter-regional settlements residue (IRSR) by enabling them to bid for entitlements to a proportion of the total IRSR.


    Intermittent generation

    Australian Wind Energy Forecasting System (AWEFS) and the Australian Solar Energy Forecasting System (ASEFS) provide a vehicle for improving the research, development, and application for forecasting renewable energy.

    Information about the Electricity Market Management System (EMMS).

    Wholesale IT systems software

    Data Interchange

    Data interchange (DI) is a set of cooperating applications to replicate data between AEMO’s Wholesale Market Systems and registered participants' RDBMS conforming to the Electricity and/or Gas Data Models. AEMO recommends participants use the Data Interchange software (supplied by AEMO) to automate receiving and storage of the subscribed reports from Data Subscriptions. The data is conveniently stored in the participant's RDBMS conforming to the MMS Data Model.

    Bundled below are all the components necessary, including guides for each component, for a new installation of Data Interchange. Each bundle is for a specific RDBMS and latest release of the Electricity and Gas Data Models. You can find the upgrade bundles in the EMMS Web Portal, under Data Interchange and then Data Subscription.

    Data Interchange software

    Data Interchange guides

    Electricity Data Model

    The Electricity Data Model is the definition of the interface to participants for NEM wholesale data published by AEMO. A database conforming to the Electricity Data Model can contain a local copy of all current participant-specific data recorded in the main NEM database. The following guides explain the packages, tables, and reports in the Electricity Data Model.


    Data Subscription

    AEMO's wholesale system generates files continually, based on changes, five-minute dispatch runs, etc. These files (also known as reports) are typically comma-separated values (CSV) files. The files contain private and public data available to each participant. Using Data Subscription, participants can:

    • Obtain the MMS Data Model scripts for building and maintaining their participant's RDBMS conforming to the MMS Data Model.
    • Subscribe to the files made available by AEMO on the Participant File Server.
    • Unsubscribe from any files that are no longer required.

    Data Delivery

    Status Dashboard

    Displays the status of the Data Interchange components within a participant organisation. A list of filenames, delivery dates, and a file re-request count (where a file is sent to the participant's system more than once). Multiple file deliveries can indicate a problem at the participant's end.

    Data Sharing

    View data sharing arrangements you have with other Participant IDs. The Guide to Data Sharing explains how to share data with another participant ID using the Data Interchange software.

    File delivery Summary

    Allows participants to query all delivered files within a date range, request selected files re-delivered to the file server.

    Performance Monitor

    The performance monitor is a graphical view of the current Data Interchange environment run and managed by AEMO. Participants not receiving data, or experiencing data delays can contrast the data delivery performance of their Data Interchange environment to AEMO's Data Interchange performance environment.


    CSV Data Format

    Describes the CSV data format standard used within flat files provided to participants from AEMO’s wholesale system. Its primary function is to provide sufficient information to allow participants to understand the CSV data format used for exchanging data with AEMO.


    Web Services

    Web services is an additional option to the web portal and file interfaces for system-to-system interaction with wholesale systems.


    Information about software available for replicating data between participant IT systems and AEMO's wholesale IT systems.

    NEM Dispatch Engine (NEMDE)

    NEMDE Queue Service

    AEMO provides the NEMDE Queue Service on a fee-for-service basis. Participants can edit and submit a NEMDE input file and receive the corresponding output file.

    Information about the NEMDE Queue Service, enabling participants' analysts to model alternative outcomes from AEMO's NEMDE.

    Power systems

    The Network Outage Scheduler (NOS)

    The Network Outages section lists the planned network outages for work on the transmission system. Participants can make bookings up to two years in advance or at short notice in response to an emergency. The schedule contains all out of service work and any secondary bookings forecast to cause a constraint on the dispatch process.

    Standard for power system data communications

    Sets out the standard that:

    • Network Service Provider (NSPs) must comply with when providing and maintaining communications facilities for control, operational metering, and indication from the relevant local sites to the appropriate interfacing termination as nominated by AEMO.
    • Other registered participants must comply with when installing and maintaining remote control, operational metering, and monitoring devices and local circuits for use in AEMO's control centres.

    Transmission & distribution network connections

    The Network Connections section has information about:

    • Establishing or modifying connections to the NEM transmission and distribution networks.
    • Generator and network modelling requirements.
    • Generator performance standards

    Market Ancillary Services Specification (MASS)

    MASS contains:

    • A detailed description of each kind of market ancillary service and their performance parameters
    • Requirements for a service to qualify as the relevant market ancillary service.
    • Requirements for when a market participant provides the relevant kind of market ancillary service.
    • Verification procedures for market ancillary services.

    FCAS Verification Tool (FCASVT)

    FCASVT is an Excel spreadsheet participants can use to calculate FCAS delivered by their plant.

    VAr Dispatch

    Reactive Plant Operators (RPOs) can use VAr Dispatch to view the latest and current instructions issued by AEMO's VAr Dispatch Scheduling System (VDS) in the Electricity Market Management Systems Web Portal (EMMS).

     

    Information about the Operations and Planning Data Management System (OPDMS) and the Network Outage Scheduler (NOS).

    Participant administration and user rights

    User Rights Management

    The AEMO Security Model permits assigned partcipant administrators (PAs) to manage their own participant user's access to AEMO’s IT systems. Your company's PA is assigned during the AEMO registration process.

    PAs manage their participant users in the Administration menu of the MSATS web portal.


    Information about IT system security and participant administration.

    Electricity data

    Current data

    AEMO's website has the same data as distributed through the NEM file interfaces, with the exception of participant’s private data. The data is mostly in CSV format with some graphical summaries. Data retention depends on the file type, for example, Dispatch files are kept for 2 days. The section for each file type explains how long each file remains in the current directory


    Historical data

    Older files are moved to the Reports archive and kept for 13 months.

    Baseline data

    Registered Participants setting up a new Data Interchange instance can populate their Data Model tables with data from the Participant File Server\MarketData\Baseline folder.


    Information about NEM data published by AEMO.