Rooftop solar pushes SA to new low demand from big generators
Records keep tumbling in South Australia’s electricity market as household rooftop solar supplied more than 60 per cent of power on Sunday.
SA News
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Solar power has again driven down demand on South Australia’s electricity grid to a record low, for the third time this spring.
Rooftop solar provided 64 per cent of overall generation in the state about 12.30pm on Sunday, reducing grid demand to 475MW.
With wind and grid-scale solar generation added, renewable energy met about 90 per cent of SA’s demand.
Normal weekday grid demand for SA is about 1500MW.
“Overall electricity consumption is at its lowest during mild weather conditions, when we aren’t using our heating or cooling systems,” Australian Energy Market Operator chief operations officer Damien Sanford said.
“Those same mild, clear and sunny conditions are also ideal for rooftop solar.”
Sunday’s record of 475MW followed previous records set on Saturday’s October 12 and Sunday September 29.
The record low came as Australian investment in electricity generation focuses on renewables.
In Senate estimates on Monday night, executives from the Department of Environment and Energy said this was why the Federal Government wanted to encourage more “firm” generation such as pumped hydro.
“In the last few years when you look at the amount of investment — and there has been significant investment in the national electricity market — by far the majority of that has been in renewables ,” assistant secretary James O’Toole said.
“Only about 2 per cent in the last three or so years has been in firm generation.
“The Minister (Energy and Emissions Minister Angus Taylor) and the Government is very concerned that with the introduction of significant amount of renewables, it needs firm, dispatchable, fast-start generation to support that.”
That was why the Government had initiated the Underwriting New Generation Investments program where 12 projects have been short-listed for federal support.
The shortlist includes four in SA — three pumped hydro projects and Alinta Energy’s Reeves Plains gas generation project north of Adelaide.
Mr O’Toole said six of the projects were in final stages of negotiation with a decision on whether they would be supported expected by the end of the year.
He also said the Government was aware of industry concerns that picking winners might inhibit other companies making investments.
In the Senate hearing, the department was repeatedly questioned about claims by Mr Taylor that Australia has the highest level of renewable energy investment per capita.
The department undertook to analyse reports which might contradict the claim.
Also facing intense questioning was Deputy Secretary Climate Change and Energy Innovation Jo Evans.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young called on Ms Evans to say that climate change was “making things worse”.
Ms Evans said she did not think it was her role to sum up climate change in one word.
“The changes in climate that we are seeing include increases in temperature, increases in ocean heat content, increases in ocean acidification, changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, rising global sea levels and so on,” Ms Evans said.
“I don’t feel the need to put a judgment word onto those factual descriptions.”