Fast Frequency Service – Treating the symptom not the cause?
The National Electricity Market (NEM) is designed to operate at 50 Hz. Frequency deviation occurs when generation and load are mismatched. It is important in a lightly meshed...
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Let’s talk about FCAS
Ancillary Services Matter! No longer just realm of electrical engineer or energy trading boffins, ancillary services (and particularly Frequency Control Ancillary Services or FCAS which will concentrate on...
On batteries, and “fixing South Australia’s problems”
Some quick thoughts about Tesla's promise to "fix South Australia's power woes". Which specific problem is Tesla promising to fix?
With the closure of Hazelwood looming, hedge contract prices climb skywards
Ominous signs for spot price outcomes through Q2 2016 in Victoria, as hedge contract prices climb prior to the imminent closure of Hazelwood.
Where is the east coast domgas development boom?
When markets operate normally, a sharp rise in the price of any commodity triggers a boom in exploration, development and new supply. But this is not seeming to...
Was South Australia lucky the lights stayed on last Friday?
Last Friday’s events took South Australia much closer to the brink of another Black System event than many seem to have realised
[UPDATED] AEMO Market Notice on “High Impact Outage” for tomorrow – and possible effect in South Australia
AEMO issues a Market Notice for a "High Impact Outage" - a term not used since 2012.
Collective skittishness about South Australia?
With high temperatures forecast for SA (hence higher demand) coinciding with low wind, social media references to "blackout" increase. Is this helpful?
Autumn 2017 in the NEM
Collection of articles written for Autumn 2017
A personal experience of spot-price paid solar injections
The recent demise of start-up retailer, Urth Energy (suspended from the market by the AEMO on 1st February) was an unfortunate development on this path of the energy...
EnerNOC seems to have grossly under-represented the amount of Demand Response active in the NEM
The level of Demand Response currently active in Australia's National Electricity Market is higher than some are estimating.
Question – in an interconnected electricity system (and market), when did it become acceptable to neglect a systems view?
Because of (technical and commercial) interconnectedness in the National Electricity Market, the possibility of unintended consequences should be kept in mind
Analytical Challenge – keeping an open mind to positions expressed by a broad range of people
"Incumbency" seems to have become a pejorative in the NEM
Small solar owners saved the NSW electricity market $888 million during heatwave
New South Wales recently experienced a severe heatwave, which saw parts of the state exceed 45°C. During this three day period, small solar PV (i.e. PV systems that...
How tight demand/supply situations can make solar forecasting important
NSW demand rose to a near-record high on Friday the 10th of February, and QLD soared to a new record demand on that Sunday, amidst an intense heatwave....
Five fixes for the NEM
Load shedding in South Australia on Wednesday 8 February and successive ‘close shaves’ in NSW and Queensland as the heatwave spread north have exposed serious weaknesses in the...
Interesting take, by battery maker Sonnen, on the “free energy” business model
Some brief thoughts on one innovative business model being introduced to the NEM incorporating batteries, demand response, and free energy
Key Events Timeline – NSW Friday 10 Feb 2017
A summary timeline of how last Friday’s “white knuckle ride” in NSW evolved, highlighting key events on the day.
Examining why Pelican Point didn’t bid full capacity into the NEM on Wednesday 8 February
Some thoughts by our guest author, about possible reasons why Engie did not bid full output of Pelican Point power station into AEMO on Wednesday 8th February (i.e....
[4th Post] Large and rapid demand drop curtails demand bid for new record in Queensland
Final post for the day - a high demand level achieved, but not an all-time record.