Given that I posted about an amazing period of doldrums experienced in wind production through late May and June 2017 (due to weather patterns explained here by meteorologist and guest author John Fisher), it’s also worth noting in this quick post that wind production roared back through July 2017 to reach a new record of just shy of 600,000MWh across South Australia.
This is shown in the following longer-term trend from our NEM-Review v6 software package:
Another example of the “yin and yang of wind”, like the example here from 2015.
Wind may be predictable day to day but remains just as unpredictable as ever over the longer term.
I watched wind generator output in Southern Aust in May and June and it was pathetic. Oh that’s right we did not have our laughable 100MW energiser battery. Thermal powerstations did all the heavy lifting and ensured reliable supply something which wind and solar will never achieve. I am all for renewable energy but let’s stop pouring taxpayer money into this sector. We are told the technology has improved out of sight so let the proponents put their money where their mouth is without sucking the taxpayer dry. The debate is really ramping up and so it should. The public have been conned long enough and had a gutfull of the climate change religion. Unfortunately many people and the Government have woken up too late.
The trick is how to capture and harness this highly variable energy source through effective storage technology, and that’s what our best people are working on