AEMO publishes Handbook for Wind and Solar Generators
As promised in the Intermittent Generation Forum late in 2020, the AEMO has released an important Handbook for operators of Semi-Scheduled (wind and solar) assets.
2021
What’s it like being on a real-time electricity pricing plan? Observations from my poorly insulated townhouse
Guest author and Economist at Monash University, Gordon Leslie, shares his personal experiences since switching to a real-time retail electricity plan.
New Sources of Strength
Guest author Allan O’Neil puts together an in-depth explainer about system strength and looks at the current approach to system strength management in South Australia, its impacts and the imminent installation of synchronous condensers on the SA grid.
Quarterly Renewables Wrap – Q1 2021
Ben Willacy of ITK Services provides his quarterly update on renewable project connection, commissioning, construction and commitment activity for Q1 2021.
Which units were most impacted by constraints in 2020?
In this (lengthy) article today, Paul McArdle uses the newly released GSD2020 to take a look at the units that were most frequently impacted by constraints during calendar 2020 – with a view to how this has changed from 2011 to 2020.
AGL Energy announces $2.6b impairment … of which $1.9b for legacy wind farm off-take agreements
Today AGL Energy announces a big impairment … with a big chunk related to long-term wind offtake agreements which AGL entered into between 2006 and 2012.
Highlights from the 2020 GSD
David Leitch highlights some themes that stuck out to him as he read through this year’s edition of the Generator Statistical Digest – including a look at how batteries are dominating the FCAS market, some surprises with capacity factor, and other things
Using the GSD2020 to explore operating patterns across generation types
With the release of the Generator Statistical Digest 2020, Marcelle Gannon takes a look at how it can be useful for identifying and exploring different patterns of generation.
Energy Transition: it was Full Steam ahead in 2020!
New guest author to WattClarity, Mark Stedwell, uses the GSD2020 to explore what happened in 2020 as part of the Energy Transition
Supply side price drivers in the NEM
Ben Willacy of ITK Services examines the GSD2020 and seeks to highlight what the report can tell us about supply side price drivers in the NEM
Transition Fooled?
Through the lens of the GSD2020, Allan O’Neil looks at the much-discussed role of gas-fired generation in the ‘energy transition’ of the NEM’s generation sector
The Generator Statistical Digest 2020 (GSD2020) is released
From Monday 1st Feb 2021 the (720-page) Generator Statistical Digest 2020 is more broadly available – here’s some of what’s in it, and how you can access. Those dozens of clients who had submitted earlier pre-orders were provided early access on Friday 29th Jan 2021.
Prior to the wider release of the GSD2020 … here’s a 10-year trend of bidding behaviour
A chart we threw together quickly at Beer O’Clock today (from the imminent release of the GSD2020) was worth sharing more broadly on WattClarity today…
AEMO releases ‘Quarterly Energy Dynamics’ for Q4 2020
Quite a synergistic coincidence today that, at the same time as we are finalizing the release of the GSD2020, we see the AEMO publishes its Quarterly Energy Dynamics for Q4 2020.
Average spot prices through 2020 down at levels not seen for many years
Several conversations this week prompted me to update the long-term view of how spot prices have trended over time (in particular because average prices in 2020 were quite different than recent years).
Heavy rain across Victoria squashes Small and Large Solar on Friday 29th January 2021
Short article today observing higher Scheduled Demand in VIC – which appears to be in large part due to state-wide suppression of solar PV production with heavy cloud and rainfall.
Initial thoughts on AEMO’s draft Guidelines for Wholesale Demand Response (WDR)
A week ago (Thursday 21st Jan 2021) we received an email from AEMO following the publication of Draft Guidelines for the Wholesale Demand Response Mechanism. We share some thoughts here today.
Cool change arrives in Melbourne early on Monday 25th January 2021, dampening high demand expectations
Forecasts was that it would be hot across Victoria, and demand would be high, through Monday 25th January 2021. But the cool change arrived early.
Sunday 24th Jan 2021 (part 2) – down to the wire (because of bushfire) in South Australia
Second article today, focusing on what happened late in the afternoon and into the evening in South Australia.
Sunday 24th Jan 2021 – a couple discrete incidents
It was forecast it would be a hot day in the southern part of the NEM and it did not disappoint. The hot weather was one of the factors that contributed to price spikes … in Regulation FCAS, and then in QLD and later in South Australia.