SA electricity demand at New Year’s exhibiting the “Duck Curve” affliction
New Years Eve and New Years Day have provided 2 excellent examples of the “Duck Curve” in South Australia
solar PV
Barcaldine Solar Farm output – and the audacious 50% by 2030 renewables ambition
A quick look at first output of Barcaldine Solar Farm – as a segue into consideration of what we see as an “audacious” 50% by 2030 ambition.
Forecasting is a Mug’s Game
The three main flaws that put boundaries on the usefulness of all forecasting/modelling
Increased complexity, and challenges, in this energy transition
Two slides (from BNEF and AEMO) that provide some context on the energy transition
The war for dispatch: Who will control distributed energy?
In today’s energy sector, it is rare to get electricity networks, retailers, generators and system controllers in the same room at the same time. In a deconstructed market about to be transformed by distributed energy, how will decisions be made around how it is dispatched?
If I was going to assess Factors Contributing to the “truly remarkable” Q2 2016 prices, here are some starting places I’d look…
A starting list of factors that I’d look further into, if I was sucked into the “rabbit hole” of assessing all of the contributing factors leading to the Remarkable Prices seen in Q2 2016 – and which could continue into the future.
Win, lose or draw: Three scenarios for the electricity system in 2030
Cast your mind back 15 years to 2016. You probably don’t remember this, but 15 years ago people still debated whether the growth of distributed energy would fundamentally transform the Australian electricity system.
The opacity of distributed, small-scale solar PV output
A comparison of the output of the two different estimates now available for aggregate state-wide output from small-scale solar PV systems – the ARENA-funded APVI method, and a new method from AEMO
What happens when energy is free?
One scenario holds that the price of energy supply might drop to the point where it is effectively free. Here’s some of what we’re thinking about…
How small-scale solar PV is helping to moderate peak demand
Quick notes about how solar PV is helping to moderate peak demand (but some considerations relating to using rules of thumb about its effect).
Moree Solar Farm becomes the fourth of the Large-Scale Solar Farms outputting to the NEM (but 3rd publishing data)
A quick look at large-scale solar data for the NSW region, with the recent addition of Moree Solar
What role might Demand Response play in a (possible) future grid featuring high levels of intermittency?
Back on 8th October, I spoke at All Energy in Melbourne on this topic. Given the questions posed after the session, it seemed that it might be of value to some WattClarity readers if I narrated over the top of the presentation and included it here, for future reference.
Ramp rates, for “Unserved Demand” much higher in this future world
A quick look at how ramp rates would vary (for “Unserved Consumption”) in the hypothetical “10x” high intermittency grid.
Considerable spillage, in the high intermittency “10x” scenario
Continuing our analysis of these hypothetical future scenarios to understand the shape of “unserved energy” and hence the potential contribution of Demand Response – today I post about energy spilled in a future with high intermittent generation supply.
The Nyngan Solar Plant reaches full output
A quick look at how the Nyngan solar plant stepped up its output over the weekend, reaching full load.
Recapping Australia’s SolarCoaster Ride
Nigel Morris talks through his recent presentation at the EUAA forum in Brisbane about the ups and downs of Australia’s “solarcoaster” ride
Metered Generation data feed for Royalla Solar commences (6 months after plant opening)
Royalla solar farm (opened 6 months ago) now has metered generation data published by AEMO – here’s the first view.
Queensland’s peak demand very close to a new record – more possible next summer?
Completing our walk-around-the-NEM, today we look at peak demand in Queensland over summer 2014-15
Benefits* of tracking systems in solar PV
Quick notes about three types of solar PV systems, at University of Queensland’s Gatton Solar Research Facility.
Small-scale, distributed solar currently leaving large-scale, centralised solar in the shade
The Nyngan large-scale solar PV plant started production in March – but, as shown here, large-scale solar has a lot of catching up to do to match current levels of small-scale solar PV production.