A look at curtailment through the GSD2024
After reviewing the latest version of our Generator Statistical Digest (GSD), David Leitch shares his top insights about VRE curtailment across the NEM in 2024.
Read MoreCurtailment of VRE
On WattClarity there have been many articles written, referencing curtailment of VRE (variable renewable energy). This might be:
1) For network reasons (e.g. congestion)
2) For economic reasons (e.g. low spot prices)
Here’s a few articles that might prove especially useful on this topic.
Curtailment of Large Solar reaches ~72% (NEM-wide) on Sunday 16th February 2025
Given the situation that unfolded on Sunday 16th February 2025, we take a look at curtailment of Large Solar production (not quite a record).
Keeping up with the curtailment 2024: A little? too much? or much ado about nothing?
Drawing from our freshly released GSD2024, Dan provides some deeper insights into curtailment in the NEM, beyond the headline totals that were a topic of much online discussion earlier this week.
Locations of last week’s CIS winners vs known areas of congestion
After a suggestion from a reader, Dan plots the locations of the 19 winning CIS projects announced last week against economic and network curtailment data.
(Up to) 75% of Large Solar capability curtailed across the NEM, on Sunday 22nd September 2024
With new ‘lowest’ points for demand in NSW reached over the weekend, today we take a quick look back at curtailment across Large Solar Farms right across the NEM.
Curtailment (spillage) of Large Solar reaches 2/3 of total resource, on Saturday 24th August 2024
A short record of some large curtailment of Large Solar resource on Saturday 24th August 2024.
Keeping up with the curtailment Part 2: The what and the where
Dan Lee takes a deeper dive into network and economic curtailment, and shares some charts and data maps that demonstrate seasonal effects, and the geographic spread of units affected.
Keeping up with the curtailment: 3.7TWh of semi-scheduled economic and network curtailment estimated in 2023
A chart of the the month-by-month semi-scheduled economic and network curtailment totals, along with the top 3 worst hit units over 2023.
Increasing curtailment of Wind and Solar across the NEM
With Q2 drawing to a close, we’re gearing up to produce GenInsights Quarterly Update for this quarter. Timely to look back at Q1 at what was reported about curtailment of wind and solar in that earlier Quarterly Update.
Renewable curtailment – forced and not quite so forced
Inspired by the recent article by Tristan Edis (who referenced the GSD2022 in analysis of curtailment of some wind and solar farms), Allan O’Neil follows on with more analysis of the two main types of curtailment. Allan differentiates these as ‘forced curtailment’ and ‘economic offloading’
Australia’s Renewable Energy Boom – The Good, The Bad and the Downright Ugly
Tristan Edis from Green Energy Markets takes a deep dive into generator performance across the NEM. He provides his take on which wind and solar farms have outperformed and underperformed, through the recent renewable investment boom.
Not as simple as it appears – estimating curtailment of renewable generation
Curtailment seems like a simple concept, until you look closely at the details. In this article, Marcelle looks at how to estimate curtailment at wind and solar farms and explores some of the traps.