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 and long network such as the NEM to maintain tight frequency control and that frequency response is available throughout the network.
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 today) have become front and centre in so many ways that barely a day goes by without market observers referring to grid stability, inertia or frequency management.
Some quick thoughts about Tesla’s promise to “fix South Australia’s power woes”. Which specific problem is Tesla promising to fix?
Ominous signs for spot price outcomes through Q2 2016 in Victoria, as hedge contract prices climb prior to the imminent closure of Hazelwood.
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 happen in response to high domestic gas prices. In this article, guest author (Graeme Bethune) examines why.
Last Friday’s events took South Australia much closer to the brink of another Black System event than many seem to have realised
AEMO issues a Market Notice for a “High Impact Outage” – a term not used since 2012.
With high temperatures forecast for SA (hence higher demand) coinciding with low wind, social media references to “blackout” increase. Is this helpful?
Collection of articles written for Autumn 2017
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 transition.
The level of Demand Response currently active in Australia’s National Electricity Market is higher than some are estimating.
Because of (technical and commercial) interconnectedness in the National Electricity Market, the possibility of unintended consequences should be kept in mind
“Incumbency” seems to have become a pejorative in the NEM
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 are not registered as generators in the NEM), generated about 17 GWh of power.
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. While this heat-stressed our electricity markets and infrastructure, the nation’s rooftop solar PV systems were providing critical load reduction under plentiful sunshine.
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 national electricity market (NEM).
Some brief thoughts on one innovative business model being introduced to the NEM incorporating batteries, demand response, and free energy
A summary timeline of how last Friday’s “white knuckle ride” in NSW evolved, highlighting key events on the day.
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. the time at which load shedding eventuated).
Final post for the day – a high demand level achieved, but not an all-time record.