Renewable energy hit what may be a record level of renewable energy on grid demand in the early afternoon on Easter Saturday, when the combined output of rooftop solar, large scale wind and solar and hydro power accounted for 50.4 per cent of net load.
Renewable energy hit what may be a record level of renewable energy on grid demand
Source: Renew Economy
Renewable energy hit what may be a record level of renewable energy on grid demand in the early afternoon on Easter Saturday, when the combined output of rooftop solar, large scale wind and solar and hydro power accounted for 50.4 per cent of net load.
The 50 per cent share of renewables – which even the federal Coalition government now conceded will be an “annual average” by 2030, rather than a figure reached during a point in time – was attained just after noon on Easter Saturday, traditionally a time of low demand, and perhaps more so given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The milestone – which beats the 50.2 per cent share reached in November last year – was flagged by one reader in an email titled “the day the sky didn’t fall and I roasted a chicken”.
The chart below, sourced fromOpenNEM.org.au, shows a share of rooftop solar at 22.5 per cent, large scale solar at 9.3 per cent, large scale wind at 17.7 per cent, and hydro at 2.2 per cent, at 12.05pm. The share of renewables was fairly consistent around 50 per cent for about half an hour and half an after that time, but that appears to be the peak 5 minute interval.
