Rooftop solar power helped drive the renewably generated energy share of the electricity market above 30 per cent for most of June.
Green Energy Markets’ latest update shows solar power is shining on the National Electricity Market (NEM), even in winter. Solar capacity ensured renewable energy contributed above 30 per cent of the market energy for 20 days during June.
Overall, renewable energy provided 22.3 per cent of total generation across Australia’s east and west coast mains grids. However, this averaged monthly figure disguises solar energy performance over daylight hours, the report states.
Indeed, solar output pushed the share of renewables to a peak of 39.2 per cent at midday on June 30.
The report also illustrates the rise and fall in generation of renewable capacity over the month.
From 7am, generation quickly ramps up as solar power systems kick in, peaking at midday at around 30 per cent share.
Then hydroelectric power picks up the slack as the sun fades, with wind and other resources keeping the renewably generated energy share at a steady 17 per cent overnight.
June rooftop solar drives renewably generated energy share
Another highlight of the report is how the growing share of renewable energy is impacting employment. Currently, almost 10,000 megawatts of large-scale renewables are under construction around the country.
These projects provided enough work to employ 21,843 people — the majority in wind and solar jobs.
In addition, there were 20,587 small-scale solar PV systems installed nationally in June alone. NSW and Queensland were the biggest markets for solar, with 6,165 and 5,541 systems respectively. But Victoria followed up with 3,853 systems installed — a total no doubt boosted by the Andrews Government’s Solar Homes Program.
In just 30 days during June, rooftop solar created jobs for over 7,300 people, GEM stated. The energy from these systems was enough to power more than 46,000 homes.
Over the next decade, the solar power installed on these homes will deliver a staggering $288 million in power bill savings.
Renewable energy made easy with Telsa’s biggest battery
As a recent review from the Australian Electricity Market Commission showed, Australia’s grid is struggling to meet demand from unprecedented levels of renewable energy.
Enter Tesla’s Megapack — the latest battery unit to back up electricity grids that have continuously varying amounts of solar and wind energy.
The 250 MW/1 GWh capacity battery ‘power plant’ gives fast response power backup to the network, so when the wind drops and the sun disappears, it kicks in straight away. In the meantime, it can charge itself during the day from wind, solar or even the grid itself.
The Megapack is Tesla’s largest energy storage system. Next down the line is the Powerpack for commercial applications, then the Powerwall 2 for households and businesses.
