Australia’s main grid sets new 24-hour renewables record of 54.9 pct

Renewable energy records continue to tumble in early spring – the season of wind and solar records – with the latest being a new peak for “rolling one day mean” renewable share of 54.9 per cent.

According to Geoff Eldridge, of GPE NEMLog, this new record, achieved at 4pm on Monday and reflecting the previous 24 hour period, is slightly ahead of the record of 54 per cent set in late August, but well ahead of the 50.4 per cent level a year earlier.

Eldridge says the rolling 1-day mean is important because it provides a stronger measure of renewable integration than momentary peaks, of which there are many, as we report here, here and here.

“This new record shows renewables holding stronger averages across the grid, a marker of both system resilience and transition momentum,” Eldridge wrote on LinkedIn.

He says the minimum 1-Day Rolling Mean renewable share is now at 23.4 per cent, underscoring the swing between high and low renewable supply, and the growing importance of flexibility assets like storage, demand response, and interconnection to manage variability.

“Renewables are not only pushing higher averages but also testing the system at both extremes,” he says. “Flexibility remains the key to ensuring these records translate into a successful energy transition.”