Rooftop solar PV has achieved another landmark moment for the green energy transition after exceeding daytime electricity demand on the local network in South Australia for its longest period on record.
SA Power Networks, which operates the local distribution network (not including the major transmission lines and some big industrial and mining loads) says that it has become a net exporter of energy on 12 occasions so far this year, and seven times in the past month.
Net exports is defined when rooftop solar and other distribution-connected generation more than meets daytime electricity demand.
Last week, on October 16, a new negative demand record of minus 236MW was achieved, and the distribution network managed by SA Power Networks became a net exporter for more than 5.5 hours, the longest duration seen so far in SA’s energy transition.
“This is a combination of low energy demand on some milder sunny days and the continued growth of rooftop solar,” SA Power Networks’ head of corporate affairs, Paul Roberts, said in an emailed statement.
“In the next 5-10 years we expect to see South Australia’s energy needs during the middle parts of the day regularly being supplied 100% from rooftop solar,” he said.
The chart below shows the network’s negative load days so far in 2022. The bottom line is the October 16 event
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