Rooftop solar smashes more records, sending coal output and grid demand to new lows

Rooftop solar continued to take ever bigger bites out of the share of the fossil fuel industry on Australia’s main grid over the “grand final” weekend, reaching 51 per cent of all generation on the National Electricity Market on Sunday and sending the output of coal and grid demand to new lows.

The Australian Energy Market Operator noted on Monday, in a post on Twitter/X, that the level of minimum operational demand hit a new low of 11,224 MW on Sunday at 12pm (AEST).

At the time, AEMO said, rooftop solar was supplying 51 per cent of total demand. It noted records were also broken in Queensland and South Australia, where rooftop solar met 99.7 per cent of total demand from 1pm to 1.30pm.

That is the highest yet over a half hour period, although rooftop solar hit a peak of 101.2 per cent last weekend, albeit for one five minute period. The excess renewable supply is either stored in batteries or exported to Victoria via transmission links.

Other data providers noted more records falling over the weekend, including black coal output (NSW and Queensland) falling to a record low of 5090 MW on Saturday afternoon, and operational demand hitting a low of just 5 MW in South Australia and network demand at minus 37 MW in the same state.

So far this spring, the NEM has been operating at an average renewable share of 42.3 per cent, compared to 38.5 per cent in spring, 2022.

Apart from hydro dominated Tasmania, South Australia leads the way with an  average 74.2 per cent (all wind and solar and no hydro) so far this spring, and more than 70 per cent over the last 12 months.