Utility solar steps up: South Australia’s new record-breakers

South Australia has set new benchmarks in renewable energy with two significant solar energy records:

1. Solar Share Record: On Wednesday, January 10, 2024, at 10:00, a new peak in large-scale solar share was reached at 31.5%. This increment is from the previous record of 31.4%, set on Sunday, October 8, 2023, at 14:15. The three-month period to break this record most likely highlights the priority for dispatch that residential rooftop PV holds over utility solar.

2. Solar Output Record: Just a day before, on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at 14:50, South Australia achieved a new high in large-scale solar output, registering 559.8 MW. This surpassed the earlier record of 558.8 MW, recorded on Friday, January 5, 2024, at 13:15.

In the broader context of Australian states, New South Wales currently holds the highest solar share record of 37.2%, achieved on Sunday, November 19, 2023, at 07:00.

Queensland follows with a peak of 34.0% on Friday, November 10, 2023, at 09:45. Meanwhile, Victoria has reached a solar share of 18.4% on Sunday, October 31, 2021, at 10:25.

Additionally, on January 10, 2024, at 02:40, the National Electricity Market (NEM) recorded its annual minimums for renewable energy (RE) at 2420MW and RE Share at 12.6%.

Concurrently, and unsurprisingly, the NEM’s coal and gas share reached its annual maximum at 86.6%, a stark reminder of the ongoing interplay between renewable sources and traditional energy generation.

This juxtaposition highlights the dynamic nature of our energy mix and the importance of balancing sustainability with reliability, also highlighting the work ahead.

Geoff Eldridge is an analyst with GPE NEMLog. Read the original version of this article here.