W.A.’s isolated grid sets new instantaneous and monthly records for wind and solar

Western Australia’s main grid has set new records for wind and solar penetration – both for instantaneous levels and for the month – which shows it surging ahead of the country’s main grid.

According to the Australian Energy Market Operator, the state recorded a record share of 43 per cent renewables – in the case of WA that’s made up almost entirely of wind and solar – for the month of November.

It also notes that on Sunday, December 4, it also set a new “instantaneous” share of 81.4 per cent, pipping the previous record of 81.3 per cent set just a couple of weeks earlier.

“November was a record month for renewable generation in Western Australia’s major power system, with renewables supplying around 43% of total electricity generated in the month and instantaneous penetration records broken on 3 consecutive weekends,” AEMO noted on the weekend.

The high level of renewables is also significant because WA’s South West Interconnected System is an isolated grid, with no connections to another system, and still has no large scale storage to speak of, although it is building its first big battery at Kwinana.

The WA renewables share was dominated by rooftop solar, which accounted for 22.5 per cent of all generation over the month, followed by wind with 17.5 per cent large scale solar – which struggles to compete with rooftop solar – with 2.53 per cent

Australia’s main grid, known as the National Electricity Market, has reached an “instantaneous” high – usually measured as a 30 minute interval – of 68.7 per cent. Its average share in the last 30 days in 41 per cent.

AEMO last week unveiled its engineering roadmap to enable renewables to reach 100 per cent instantaneous penetration for 30 minute intervals, and to be able to run on renewables only for hours and days at a time.

The NEM is probably a long way short of having enough wind and solar to reach that share, even for a short period, but AEMO has said there has already been – on at least one occasion – enough “available” wind and solar to match local demand on the WA grid.

In the event, some of that wind and solar capacity was withdrawn voluntarily by project owners because the wholesale price of electricity was in negative territory.

But AEMO won’ allow 100 per cent renewables in any case without implementing the systems and protocols to ensure the grid can remain stable in the event of a major disruption, like a falling transmission line. That is likely to be another few years away, although AEMO wants it to be ready by 2025.

See also: The day world’s biggest isolated grid had enough wind and solar to reach 100 pct renewables

And: “Unparalleled in world:” AEMO maps route to “hours and days” of 100 pct renewables