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.
Rooftop solar reached 51% of all generation on the National Electricity Market on Sunday and sending the output of coal and grid demand to new lows.
The level of minimum operational demand hit a new low of 11,224 MW on Sunday at 12pm (AEST).
Records were also broken in Queensland and South Australia, where rooftop solar met 99.7% 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% last weekend, albeit for one five minute period.
SA's excess renewable supply is either stored in batteries or exported to Victoria via transmission links.
So far this spring, the NEM has been operating at an average renewable share of 42.3%, compared to 38.5% in spring 2022.
Apart from hydro dominated Tasmania, South Australia leads the way with an average 74.2% (all wind and solar) so far this spring, and more than 70% over the last 12 months.