The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) said unusually mild temperatures and clear skies across South Australia led to a new record low in electricity demand on the weekend. They reported a minimum operational demand of just 264 MW. The previous record of 304 MW got low just eight days ago.
Source: OpenNEM
South Australia’s demand was fulfilled by renewables, which reached 138% of total consumption. Total Consumption includes rooftop solar supplying 81.2%, utility-scale solar providing 32.7% and wind providing 24.6%. Meanwhile, Victoria saw its lowest winter demand at 2810 MW in which rooftop solar covers 44% of the state’s electricity needs.
AEMO reported that the contribution of renewables has impacted electricity prices, causing them to drop to -$45/MWh in South Australia and $46/MWh in Victoria. An analysis was released by solar industry consultancy SunWiz that the market of rooftop solar PV systems has achieved a record of 302 MW in Australia in July 2024. This record exceeded all previous Julys and had the highest installation from April to October.
SunWiz’s Managing Director Warwick Johnston said “Overall July was our fifth-best month on record,”. After a decrease in February to June (excluding May), July brought the growth back.
New rooftop PV capacity increased by 23% compared to June which declined with 248 MW. This follows a decline from May’s 288 MW.
