Opinion & Analysis

Today in South Australia, the market appears to have received a reminder that National Electricity Market Dispatch Engine (NEMDE) is technology agnostic, and that all types of technologies can experience their own challenges leading to price volatility.

Two events in the past week mark a watershed for Australia’s electricity industry.

On 16 March 2021, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) published a draft determination rule which confirms the mandatory primary frequency response (PFR) arrangements to remain unchanged beyond the sunset date of 4 June 2023 established in March 2020. The primary frequency control band implemented under mandatory PFR is 49.985Hz -50.015Hz.

Global-Roam and Greenview Strategic Consulting collaborated together recently to publish the Generator Insights 2021 report, taking a deep dive into historical generation performance across the national electricity market and considering what this means for the future. In this article, Marcelle Gannon shares some highlights around the increasing penetration of large-scale wind and solar generation, including historical changes in time-of-day earning patterns, the increasing importance of forecasting of renewable output, and some longer-term challenges.

Germany has announced plans for a new climate alliance between the world’s advanced economies, in a move that promises to transform international climate action.

Is it possible to have your cake and eat it too? Federal Labor is certainly giving it a go by supporting government plans for a fossil gas/diesel peaking plant in the Hunter Valley currently under construction – as long as the plant switches to green hydrogen by 2030.

Transport accounts for nearly 20% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in Australia and Schneider Electric’s Sam Yfantis believes decarbonising the nation’s public transport must be prioritised to help meet sustainability targets and move Australia away from its dependency on fossil fuels.

Last year saw Australians install rooftop solar like never before, with 40% more installed in 2021 than in 2020. Solar system installations now make up 7% of the energy going into the national electricity grid.

Australian green hydrogen production for export and domestic use could generate more than $50 billion in 2050 but how close are we really to a green hydrogen industry? And which states are best placed to host it? Swinburne University of Technology senior research fellow Steven Percy examines Australia’s green hydrogen marketplace.

Having working in the Australian solar industry for more than a decade, Dane Muldoon recently moved into the world of electric vehicles and fast charging, joining Tritium. These are the five most surprising things he’s learned since changing industries.