New NEM Report Tags Solar Rooftop as Most Reliable Source of New Power Generation

A new report has concluded that the installation of solar on Australian homes and businesses have made rooftop PV the most reliable source of increasing generation on the National Electricity Market. The website of RenewEconomy reported that in the latest issue of the NEEA Electricity Update, the Australia Institute stated that the rooftop solar market had more than doubled since 2013. It delivered a record total of 6.2Twh until December 2017.
According to the report, “Rooftop solar has been installed by over 1.6 million households and is the most reliable source of steadily growing generation in the NEM. Steady growth in rooftop solar PV contributed to net generation or ‘generation sent out’, being 5 percent lower than in June 2008.”
The report also put emphasis that the overall changes in the mix of generation that supplies the NEM have resulted in a drop in average emissions intensity for the year. It stated, “Up to the end of November 2017, reduction in demand for electricity from the grid contributed about one-third of the total reduction in annual emissions from NEM generation since June 2008. the other two-thirds were contributed by the lower average emissions intensity of electricity generation.”
However, the report mentioned that the decrease in the brown coal share of generation is mostly the effect of the closure of Hazelwood, one of the country’s dirtiest power stations, in March 2017. This is refuted by the increased share of both black coal and gas-fired generation in South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. “Both these generation sources have much lower emissions intensity than Hazelwood and consequently overall emission intensity fell steadily,” the report added.
The report also shows that renewables lessened “ as the earlier increase in hydro generation was reversed and wind generation stayed roughly constant.” For the complete report and other figures on the new NEM report, visit this site.