Climate News

Wind and solar meet a record 80% of demand on Australia's main grid, rooftops over half

Wind and solar power met 80.4% of demand on Australia's main power grid on Saturday 19 September, a new record, The Guardian reported. For 30 minutes around lunchtime, rooftop solar panels alone supplied more than half of the power used in the National Electricity Market. This grid supplies the eastern states, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. Hydro added about 1%, and coal and gas supplied 20%.

Energy minister Chris Bowen said the milestone meant there was "more clean, cheap, sovereign energy powering our homes and businesses than ever before". More than 4.3 million Australian households now have rooftop solar. On the same weekend, coal generation in Queensland fell to a record low.

"From an emissions perspective, what matters is the annual contributions and how much coal we are burning." — Dr Dylan McConnell, UNSW, via The Guardian

How each outlet framed it

• The Guardian — the record, together with its limits: much of the surplus power was curtailed, and investment in new capacity is still falling short of the 2030 target.
• RenewEconomy — the Australian clean-energy site led on a new all-time high, "nearly half of it" from rooftop solar.
• pv magazine — the solar trade publication reported the record renewables share on the grid.
• Energías Renovables — the Spanish outlet's angle: Australia above 80% for the first time.

Meaning and limits: the record came during "record season", when sunny spring days coincide with low demand for heating and cooling. Over the year to June, renewables supplied an average of 44% of the main grid's power, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator. Australia's target is 82% by 2030.

What we don't know yet: how soon the record will fall. McConnell said it might be broken within weeks.