In this week’s issue of Solar Tidbits: (1) WA turns on rooftop solar switch-off rules, calls for faster grid reform (2) Remarkable achievement as Australia passes 25GW mark  (3) Renewables provided five-times more power than gas generators in 2021

WA turns on rooftop solar switch-off rules, calls for faster grid reform

Western Australia has joined South Australia this week to become the second state to allow the network operator to order residential rooftop solar systems to be switched off remotely as an emergency backstop to keep the grid stable.

WA on Monday brought into play its new Emergency Solar Management rules, which it has said will be used by the Australian Energy Market Operator as a tool “of last resort” over short periods on days when abundant rooftop solar generation sends demand for electricity to critically low levels.

For rooftop solar households in the state, this means that all new or upgraded solar systems (with inverter capacity 5kW and below) installed on the state’s main grid, the South West Interconnected System, will be required to have the capability to be remotely switched off, and back on again, starting from Monday.

More about this article: https://bit.ly/3BmBsIS

Remarkable achievement as Australia passes 25GW mark

Australia has quietly passed a major solar milestone, notching up 25GW of installed capacity – more PV per capita than anywhere else in the world.

The stunning achievement, which was notched up over the course of 2021, was marked on Monday by the Australian PV Institute, or APVI. By the beginning of 2022, Australia’s cumulative tally had in fact jumped to 26.9GW.

More about this article: https://bit.ly/3gIAj4Z 

Renewables provided five-times more power than gas generators in 2021

The share of Australia’s electricity consumption supplied by renewable energy projects continued to grow to new highs in 2021, delivering lower energy prices for consumers while the market share of coal and gas generators slumped to historic lows.

New analysis published by the Climate Council shows that renewable energy sources supplied five times as much electricity into the grid compared to the amount supplied by gas generators.

The market share for renewables set new highs across all mainland Australian states in 2021, while the market share of gas generation was further squeezed, falling to its lowest market share in more than 15 years.

More about this article: https://bit.ly/3GR0m4D

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