Renewable energy will be discussed at the Sustainability Conference 23 – 24 March 2017 in Brisbane.
Renewable energy – South Australia is in the forefront of Australia’s transition to a low carbon economy. The July 2016 experience in that state has raised questions about the effects of high and increasing proportions of renewable energy, gas policies, and the design of the National Electricity Market. An immediate answer is grid-scale batteries, which are being deployed in other developed countries to balance increasing volumes of wind and solar energy as reported by Ross Garnaut.
The Australian government’s participation in the December 2015 Paris agreements implicitly commits us to zero net emissions in electricity by the middle of the century. Some may wish for relief through failure of international co-operation. This is a wish for catastrophic disruption.
Wind and solar PV are important in low-cost paths towards zero emissions in Australian electricity supply. Australia’s rich solar and wind resources provide potential for strong comparative advantage in energy-intensive industry in a low carbon global economy.
Irregular supply from solar PV and wind can be balanced by geographic diversification of renewable energy (perhaps but not necessarily with network extensions); by demand management (so that users modify the time at which they use electricity); by zero emissions sources of thermal energy (biomass, solar thermal, nuclear, and fossil energy with capture and storage of emissions); and by storage of electricity in times of strong supply or weak demand for use when electricity is scarce and expensive.
Large-scale storage options are mature, have been implemented in other countries and are ready to apply now in Australia.
New, low-cost pumped hydro options need decisions on deployment now if they are to play a major role in three to six years’ time.Grid scale battery storage is ready for immediate deployment. Decisions now could have large impacts in six to nine months.
Renewable energy – South Australia
Last month’s crisis in South Australia came from theinteraction of the normal intermittency of wind power with disruption of Victorian interconnection while capacity was being expanded; from the huge increase in the cost of gas for peaking power generation as Queensland LNG exports lifted gas demand to well above supply capacity; and from oligopolistic profit maximisation at a time of systemic stress within highly concentrated gas and electricity markets (see Dylan McConnell’s forthcoming paper at the Melbourne Energy Institute).
A surge in demand in a cold winter period increased pressure. Price volatility and average wholesale prices rose to unprecedented heights. Meanwhile, resources available to control frequency for grid stability were limited. The crisis has passed with the restoration and expansion of interconnector capacity. To read more click here.
Renewable energy will be a topic of discussion at The National Sustainability in Business Conference; renewables, markets, innovation, opportunities and capital which will be held on the 23 – 24 March 2017 at the Hotel Grand Chancellor, Brisbane.
To express your interest in the Conference CLICK HERE.
