Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull is mighty proud of the upgraded rooftop solar array and battery storage system that he had installed in his Point Piper harbourside mansion in Sydney earlier this year.
Apparently the brainchild of his “energy-aware” son Alex – as Turnbull put it in a radio interview on Thursday – the 14kW of rooftop solar and 14kwh of battery storage means that the Point Piper house doesn’t draw any energy from the grid for much of the day.
“My son Alex is very knowledgeable on renewables, energy economics generally, and we had solar panels for a long time,” Turnbull told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell in an interview.
“We got some new ones recently and a battery and that’s certainly meant that for much of the day, even with the big power demand we have there (increased by his heightened security protection), we’re actually not drawing any electricity from the grid.”
And, we’re told, Turnbull loves to look at his iPhone app to check on how its performing.
But Turnbull has touched on something important here.
For all the forecasts of catastrophic blackouts in NSW once the Liddell coal generator is closed in 2022, people being stuck in lifts busting for a pee, and what will happen “when the wind don’t blow” and the “sun don’t shine”, the risks are likely lower – barring some extreme event – than is being made out.
And that’s because many households, like Turnbull, are going to install more rooftop solar panels and battery storage in coming years, partly because it is an obvious way to deflect the inflated cost of energy bought from utilities and because costs are falling rapidly.
Indeed, according to the head of the Australian Energy Market Operator, Audrey Zibelman, distributed rooftop solar generation is on a path to making up 30-40 per cent of Australia’s electricity generation market. And, if managed smartly, this is a very good thing.
“In our (ESOO) report, we identified the fact that, with the amount of variability in our system… we need resources that can (respond) very rapidly – not like baseload,” Zibelman told a public forum on the future of Australia’s energy system, in Melbourne on Tuesday.
“These resources can be all over the system,” she said. “We are indifferent to why imbalance occurs. If we have distributed energy resources located behind the meter, and we can communicate with those, it might even be better than switching on baseload.”
It may seem crazy to compare a household system with a big coal generator, but the issue here is not how much a coal plant like Liddell puts into the grid (around 8,000GWh, or 10 per cent of the NSW supply at the moment), but when. Much of its output is at night-time and can be easily replaced by renewables.
The key is what happens at the critical demand peaks, and as we discuss below, when it really mattered last February, much of Liddell was a no-show, and the grid operator does not like the idea of having to rely on ageing generators that are vulnerable to high temperatures – the usual ingredient for critical peaks.
The Australian Energy Market Operator’s assessment of short and medium term energy needs – the cause of this sudden interest in prolonging the life of a 50-year coal generator – says rooftop solar PV is going to play a critical role in minimising outages.
First of all, rooftop solar will offset projected increases in demand caused by a growing population, economic growth and the increase in appliances and air conditioning. It predicts strong growth of rooftop PV coupled with battery storage, especially after 2019/20 in NSW.
That rooftop solar push maximum demand from mid to late afternoon until after sunset, and so narrowing the peaks, those few hours of the year when the market operator will experience a white-knuckle ride, fearful that that big coal and gas generators will suddenly trip in the heat, as they did in NSW on February 10.
Its ability to address those peaks will be helped by battery storage installations liked Turnbull’s, which can be pooled and provide a useful service to the grid – acting like virtual power plants. It is the sort of smart technology AEMO now wants to pull into its portfolio to manage a changing system.
As Turnbull himself said after visiting the Tesla HQ in California in 2015: “Batteries have the potential to revolutionise the energy market, reducing peaking power requirements, optimising grid utilisation of renewables ….”
The graph above shows that even with the closure of Liddel, Australia’s tight reliability standards are not breached, and the potential for unserved energy is greatly reduced by the assumption of more rooftop PV and large scale renewables.
And it also worth pointing out that AEMO’s estimates for potential unserved energy post the Liddell closure do not include increased levels of storage – either at household level like Turnbull’s or with large scale wind and solar farms.
Nor does it factor in a boost in demand management likely to encouraged by the ARENA sponsored initiative this year and next and by a market mechanism after that which could deliver “half a Hazelwood”. Nor does it include the much-vantued Snowy 2 pumped hydro scheme.
It all makes the Coalition’s interest in extending the life of Liddell harder to understand.
Meanwhile, in the states, a 20MW/34MWh storage facility has been announced for Stawell in western Victoria, adjacent to a new wind farm, and the results of a tender for two more 20MW battery storage insallations, totaling 100MWh, will be announced soon. Local network operators Ausnet and Spark Infrastructure have been having lots of fun using storage to test mini-grids, virtual power plants, and “mobile” storage back-ups.
In South Australia, the 100MW/129MWh Tesla big battery and the 30MW/8MWh Electranet battery will be built this summer, and other storage facilities are also on their way, waiting for the right market signals and rule changes.
“The system is changing. That’s not a bad thing,” Zibelman told the AEMC hosted Making market transformation work forum on Tuesday. “We have to think about this next generation of markets. We have to work with the transformation of the nature of the system, and take advantage of (what it offers).”
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Common sense took a left turn. Do not over complicate or over think it. 1. Rooftop solar and Batteries is still TOO EXPENSIVE for those most in need …ordinary mums dads and grandparents – low income earners. 2. Get going on Snowy scheme and extend power generation until that comes online. The worst thing is not to learn from LABORS mistakes in South Australia and turn off power stations before you have adequate alternatives. Common sense took an extreme left turn and are now feeding AGL’s 457 VISA pockets. It disgusts me to drive around and see mansions and such with all the Vast Solar and batteries while in the normal burbs where people need heat/cooling. lights, cooking and such and get screwed …likely by some of those with solar/battery abundance. Solar/battery is the new STATUS SYMBOL for the well off.
Maybe Wayne, you should read this article to learn who it was actually owned the power station and the facts around who closed it and why, instead of just Parroting the Coalition lies. And as far as the STATUS SYMBOL for the well off, maybe you should look at the rooftop of Malcolm Turnbull’s Point Piper house with Battery too. 14KW to boot… He knows what his money is on, a pity he doesn’t put his mouth there with it. But then, that might cost him his job. Hypocrite. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-30/port-augusta-power-station-giveaway-a-bad-deal/8398898
Well done, Ray. Yes, The COALition, facts and truths mean nothing to them. Their lies need to be constantly called out but sadly there are many, like our Wayne above, that just accept what they hear from Turnbull and swallow what they read in cheerleader Murdoch’s pretend newspapers.
Why demonise people who might have an alternative view and try to place labels on them when we should be having Healthy discussion. Behaviour like that is borderline bullying, personal insults and that is rather unfortunate in a mature democracy. Using these tactics to distract from discussion seems to expose your own polity and biases and might tend to deter others from discussion. I at least got of my behind and wrote to the PM and complained that he and his policy was hurting Australians most in Need.
I am sorry if you felt I had impugned you Wayne, and your allegiances, and will withdraw them, in the interests of discussion of the subject, but when I see someone repeating the false accusations and deliberate misinformation of the Liberal party, then I must assume that they either have not taken the time to ascertain the truth of the matter, or are a supporter. Did you read the link I provided, because who owned it at the time of it’s closing was made clear. The previous Liberal govt sold the power station to Alinta, a French company, I believe. When they decided to for all intents and purposes, to just walk away from it, because the coal mine that supplied it was defunct, they offered it back to the Labor govt free, walk in walkout. This was the Labor Govt’s evaluation of it’s worth to the state “We would be getting a coal mine that had no coal, to run a power station that was losing hundreds of millions of dollars.”
“It was a bad deal for the taxpayers and we said ‘no’.”. Basically Alinta had run it into the ground in order to squeeze every last drop of life and money out of it. It’s a common “business” practice called asset stripping. Obviously it’s scrap metal value was far less than the cost of dismantling, so they decided to shove that back onto the current Govt and just toddle off.
I am glad to see that you wrote to P.M. Turnbull, protesting his unfair advantage when it comes to Solar and renewables, over the less well off. Interestingly he (the P.M.) didn’t even have the good concience to take credit for the decision to have them on his house, instead deflecting the”blame” onto his son. A truly courageous man our P.M. I wish you luck in influencing him.
Hey Raymond, agree with everything there except for the last bit. “Sources close to the situation” inform me that his son Alex was indeed the driving force behind the expanded solar array and battery storage. And I may even have spotted him somewhere on these forums! But not this particular thread.
Giles, thankyou, but I say it as I see it, if this forum forbids free speech, and the expressions of opinions, something the LNP seems otherwise, much in favor of, then I will withdraw from this forum. If the moderators wish to censor my comments or delete them and me, so be it.
Huh. Who is censoring? who is forbidding? I just said that Alex was the one involved in the solar array and i agreed with everything else you said.
Raymond et el, I suspect we have stumbled on to a forum loaded with leftist supporters and rather averse to sensible discussion unless it aligns with their views and when It does not to demonise people. Unfortunatley that is a big shame as a lot of stuff published is great info. So read but never comment seems the case as the bullies and crazy peopel are there just waiting to have a go and a laugh at others expense and with respect admin seems MIA. I love my rooftop solar, Led house lights, Rainwater tanks and LPG and Diesel vehicles but as a self funded volunteer working in disadvantaged communities I find those with the greatest need get the least benefit and in fact the more greening it seem are hit by ever escalating cost of living. This bickering and failure of National policy by ALL 3 majors is so dissapointing so I write to those in power who typify that social divide on their roofs while holding high TAX paid positions of power. If Di Natalli did something constructive instead of boasting and enjoying his solar battery home and Turnbull likewise (but at least he attributed it to his smart son) I might have more faith.
Really you are groping for a cause-“leftist supporters, demonising,bullies and crazy people” but “I love my rooftop solar….” This is all straight out of the right wing troll handbook.
Yep i bet some of your best friends are Gays,Muslims and black people.
Ok it seems that ppl on here are extreme leftists stereotyping others and bullying. I support no party and frankly feel insulted by the silly personalised comments but I guess that is their goal…. So few are actually informed. Fortunately they are a minority but still of concern. What they do is cause ordinary Australians away and only deal with like minded self supporting agendas. If the more intelligent and sensible do not manage, unfortunately you will lose people you should be trying to win over. Sad to see.
Giles commenting on bias in the media. Ha.
Operator of the most biased cherry picking left leaning anti-coal articles on the internet.
I did my research and made my comments as mine not anyone elses……If you want to shut down discussion on important matters I guess it is your choice and way to do it but I do not believe it is a respectful thing to do. Extending Port Augusta would have cost but been a sensible thing even up until Holden and the Ship building industry down turn and suitable baseload alternatives were in place. That is POOR state planning. Take a drive up to Leigh Creek and see for yourself the emplty houses lost jobs and waste including a great rail line. Clearly I am dealing with biases that might be political and no point that being the case. I speak my mind and act as I can in a democracy to try to influence policy where I see it having real effects on the most vulnerable not those who might be better off.
That was my point. That well off like turnbull can afford it while others in need cannot and that needs addressing. I did my research and the Government had the option of putting in to keep it going or not and they refused. And since when can the Governmnet who sold theses assets walk away from surety of supply….that in itself is rather irresponsible. I have no association with any polity or party and in fact I wrote to the PM yesterday to complain that while he has the priviledge of massive solar and Battery as does the Greens leader ordinary Australians and those who least can affrd it don’t and that needs to be addressed. You see it is creating a gulf where wealthy like my Di Natali and Mr Turnbull can afford to avoid Bill shock where the rest of us cannot.