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| Mon, 22nd Jun 2020 16:10:00 |
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Smoke and high-temperature cut-outs hit solar and wind output in summer from hell |
The task of keeping the lights on in Australia's main grid this past summer – in the midst of record temperatures and demand levels, and unprecedented bush-fires and losses from network and fossil fuel generator failures – was further complicated by two unexpected new problems, the loss of solar output due to smoke and dust, and the sudden loss of wind power in extreme temperatures.
The problems are identified in the Summer Operations Review, prepared by the Australian Energy Market Operator, which says that despite the extraordinary summer – ranging from extreme heat, mega-fires, and then flash flooding in some regions – the power system remained secure.
Two interesting new issues arose, however, that – unlike problems with fossil fuel generators and storm damage to networks – were not anticipated before the summer, and these related to the growing amounts of wind and solar output.
The biggest surprise came from what AEMO describes as "extreme temperature cut-outs" from wind energy – which it says were experienced, for the first time, at a large scale across both South Australia and Victoria on a number of occasions.
The most notable of these was December 20, at the tail-end of an unprecedented heatwave, and on a day when temperatures reached 45°C in Adelaide and 43.5°C in Melbourne.
AEMO says the high temperatures of more than 40°C at the height of the turbine hubs (some of them more than 100m high) led to "high temperature cut out" of the equipment on top of the turbines.
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