Australia’s power systems are moving closer to being able to operate at higher contributions of renewable energy, with the publication of two engineering reports outlining how to overcome the technical barriers.
The power system reports for the National Electricity Market (NEM) and Western Australia’s South West Interconnected System (SWIS) examine the technical changes required as coal generators retire and are replaced by a range of renewable technologies, such as solar panels, wind turbines, hydro and batteries.
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Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) CEO Daniel Westerman said renewables were already meeting 40% of our energy needs throughout the year, peaking at world-leading records above 72% on the east coast and 84% on the west coast.
“AEMO must be ready to operate the power system under all foreseeable conditions, including during periods of world-leading contribution from rooftop solar and grid-scale renewable energy,” Westerman said.
“We are working with leading international peers and local industry to remove the technical constraints to harnessing more renewable energy for the benefit of Australian homes and businesses,” he said.
Building on previous publications, including the Engineering Framework in 2020 and NEM Engineering Roadmap in 2022, this latest 2024 NEM Engineering Roadmap update outlines progress made in the past 12 months, and details AEMO’s priority actions for the year ahead.
Achievements in the last financial year include developing specifications for grid-forming inverters and electric vehicle standards for grid operation, advancing rooftop solar inverter compliance and last resort rooftop solar backstop requirements, and providing input into the National CER Roadmap.
Achievements under the NEM Engineering Roadmap and the WA Government’s Energy Transformation Strategy provide a springboard for today’s SWIS Engineering Roadmap, which presents the engineering actions required to support increased use of renewables in WA’s largest grid.
This builds on AEMO’s SWIS Integrating Utility-scale Renewables and Distributed Energy Resources report in 2019, and SWIS Renewables Integration Paper Update in 2021.
“Initiatives with industry helped South Australia meet all of the state’s electricity needs entirely from rooftop solar for a period on 31 December last year,” Westerman said.
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“South Australia’s world leading contribution from rooftop solar systems has been made possible through the installation of power system equipment to keep the grid secure, advances in the connection between rooftop solar and the grid, and the implementation of policies which protect consumers from unwanted disruptions.
“These initiatives are part of a broader effort to support the continuous increase of renewables in the energy mix, while ensuring a secure and reliable supply of electricity for consumers,” he said.
