By Anton Lang ~
This Post details the daily power consumption data for the AEMO coverage area in Australia. For the background information, refer to the Introductory Post at this link.
Each image is shown here at a smaller size to fit on the page alongside the data for that day. If you click on each image, it will open on a new page and at a larger size so you can better see the detail.
Note also the scale change for some of the images. That scale (the total power shown on the left hand axis) has been changed to show the graph at a larger size.
Wednesday 6th March 2019
Total Power Generation All Sources
Here, the total power generation from every power plant source is the top of the load curve, with each colour indicating a source of power generation. This is also similar to the total power consumption, which is slightly lower after minor grid losses are taken into account.
The dark grey colour is for the black coal fired power generation. The yellowish colour is for the brown coal fired power generation. The purple colour is for natural gas fired power generation. The blue colour is for Hydro (water) power generation. The green colour is for wind power generation. The red colour in the dip between the two peaks is for solar power plant generation. The other colours mixed in with the rest of them are from those smaller Other sources. Rooftop solar power is not included on this graph, as this shows just the power generation from all power plants only.
In the data below, both of those (exact) figures for total power consumption for the daily minimum and the daily Peak are taken directly from the AEMO site, adding up the totals for each of the five States in this coverage area. Also, note the slight difference between Total Consumed Power and Total Generated Power. That indicates some of the losses in the grid system
Daily Minimum Power Consumption – 18900MW (3.00AM)
Daily Peak Power Consumption – 25100MW (6.55PM)
Daily Minimum Generated Power – 19800MW
Daily Maximum Generated Power – 25900MW
Average Total Power Generation – 23500MW
Total Power Generation In GWH – 564GWH
All Fossil Fuels Total – Coal Fired and Natural Gas Fired Power Generation
Here, the upper black line is the total from all fossil fuels, and this is the same as for all three colours, the grey, dark yellow and purple colours combined in the image directly above.
The black line just under that top black line is the Sub Total just for coal fired power, and that is the same as the combined colours of the grey and ark yellow on the image above. Note here how closely that coal fired line follows the shape of the upper Load Curve, and this indicates that coal fired power can be ramped up and down to follow actual power consumption.
Daily Minimum Coal Fired – 14660MW
Daily Peak Coal Fired – 19030MW
Average Coal Fired Generation – 17260MW
Total Generated Power – 414.24GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 73.45%
Natural Gas Fired Power Generation
This image for Natural Gas Fired Power Generation shows the gap between the total for all Fossil Fuelled Sources of power generation and Coal Fired Power Generation in the image directly above.
Note here how closely the shape follows the total power generation Load Curve in the top image, indicating how these natural gas fired plants are used to smooth out the load curve to match actual power consumption.
Note also that while coal fired power provides the bulk of the power, these natural gas fired plants are used to add more power to the system during those time periods during the day when consumption rises for the morning peak, and the main evening Peak
Daily Minimum – 1370MW
Daily Peak – 3270MW
Average Natural Gas Fired Generation – 2180MW
Total Generated Power – 52.32GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 9.28%
All Renewable Power Generation Versus Total Power Generation
This Image shows just the gap between total power generation from every source and the total power from the three renewable sources only. It is the same image as the first image at the top here, only with the fossil fuelled total (the grey, yellow and purple colours) and those smaller Other sources removed from the graph, As in that top image, it shows Hydro Power, (blue colour) wind power, (green colour) and solar power. (red colour) This image is used here to highlight the gap between the total power generation (that black line, which also includes RTS as well) and the total from renewable sources alone.
All Renewable Power Generation (Does not include rooftop solar generation)
This image is the same as for the one directly above for all renewable power, only with the total from all sources removed from the graph. As the scale of the left hand vertical axis has now changed, you can better see the detail of all renewable power. Again, the blue colour is for hydro, the green colour is for wind, and the red colour is for solar. The other colours you can just make out indicates smaller plants, mostly using biofuels as their fuel source, tiny plants adding up to a very small total and for a short time duration. For this data, I have added the times for the daily minimum, and the daily maximum, to show how they do not correlate with the actual times of minimum power consumption (4AM) and maximum power consumption. (around 6/6.30PM)
Daily Minimum – 1600MW
Daily Peak – 4700MW
Average Renewable Generation – 3670MW
Total Generated Power – 88.08GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 15.62%
Generation From Other Sources
This image shows the power being generated from the smaller sources other than the major sources of power generation. These include Natural Gas/Diesel, Natural gas/Fuel Oil, Coal Seam Methane, Diesel, Kerosene, Waste Coal Mine Gas and Bagasse. All of these are fossil Fuels, excepting Bagasse which is sugar cane waste mostly used to provide main and auxilliary power at sugar mills.
Note the scale change here, as these are smaller producers of power, and the scale is changed so they can be more easily shown on the graph.
For the data here, I have just added the average generation across the day, the total generated power from all these sources, and the percentage of the total.
Average Generation – 390MW
Total Generated Power – 9.36GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 1.66%
Hydro Power Generation
This image shows all Hydro power generation. It is the same as the blue colour in the top image for power generation from all sources.
Again, note here that the shape of this load curve follows the shape of the main load curve for all power generation, in that it has similar peaks in the morning and for the main evening Peak. The coloured lines at the bottom of this graph indicate the power generation from each of the hydro plants in this coverage area.
Daily Minimum – 390MW
Daily Peak – 2020MW
Average Hydro Generation – 770MW
Total Generated Power – 18.48GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 3.28%
Wind Power Generation
This image shows the total power generated by every wind plant in this vast coverage area. It is the same as for the green coloured line in the image at the top showing generation from all sources.
The total Nameplate for all these wind plants is 5661MW.
Note that the shape of this load curve does not follow the shape of the main load curve for total power generation. Wind power generates its power only when the wind is blowing, hence it does not follow actual power consumption levels.
For this data, I have added the times for the daily minimum, and the daily maximum, to show how they do not correlate with the actual times of minimum power consumption (4AM) and maximum power consumption. (around 6/6.30PM in Winter and earlier during the Summer Months.)
Daily Minimum – 1140MW (11.45PM)
Daily Peak – 3380MW (9.45AM)
Average Wind Generation – 2580MW
Total Generated Power – 61.92GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 10.98%
Solar Power Plant Generation
This image shows the total power generated from all the solar power plants in this coverage area. This is the same as for the red coloured area you can just see in that top image.
The total Nameplate for all these 29 solar plants is 2532MW.
Daily Minimum – Zero
Daily Peak – 1060MW
Average Solar Plant Generation for hours of generation – 570MW (6.00AM till 7.30PM)
Average Solar Plant Generation across the whole 24 hour day – 320MW
Total Generated Power – 7.68GWH
Average Percentage Of Total across the whole 24 hour day – 1.36%
Rooftop Solar Power Generation
As this source of power generation is classed as ‘behind the meter’, it is not included in the total power generation. Note here that the State of Queensland (QLD on the legend under the graph) is broken down into four separate areas as this is the largest State with the largest number of installations.
While the total Nameplate changes often, the latest information is that the total is now 8000MW and higher, and that is a large total. However, that total equates to almost 2 Million homes with panels on their roof. That equates to an average sized installation of 4.3KW. Most of the power is consumed by the homes with the panels, and what is fed back to the grid is only consumed in the local residential areas. While seemingly still high this total is spread across that huge number of installations across the whole of this coverage area.
Daily Minimum – Zero
Daily Peak – 3840MW
Average For Hours of Generation – 2020MW (6.00AM till 7.30PM)
Average Rooftop Solar Generation across the whole 24 hour day – 1130MW
Total Generated Power – 27.12GWH
Average Percentage Of Total across the whole 24 hour day – 4.81%
Wind And Solar Power Generation Versus Total Power Generation
This image shows the total power generated from all the wind plants, and all the solar power plants in this coverage area, combined in the one image, and compares it to the overall total generated power, the black line at the top of the graph, which also includes RTS as well. Wind power is the green coloured area, and solar plant power is the red coloured area, and these are the same as shown in those other coloured images at the top of the Post.
I have also added the data below for the total generated power for both wind and solar plant power combined, and the percentage of the overall total below for the maximum power from both sources with respect to the overall total, both at the maximum for both, and then for the total for both at the daily peak Power time.
Daily Peak for Wind and Solar Plant Power – 4200MW
Average Across the whole day – 2900MW
Total Generated Power – 69.6GWH
Average Percentage of Total across the whole 24 hour day – 12.34%
Total Generated power at the daily maximum for both wind and solar plant power, the time of that maximum, and percentage of the total at that daily maximum – 4200MW – 9.40AM – 17.5%
Total Generated power for wind and solar plant power at Peak Power Consumption time for the day, and percentage of total at that daily Peak Power time – 1800MW – 6.55PM – 6.95%
Overall Total With Rooftop Solar Power Added
This image shows the overall total generated power with Rooftop Solar Power (RTS) added to the total from all of the power plants. RTS is shown here as that orange colour added near the top of the graph in the middle, during daylight hours, and is indicated on the legend below the graph as Rooftop PV (PhotoVoltaics). The new overall total is that black line along the top of the Load Curve. Note here that with this RTS total added, the shape of the full load curve, the black line now looks almost exactly as Summer load curves used to look prior to the advent of RTS, and all those panels on roofs of private dwellings.
Notes
- Finding Averages – On each (non solar) graph, there are 25 hourly time points, starting with midnight and finishing with midnight. I have added the total at each time point together, and divided by 25.
- For both solar power averages, I have used the same addition of hourly time points and then divided by the same number of those time points of actual generation. Every so often, as the days get longer (or shorter after Summer) I change the hours of generation as those hours change.
- For total power in GWH, multiply the average daily power by 24, and then divide by 1000.
- The total percentages for coal fired power, natural gas fired power, all renewables, and those other smaller sources add up to 100%.
- The total percentages for Hydro, Wind, and Solar adds up to the total percentage for all Renewables.
- Total Generated Power is expressed here as GWH (GigaWattHours) and a GWH is a MWH (MegaWattHour) multiplied by 1000
Comments For This Day
With a cooler day in the Southern States, power consumption fell, and from that, so did power generation, (down by 2.7%) to a lower hourly average of 23500MW, lower than the day before by 650MW.
The early AM minimum power generation, the Base Load was higher by a substantial 900MW to 19800MW, but the evening peak was lower by 1800MW to 25900MW. In the individual States with their own peaks at different times, New South Wales was 650MW lower. Queensland was 500MW higher. In Victoria, it was felt the most with a fall of 1000MW. In the two smallest consuming States, South Australia was the same as the day before, and Tasmania was 50MW lower.
The average for coal fired power was 17260MW, and that was a drop of 240MW. The range from low to high on the day was 4370MW. In New South Wales, Unit 2 at the Bayswater plant went off line between 7.30PM and 9.30PM, after spending the whole earlier part of the day at only half its maximum power output. There are five of those coal fired Units off line.
Because nearly all of that fall in the overall generation from every source was in Victoria, they didn’t need to run their natural gas fired plants, and the average for that source was lower by 1080MW, a substantial drop.
The average from those smaller Other sources was also well lower, down by 170MW, also mainly in Victoria. The average for hydro power was also down, lower by 160MW. As you can see on the graph for solar plant power, that source was well lower due to overcast and heavy cloud cover over most plants, and solar plant power average was down to only 320MW, a fall of 60MW, after falling for the last three days.
The average for wind power was way up on the day, up to an hourly average of 2580MW, a rise of 1060MW, and that average of 2580MW gave wind power a daily operational Capacity Factor of 45.57%, well above that year round average, but note again, on a day when the overall power need fell by a reasonable amount, wind power had a good day. Also of note here is that while wind power was way higher, coal fired power only fell a little, while natural gas was way down.
With the overall down, and coal fired power making up half that fall, then the percentage for coal fired power delivery as part of the total was slightly higher at 73.45%
Anton Lang uses the screen name of TonyfromOz, and he writes at this site, PA Pundits International on topics related to electrical power generation, from all sources, concentrating mainly on Renewable Power, and how the two most favoured methods of renewable power generation, Wind Power and all versions of Solar Power, fail comprehensively to deliver levels of power required to replace traditional power generation. His Bio is at this link.
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Posted on Thu 03/07/2019 by TonyfromOz
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