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 all of the images, and that even though they look similar in size of generation, that scale (the total power shown on the left hand vertical axis) has been changed to show the graph at a larger size to better fit the image for that graph.
Monday 29th April 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 – 17190MW (4.00AM)
Daily Peak Power Consumption – 25570MW (6.25PM)
Daily Minimum Generated Power – 17300MW (4.00AM)
Daily Maximum Generated Power – 25900MW (6.25PM)
Average Total Power Generation – 22150MW
Total Power Generation In GWH – 531.6GWH
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 – 13580MW
Daily Peak Coal Fired – 18020MW
Average Coal Fired Generation – 15600MW
Total Generated Power – 374.4GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 70.43%
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 – 1680MW
Daily Peak – 4010MW
Average Natural Gas Fired Generation – 2760MW
Total Generated Power – 66.24GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 12.46%
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 – 2100MW
Daily Peak – 4200MW
Average Renewable Generation – 3100MW
Total Generated Power – 74.4GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 13.99%
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 – 690MW
Total Generated Power – 16.56GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 3.12%
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 – 1050MW
Daily Peak – 3290MW
Average Hydro Generation – 1610MW
Total Generated Power – 38.64GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 7.27%
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 6106MW.
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 – 220MW (2.15PM)
Daily Peak – 2580MW (11.55PM)
Average Wind Generation – 980MW
Total Generated Power – 23.52GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 4.42%
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 35 solar plants is 2549MW.
Daily Minimum – Zero
Daily Peak – 1680MW
Average Solar Plant Generation for hours of generation – 1110MW (7.00AM till 6.00PM)
Average Solar Plant Generation across the whole 24 hour day – 510MW
Total Generated Power – 12.24GWH
Average Percentage Of Total across the whole 24 hour day – 2.30%
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 – 3330MW
Average For Hours of Generation – 1890MW (6.30AM till 6.00PM)
Average Rooftop Solar Generation across the whole 24 hour day – 900MW
Total Generated Power – 21.6GWH
Average Percentage Of Total across the whole 24 hour day – 4.06%
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 – 2200MW
Average Across the whole day – 1490MW
Total Generated Power – 35.76GWH
Average Percentage of Total across the whole 24 hour day – 6.72%
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 – 2200MW – 9.30AM – 9.82%
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 – 800MW – 6.25PM – 3.08%
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
This was a typical back to work and school Monday, as power consumption rose considerably, and power generation followed it higher, up to a total power generation of 531.6GWH, and that’s at an hourly average of 22150MW, higher than the day before by a large 2200MW, and that was a rise of 11%.
The early AM Base Load was higher by 200MW to 17300MW. The evening Base Load was at 6.15PM, and was up to 25900MW, higher than the day before by 1700MW. All five States showed increases in their respective peaks and they were as usual, at different times to that one point in time of maximum power generation. In New South Wales, (NSW) the peak was 770MW higher. In Queensland, it was 290MW higher. In Victoria, it was 500MW higher. In the two lowest power consuming States, the peak in South Australia was 60MW higher, and in Tasmania, it was 710MW higher.
With the overall rising by so much, it was no real surprise to see that the average for coal fired power was also higher, but not by the same percentage as that overall, and coal fired power was at an average of 15600MW, higher by 840MW. The range between the low for the day and the high was 4440MW, and coal fired power reached a maximum of 18020MW. In NSW, Unit 2 at the Mt. Piper plant came back on line at 12.30PM and was back at maximum output at 7.30PM. Then, at that same plant, Unit 1 started to go off line at 6PM, (as Unit 2 approached full power) and was back at zero output at 9.30PM. In Queensland one of the three off line Units at the old Gladstone plant, Unit 5 came back on line at Midday, and by 8PM, it was back at peak output. There are now nine of those coal fired Units off line, four in Victoria, three in Queensland, and two in NSW.
The average for natural gas fired power showed the most significant increase on this day, up to an hourly average of 2760MW, a rise of 1200MW. This was due in part to a combination of things, the fact that coal fired power cannot rise too far with nine Units off line, and the large fall in Wind power across a long ten hours. The average for those smaller other sources was also a lot higher, up to an average of 690MW, a rise of 290MW, almost double what it was the day before, and higher for the same reason as that average for natural gas fired power. The average for hydro power was also up, and also for similar reasons, up to an average of 1610MW, higher by 550MW. On a bright clear sunny day, solar plant power was higher on this day, up by 50MW to an average of 510MW, but still only delivering 2.3% of the required power across the day.
As I mentioned, wind power was significantly lower across the day, down to an hourly average of 980MW, lower by 730MW, and that average gave wind power a daily operational Capacity Factor (CF) of 16.05%, not much more than half its year round average. Look at the graph for wind power, and see how it was so low for so long. That year round average is 30% CF, and on this day, wind power was under HALF that average (lower than 15%) for almost ten hours. It reached a low of just 220MW at 2.15Pm, and that’s at a CF of only 3.6%, and while power consumption is lower in the mid afternoons between the AM and PM peaks, wind power was only delivering 1.04% of what was required at that low point, and it was around that low mark for almost four and a half hours.
On a day when the overall rose considerably, and coal fired power was up, but not by the equivalent percentage, coal fired power still delivered 70.43% of all the power needed across the whole day.
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 Tue 04/30/2019 by TonyfromOz
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