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.
Sunday 7th July 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 – 18140MW (4.10AM)
Daily Peak Power Consumption – 25920MW (6.20PM)
Daily Minimum Generated Power – 18800MW (4.10AM)
Daily Maximum Generated Power – 26300MW (6.20PM)
Average Total Power Generation – 21900MW
Total Power Generation In GWH – 525.6GWH
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 – 13560MW
Daily Peak Coal Fired – 17980MW
Average Coal Fired Generation – 15730MW
Total Generated Power – 377.52GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 71.83%
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 – 950MW
Daily Peak – 4090MW
Average Natural Gas Fired Generation – 1880MW
Total Generated Power – 45.12GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 8.58%
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 – 3000MW
Daily Peak – 4800MW
Average Renewable Generation – 3850MW
Total Generated Power – 92.4GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 17.58%
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 – 440MW
Total Generated Power – 10.56GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 2.01%
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 – 830MW
Daily Peak – 3040MW
Average Hydro Generation – 1760MW
Total Generated Power – 42.24GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 8.04%
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 6702MW, from a total of 55 wind plants.
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 – 660MW (2.50PM)
Daily Peak – 3580MW (12.05AM)
Average Wind Generation – 1860MW
Total Generated Power – 44.64GWH
Average Percentage Of Total – 8.49%
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 41 solar plants is 3075MW.
Daily Minimum – Zero
Daily Peak – 1050MW
Average Solar Plant Generation for hours of generation – 520MW (7.00AM till 5.30PM)
Average Solar Plant Generation across the whole 24 hour day – 230MW
Total Generated Power – 5.52GWH
Average Percentage Of Total across the whole 24 hour day – 1.05%
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 – 2550MW
Average For Hours of Generation – 1210MW (7.00AM till 5.30PM)
Average Rooftop Solar Generation across the whole 24 hour day – 530MW
Total Generated Power – 12.72GWH
Average Percentage Of Total across the whole 24 hour day – 2.42%
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 – 3600MW
Average Across the whole day – 2090MW
Total Generated Power – 50.16GWH
Average Percentage of Total across the whole 24 hour day – 9.54%
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 – 3600MW – 12.50AM – 17.31%
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 – 1200MW – 6.20PM – 4.56%
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
There was little change in the overall power consumption on this day, typical for a Sunday, and the total power generation was 525.6GWH, at an hourly average of 21900, just 50MW lower than the average of the day before this.
The early AM Base Load was the same as for the day before at 18800MW, and the evening peak was 600MW higher. Across the five States with their individual peaks at differing times, the peak in New South Wales (NSW) was 220MW higher. In Queensland, it was 60MW lower. In Victoria, it was 280MW higher. In the two States with the lowest power consumption, the peak was 200MW higher, and in Tasmania, it was higher by the smallest amount just 10MW up on the peak of the day before.
The average for coal fired power was lower by 60MW, all of that fall in the overall, and the average was 15730MW per hour. The range between the low for the day and the high was 4420MW, and coal fired power generated a maximum for the day of 17980MW. In Queensland, Unit 2 at the Millmerran plant went off line at 9.45AM, falling to zero output almost immediately. There are nine of those coal fired Units off line, five in Queensland, and two each in NSW and Victoria.
The average for natural gas fired power was higher on this day by 640MW. The average for those smaller Other sources was higher by 190MW, and the average for hydro power was higher by 300MW. Now, add together the rises in those three sources and it comes in at 1130MW. The average for solar plant power was lower by 110MW to just 230MW, and that’s a little more than just one percent of all the generated power from every source for this day.
The average for wind power was lower on this day by 1010MW to an average of 1860MW, giving wind power a daily operational Capacity Factor of 27.75, a little lower than that year round average of 30%. Okay then, add together the fall in both of those renewables, wind power and solar power and the total fall was 1120MW, and compare that to the rise in those other three I mentioned above, 1130MW, showing that when these two renewables of choice fall away, it is made up for in the rise of natural gas fired power, hydro power and those Other sources.
On a day when the overall changed very little, coal fired power delivered 71.83% of all the generated power.
*****
WEEKLY DATA For Week Forty.
Notes For Weekly and Rolling Totals
- Here, the Overall is 100%, so Coal + Natural Gas (NG) + Other + Renewable adds up to that 100%
- Hydro, Wind and Solar add up to the total for Renewable.
- For the first Rolling Total, Rooftop Solar Power (which is behind the meter) is a percentage of the overall total and on top of that total.
- For the second Rolling Total, Rooftop Solar Power is added to the total overall power generation, and new percentages are calculated from that new overall total.
- Total Generated Power is expressed here as GWH (GigaWattHours) and a GWH is a MWH (MegaWattHour) multiplied by 1000.
WEEKLY TOTALS (In GWH)
Week Total Coal NG Other Renew Hydro Wind Solar Rooftop Solar
40 3979.2 2831.76 321.6 87.84 738 306.72 371.04 60.24 97.44
Percent of total 71.16% 8.08% 2.21% 18.55% 7.71% 9.33% 1.51% 2.45%.
COMMENTS for this week.
This week, I am pressed for time, as I have other very important family matters on at the moment, so this weekly Update will be shorter than it usually is.
Overall indicators for this week were basically similar to last week, with total power generation only lower by a small 2%.
Solar power from both versions was lower this week, but even though it was lower, (solar plants at 1.5% and rooftop at almost 2.5%) the percentage of generated power changed by not so much, and that’s understandable when overall total power generation from solar power is already such a low percentage.
Coal fired power was higher this week in percentage terms with respect to the overall, and the only real change this week, was that after a huge week for wind power last week, it was back to normal this week, and while wind power was a little higher than usual, that total power generation for the week (371.04GWH) gave wind power an operational Capacity Factor for the week of 32.95%, a little higher than the year round average of 30%.
Because those indicator for both versions of solar power and wind power were so low, then the total power from all renewables (18.55%) was almost 2% lower for this week when compared to last week.
Coal fired power was only a marginally less total generated power than for the week before, and because of that it meant that coal fired power delivered 71.16% of all generated power
*****
ROLLING TOTALS After Week Forty (In GWH) (Just power generation from power plants with rooftop solar behind the meter)
For these totals, Coal + NG + Other + Renewable = 100%. Hydro + Wind + Solar = Renewable Percentage
Week Total Coal NG Other Renew Hydro Wind Solar Rooftop Solar
40 151718.4 110993.04 13021.44 3318.24 24385.68 10244.4 11411.76 2729.52 6943.92
Percent of total 73.16% 8.58% 2.19% 16.07% 6.75% 7.52% 1.80% 4.58%
ROLLING TOTALS After Week Forty (In GWH) (With rooftop solar added to the renewable total, and the overall total, and new percentages calculated from that new overall total)
For these totals, Coal + NG + Other + Renewable = 100%. Hydro + Wind + Solar + Rooftop Solar = Renewable Percentage
Week Total Coal NG Other Renew Hydro Wind Solar Rooftop Solar
40 158662.32 110993.04 13021.44 3318.24 31329.6 10244.4 11411.76 2729.52 6943.92
Percent of total 69.95% 8.21% 2.09% 19.75% 6.46% 7.19% 1.72% 4.38%
COMMENTS for this week.
These figures varied so little from last week, as to be almost indistinguishable.
As expected in the Winter Months, that total power from coal fired power is dipping ever so slightly, mainly because more comes from hydro and natural gas fired power to top up the grid to the larger evening peaks, and to a lesser extent, those larger morning peaks as well, and while coal fired power provided a larger percentage for the past week, its percentage dipped by a tiny 0.025 of the overall.
Wind power, with a lower total for this past week saw its operational Capacity Factor for these last 40 week drop marginally to 28.22%, still lower than that previous yearly average of 30%.
The total power delivered from coal fired power for every source of power generation (rooftop solar power included) still comes in just a tick under 70%.
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 07/09/2019 by TonyfromOz
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