By Anton Lang ~
This Post details the daily wind power generation 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 that on some days, there will be a scale change for the main wind power image, and that even though images may look similar in shape for the power generation black line on the graph when compared to other days, 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.
Tuesday 19th November 2019
Total Wind Power Generation
This image shows the total power generated across the whole day by every wind plant in this vast AEMO coverage area for Australia.
The total Nameplate for all these wind plants changes as each new wind plant comes on line delivering power to the grid. That current Nameplate is 6702MW, and this is from the current total of 55 wind plants.
Note that the shape of this wind power load curve does not follow the shape of the main load curve for total power generation, and that is seen in the image below, the solid black line across the top of the image for that graph. Wind power generates its power only when the wind is blowing, hence it does not follow the actual power generation Load Curve, which is also the the exact same shaped curve as for actual power consumption.
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 (around 4AM each day) and maximum power consumption, the evening Peak. (at around 6.40PM in Winter and earlier during the Summer Months.)
Daily Minimum – 900MW (7.05AM)
Daily Maximum – 1679MW (11.10AM)
Average Wind Generation – 1207MW
Total Generated Power – 28.97GWH
Percentage Supplied By Wind Power At The Low Point For The Day – 3.70%
Percentage Supplied By Wind Power At Peak Power For The Day – 1440MW of 28100MW – 3.55PM – 5.12%
Average Percentage Of Overall Total Power Generation – 5.1%
Daily Operational Capacity Factor – 18.01%
Wind Power Generation Versus Total Power Generation
This image shows the total power generated from all the wind plants in this AEMO coverage area, and compares it to the overall total generated power from every source of power generation, which is the black line at the top of the graph. Wind power is the green coloured area, along the bottom of this graph.
While the green colour in this image looks to be a different shape to the graph above, keep in mind here that the scale is completely different, and that green coloured Wind total is the same as for the image shown above, only with the scale changed so it can fit onto the graph.
Notes
- Finding Wind Power Average – On the graph, there are 25 hourly time points, starting with midnight and finishing with midnight. I have added the total at each of those hourly time points together, and divided the resultant total by 25 to give an average in MegaWatts. (MW)
- For total power in GWH, multiply the average daily power by 24, and then divide by 1000.
- For the Capacity Factor, that is calculated by dividing the average wind generation by the current Nameplate and then multiplying that by 100 to give a percentage.
Comments For This Day
This was another of those low output days for wind power. That average there of 1207MW gave wind power a daily operational Capacity Factor (CF) of 18%, a little higher than half the year round average of 30%. Note the low point again around the time of the morning peak, and at that time, wind power was delivering just 3.7% of what was required in total power for consumption. Even at that daily peak, wind power was barely delivering little more than 5%. Even at the time when wind power was generating at its maximum for the day, it was only operating at 25% CF.
The largest wind plant in Australia, Macarthur wind in Victoria with a Nameplate of 420MW from its 140 towers has been turned off and delivering zero power since 8AM on Monday, so there’s a large chunk of wind power output just sitting motionless in Central Victoria.
*****
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.
OzWindPowerGenerationTFO
Robber
Wed 11/20/2019
Note Macarthur wind mills still shut down – blowing a gale in most parts of Vic today with average cf 50%, some at 80%, others seemingly constrained to 30% flat line.
LikeLiked by 1 person
TonyfromOz
Wed 11/20/2019
Robber,
Macarthur still at zero output, 74 hours now. I actually called them on the phone yesterday to ask about it, and all I got was an automated response thanking me for my call, and asking me to leave a message and we’ll get back to you. Crickets so far.
It just seems odd that they have intentionally stopped the plant from generating power. That total from Macarthur would make the overall total for wind look a lot better too.
Like you, I also noticed some of those other wind plants are also only delivering a set output. Yesterday’s total for wind in Victoria was below average, (at a Capacity Factor of 22%) but not by much, and no matter what they say about brown coal fired power, that coal fired source delivered eight times the total from wind power on the day. At 4PM, Unit 2 at the YallournW plant came back on line, and there is now only one of the 10 coal fired Units off line in that State. Brown coal fired power is delivering 70% of Victoria’s power. Wind just on 8.3%.
Tony.
LikeLiked by 1 person