The milestones continue to fall in Australia’s evolving electricity grid, with rooftop solar meeting 99.9% of South Australia’s total electricity demand on the final day of winter, slashing the reliance on grid-scale generation.
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) said rooftop solar met 99.9% of South Australia’s total electricity demand at 1.30pm on 31 August, reducing electricity demand from grid-scale generation to just 2 MW – a new winter record.
The market operator said the high rooftop solar generation and negative wholesale prices also saw batteries charging at above-average rates, absorbing excess renewable electricity for use during the evening peak period.
The South Australia result coincided with a new winter minimum operational demand record across the broader National Electricity Market (NEM).
AEMO said mild temperatures and clear skies across the southeast of the country reduced minimum operational demand to a record 11,992 MW at 1.30pm on Monday, surpassing the previous winter low of 12,144 MW set in August 2024.
