South Australia sets renewable energy record

South Australia sets renewable energy record

By Lucy Jones  January 21st, 2022

The state ran off renewables for a whole week last December.

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South Australia just broke its own renewables record by generating all its power from renewable sources for a whopping 6.5 days last December. The week-long stint set a record for the longest period running on renewables in the state, and possibly the world.

The record was set in the days leading up to Christmas last year during which 101% of electricity needed in South Australia was generated by wind, rooftop solar and solar farms.

Director of the Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Bruce Mountain, said the six-day period was likely the longest record of renewable power supply worldwide for any grid supporting an advanced economy.

Data shows over the 156-hour period the majority of the state's power was generated by wind (64.4 per cent), followed by rooftop solar (29.5) and solar farms (6.2).

This isn't the first time the state has smashed records either. Last year, SA generated more electricity from solar than it consumed on five different days over five weeks. SA Power Networks told ABC News the five events of "negative demand" were a world first for a gigawatt-scale power grid.

Keep up the excellent work South Australia!

Planet Ark does not take responsibility for the accuracy of the original information and encourages readers to check the references before using this information for their own purposes.

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Lucy Jones

Lucy started her career working as a writer and editor in print and digital publishing. She went on to create content for Australia's leading sustainable fashion platform while completing her Master of Cultural Studies. Lucy spends her downtime at the beach, crocheting and hanging out with her cat Larry. She believes words can change the world and is stoked to help Planet Ark spread the message of positive environmental change.

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