The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has issued warnings this week regarding insufficient demand to maintain system stability in the Victorian region, attributed to a rise in rooftop solar generation.
In its latest notice, AEMO identified an elevated risk of inadequate demand from 10:30 to 14:30 local time on September 28, seeking a market response to address the situation. The operator forecasts minimum regional demand to reach 1,420 MW at noon, which falls below the minimum system load (MSL1) threshold of 1,865 MW.
The notice states, “An insufficient market response may require AEMO to take action or intervene to maintain power system security in Victoria. This may result in action such as the direction of scheduled production units, curtailment of non-scheduled production units, and/or a direction to maintain regional demand above required MSL threshold, in both Victoria and South Australia.”
According to ABC News, this unusual intervention signals the increasing influence of rooftop solar on the electricity market. A social media post from energy software company Gridcog referred to rooftop solar as a “juggernaut” reshaping the energy landscape.
A report from the Clean Energy Council released this week indicates that Australia installed 1.3 GW of rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV) in the first half of 2024, positioning the country to exceed 25 GW of cumulative rooftop capacity by year-end.
