Solar is thriving in the Australian summer even as soaring temperatures cause traditional coal and gas plants to fail. The Australia Institute’s (AI) Twitter feed records each time a coal or gas facility trips and goes offline in extreme heat events. Multiple breakdowns are noted in January 2018 alone, as many facilities both old and new feel the heat. These gas and coal fails mean renewables are becoming more important to maintain base load.
Unlike solar, coal and gas plants are not equipped to deal with the increasingly punishing heat of Australian summers. An AI report from December 2017 even recommends “heat safe’”firming power to back up national coal and gas plants with renewables.
It suggests dispatchable solar thermal with battery storage to provide evening support. Additional PV would reduce peak demand on hot days.
Solar power reaches peak capacity during heatwaves, providing 24/7 dispatchable energy with backup from solar batteries.
Why solar thrives as coal fails
According to AI, solar power is proven to prevent far worse disruption and load-shedding during extreme heat events.
https://www.energymatters.com.au/renewable-news/solar-thrives-gas-coal-fails/
