The Australian Capital Territory’s (ACT) carbon footprint was dissected, revealing a 2018 total of 34.7 t CO2-eq/cap, with 83% stemming from Scope 3 emissions. Despite this, the ACT proudly achieved 100% renewable electricity in 2020, a testament to ambitious emission reduction targets.
Recent research analyzed the emissions intensity of the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM) to understand how energy storage can accelerate decarbonisation. The study calculated the Marginal Emissions Factor (MEF) for each time period, representing the emissions intensity of the highest bid price generator.
The average MEF for different NEM regions was found to vary, with some intervals having zero MEF. Intra-day variability showed higher MEF values overnight and during low demand, while low MEF values occurred during peak demand. Interestingly, a strong anti-correlation was observed between MEF and spot price, indicating the need for energy storage optimization to balance costs and emissions.
The challenges facing the Australian electricity and gas markets, include the need to transition to lower emissions generation while ensuring reliability and affordability; the impact of higher gas prices on manufacturing businesses and residential consumers, as well as the potential for supply gaps in southern states from 2024. There’s a need for continued investment in new infrastructure and technologies to address these challenges and secure Australia’s energy future.
Interest in microgrid (MG) has grown in Australia in recent years due to concerns about energy security and resilience in the face of bushfires and climatic disruptions, and federal government funding has been provided for 37 pilot projects across the country. The Australian study investigates the current state of microgrid development in the country, explore the constraints to their development, and identify the likely future developments in this field.
Australian policy is more responsive to public discourse and narratives than evidence-based policy or international commitments. The paper argues that Australian policy is often more driven by public discourse and narratives than evidence-based policy or international obligations.
Adopting energy efficiency (EE) measures in households lead to an immediate decrease in gas consumption, however, energy savings generated from technical measures such as loft insulation and cavity walls only last for up to two to four years – shows a study with over 50,000 households in England and Wales.
A zero-carbon, reliable, and affordable electrical energy system can be achieved in Australia. A study found that the country’s greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 80% through the use of solar photovoltaics, wind turbines, existing hydropower, and biomass for power generation, while energy storage could be achieved through pumped hydro (off-river) and electric car batteries.
Having solar photovoltaic (PV) panels is associated with a lower likelihood of energy poverty among Australian households. The benefits were found to increase at a diminishing rate with system size, with a reduction in the likelihood of energy poverty of around 1.5-2.5 percentage points per kilowatt on average.
Using a large, nationally representative longitudinal dataset, the study by Bentley et al found that energy poverty has a negative impact on mental health and well-being, and increases the likelihood of developing depression and anxiety.
As energy prices continue to rise in Australia, many residents are struggling to afford basic heating and cooling for their homes, and to keep up with energy bills, which has resulted in a growing number of Australians being pushed into energy poverty.