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A short note today to record that (on Thursday 17th November 2022) we upgraded the popular Live Supply & Demand widget in a number of ways – including:

Enhancement #1) We added in four (two for each grid) percentages to show instantaneous penetration:

(a) of renewables, and

(b) more importantly, of VRE (Variable Renewable Energy);

Enhancement #2) We added in (and included a direct link to) an explanation of this particular data here on WattClarity; and

Enhancement #3) For NEM regions we’ve replaced the APVi estimates for rooftop PV with estimates from the AEMO:

... there were a number of reasons for doing this, but a compelling reason is that we’ve found the APVI data feed to be increasingly unreliable in recent times (and many widget users have let us know about that via the feedback function). Adding in the percentages added even more reason to change to the AEMO estimates.

Here’s a view of how it looks alongside of an article from yesterday on RenewEconomy specifically speaking about a high point record for instantaneous renewable generation in the SWIS grid in Western Australia:

We trust you will find this useful.

Early last week we made v10.3 of NEMwatch available to download for our existing clients. The release contained a bug fix to one of the pricing metrics along with some other minor tweaks to the interface. Just after release, the software was featured in some of the coverage of QLD’s heatwave that ended with prolonged extreme wholesale prices in the state.

NEMwatch v10.3 released

The release of v10.3 corrected an issue that arose after the implementation of 5-minute settlement in October 2021, where the ‘cumulative price’ metric displayed was based on 30-minute intervals that were previously used in it’s calculations. This has now been fixed and the cumulative price is now calculated based on the market’s newly implements 5-minute settlement intervals. In addition to this, the release also included minor tweaks to some labels and colours in the main interface.

You can download the latest version of the software here.

NEMwatch used to explain QLD’s early February heatwave

Just as we had finished releasing these changes last week, Queensland was experiencing a heatwave which resulted in volatile prices and a load-shedding near-miss. Screenshots from NEMwatch were used on WattClarity to exhibit demand rising to peak levels last Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, our very own Paul McArdle was quoted in the Australian Financial Review’s coverage of the potential blackouts where he predicted a long run of extreme prices for the state that evening.

The month of January 2019 saw extreme temperatures registered across much of the Australian continent. As a result, high levels of electricity demand were experienced – and pushed electricity supply infrastructure (generation, and transmission/distribution) to the limit.

On Friday 25th January, journalists at the Australian reproduced of a snapshot from the NEMwatch widget showing the 17:40 dispatch interval (NEM time) on Thursday 24th January (with a couple artistic tweaks) – here’s a view of the print edition, with the full copy of the online article “Heat stress: power crisis hits home” here:

You can find the live updating version of this RenewEconomy-sponsored “Live Supply & Demand Widget”, which some just call the NEMwatch widget, on a (still) growing number of locations:

Here on this NEMwatch portal;
Also on RenewEconomy here;
And on a steadily growing number of other locations. It’s no charge to embed the live updating widget – just follow the instructions under the <EMBED> button on the widget itself.

For those seeking to learn more about the effects of the heatwave, some articles on our WattClarity energy-sector commentary site will be of some assistance:

This first article on the afternoon on 24th January 2019; and then
A follow-on article published early on Friday 25th January, looking back at Thursday (and prior to the load shedding on Friday).

“I really love the widget and its part of the reason I visit RenewEconomy so much”

Lachlan Ennis

1^st November 2016

“I am impressed by your almost live data graph of NEM data for Australia. Coming from South Australia (and a rooftop PV early adoptor) I am interested in how our wind and solar are contributing over the day.”

Rod Munro

24^th May 2016

“Love the live feed generation data link. It’s very interesting to see how things change through the course of the day and week. … Cheers and keep up the great work”

Sean Leiper

23^rd May 2016

“For me, this little bar graph on RenewEconomy is essential viewing. I look forward to seeing the various current real-time generation sources, and keep hoping for the wind to blow and sun to shine 24 hours each day. Much more accurate than looking out my window at Hazelwood power station, and prettier too.”

Lorraine Bull

3^rd of April 2016

“I have today discovered your online widget whilst doing some fact finding about the situation here in Tasmania and was thrilled to see the live data from our power generation sources, thank you! Thanks again for such a great tool, it’s very interesting to hear about our little states predicament and to be able to source this info in such an easy to view way is great.”

Jackson

31^st of March 2016

“Hi there, I love this widget”

Jeffrey Pillon

23rd of December 2015

Quotes

NEMwatch v10.3 released

NEMwatch used to explain QLD’s early February heatwave

“I really love the widget and its part of the reason I visit RenewEconomy so much”

“I am impressed by your almost live data graph of NEM data for Australia. Coming from South Australia (and a rooftop PV early adoptor) I am interested in how our wind and solar are contributing over the day.”

“Love the live feed generation data link. It’s very interesting to see how things change through the course of the day and week. … Cheers and keep up the great work”

“Hi there, I love this widget”