Summer’s End: Solar Records Mark the Season’s Close Nationwide

February 2024 marked the end of summer in Australia, although the weather seemed to have missed the memo, as it was a remarkable month for solar energy. New records were set for utility PV generation in all National Electricity Market (NEM) states, except Tasmania.

Recent data from Rystad Energy revealed that New South Wales made a significant solar contribution, producing 725GWh from large-scale PV in February. The state’s utility solar assets stood out as top performers, with Victoria’s Gannawarra solar farm leading the pack with a capacity factor (CF) of 38.6%. However, NSW dominated the rankings, claiming eight of the top 10 spots and 12 of the top 20, including Neoen’s Griffith solar farm (38.3% CF) and John Laing’s Finley solar farm (37.4% CF).

Renewables Generation Overview

New South Wales secured the top spot for overall renewables generation, producing a total of 1,225 GWh in February. This impressive figure comprised 725GWh from solar sources and 500GWh from wind energy.

Wind Energy Performance

February also saw new monthly records set for wind energy in New South Wales and Tasmania. The top three performing wind assets were