This is a repost from one of our sister publications, Windermere Sun, below:
(Please click on red links & note magenta)
On Monday, September 20, 2021, the share of renewable energy (solar, wind, and hydro) on Australia’s main electricity grid shot above 60% (at 60.1%) for the first time at 12:10 pm, exactly one day and 15 minutes after its previous peak and record of 59.8% on Sunday, September 19, 2021, according to Dylan McConnell of the Climate Energy College in Melbourne, Australia, using data from OpenNEM. This new peak highlights the increased pace of transition into the clean or renewable energy and the shrinking output of coal as more solar and wind are rolled out across Australia. According to another data watcher, Geoff Eldridge from NEWLog, Sunday, September 19, 2021, did not just break the record for the share of renewable energy, but also the record for instantaneous wind and solar at 57%. The Australian Energy Market Operator also noticed: NSW record maximum rooftop solar PV (2,694.4 MW) and corresponding lowest minimums for network demand (4,867.4 MW) and Operation Demand (5,065.0 MW) and tweeted on Friday, September 24, 2021, “Spring is the season for records to bloom! Forecast mild temperatures and sunny weather in NSW and QLD on Sunday may see rooftop solar drive down energy demand from the grid to a new record low!” With such occurrence, NSW, the Australian state grid with the highest dependency on coal generation, would find it easier to align with the state government’s push to replace the aging coal fleet of more than 10GW with wind, solar, and storage under its renewable infrastructure plan. According to Eldridge of NEMLog, coal output on the main grid was at a record minimum of 9,161.6 MW at noon on Sunday, September 19, 2021 (or, at leas the lowest since Nov. 1, 2020), and was down 153.57 MW on the previous minimum on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021. It was also a record low share of coal generation (38.97%) on the main grid and for combined coal and gas (40.05%). The share of solar and wind could have been significantly higher were it not for the level of curtailment, either economic (switching off to avoid negative prices) or network (being forced to switch off due to grid issues or capacity constraints). On Sunday, September 19, 2021, the level of curtailment was more than 3.5 GW when that short-lived record was set. As the rollout of solar, wind, and storage (both battery and pumped hydro) continues to enter the grid, more records will change. AEMO forecasts that the rooftop solar, alone, will be able to reach 100% of demand in the state of South Australia some time this Spring (of Australia), around October, a FIRST for any gigawatt scale grid in the world! AEMO is also predicting that rooftop solar could meet up to 75% of demand on the entire main grid within next five years and is preparing the national grid to accommodate times of up to 100% solar and wind by 2025. ABC News: South Australia’s renewable energy boom has achieved a global milestone, in the video published on Oct. 25, 2020, “ABC News: South Australia runs purely on solar power in world first“, below:
Australia is preparing to build the world’s most powerful solar power plant. Engineers and builders will have to solve complex problems to cover an area equal to 17 thousand football fields that accommodate photovoltaic panels with a total capacity of 10 Gigawatts. The second challenge will be to transfer this energy to Singapore, the main consumer of electricity. There is also talk of exporting energy to Indonesia and various parts of Asia. But how exactly will the power plant be able to power a country more than three thousand kilometers away? In the video published on Sep. 21, 2021, “How Australia’s Most Powerful $16 Billion Solar Power plant Will Power Singapore“, below:
To begin with, it is worth understanding why energy problems have arisen in one of the most developed countries in the world. Australia faces regular power outages, and, unfortunately, South Australia suffers the most. There may be a lot of reasons: for instance, in September 2016, due to a storm, almost the entire state was left without electricity. One reason for the outages is that there are not enough storage facilities on the territory to supply more electricity during peak loads. The local authorities could not ensure the commensurate development of their own energy or storage capacities capable of providing electricity supplies during calm or cloudy weather. And it is quite difficult to restore the network because of the climatic conditions and long distances – Australia is not a tiny country. At the same time, electricity prices in the country are considered one of the highest in the world, in the video published on Jan. 13, 2021, “HOW ELON MUSK MANAGED TO SOLVE THE ENERGY CRISIS IN AUSTRALIA“, below:
In the video published on Oct. 29, 2017, “Elon Musk gets emotional over Australia’s energy emergency (Part Two) | 60 Minutes Australia“, below:
Australian Renewable Energy Agency CEO Darren Miller told Sky News Australia has made “incredible progress” in the transition to renewable energy sources, in the video published on May 18, 2021, “Australia making ‘incredible progress’ in the transition to renewable energy”, below:
Internationally recognized leader on global climate change, Christiana Figueres tells Liz Hayes we have just three years to get our renewable energy house in order, in the video published on Oct. 31, 2017, “Australians have just three years to get our renewable energy house in order | 60 Minutes Australia“, below:
“Our shoes will march for us.” Symbolic & poignant Silent March by 20,000 pairs of shoes in Paris on Nov. 29, 2015. (credit: Nicole Ghio of the Sierra Club)
(Please click on red links & note magenta)
I’ve been away for quite a while. But this event definitely needs to be shared, despite how busy life may get. Even though the focus of Sun Is The Future is to promote, educate, and share information regarding solar energy, please do keep in mind that the transition into use of solar energy would help to reduce pollution, solve energy problem, slow down climate change, eliminate international conflicts, and generate local jobs and economy.
This may seem to be the worst of times, but it holds the promise of a future for the best of times….on this eve of the COP 21 climate talks (when leaders of nearly 200 countries will be joining for a global conference on climate change in Paris), climate activists and Parisians once again stepped up with creativity, in Place de Republique, to demonstrate not only to those in the City of the Light, but also to all of those around the world: placing about 20,000 pairs of shoes as a symbol of the poignant “silent march,” after being told by French authorities that they couldn’t march in Paris.“This is a way of symbolically and powerfully joining the climate march and each pair of shoes shows the determination of Parisians to have their voices heard on climate change,” said Iain Keith of Avaaz, which helped plan the action. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon dropped off a pair of his running shoes, saying, “As the world gathers in Paris to stand up for climate action, let us also stand in the shoes of all victims of terrorism, war and persecution and respond with compassion.” Pope Francis sent along a pair of shoes to be placed on his behalf.
Human Chain (nearly 10,000 people participated in the human chain, according to Agence France Presse) in Paris demanding the oil to be kept under the ground (credit: 350.org)
When the clock struck noon in Paris today (Nov. 29, 2015), thousands of Parisians and activists joined hands to form a human chain down Boulevard Voltaire, starting from Place de Republique, passing the Bataclan Theater (where most of the lives were taken during the tragic attacks of November 13th), and down to Place de la Nation. At the Bataclan, participants left a 100-meter gap for the memorials that line the sidewalks. Nearly 10,000 people participated in this human chain, according to Agence France Presse.
Human Chain in Paris, on November 29, 2015, from near Place de Republique to Place de la Nation (credit: Ben & Jerry’s)
“We joined hands today against climate change and violence,” said Hoda Baraka, Global Communications Manager for 350.org. “People here in Paris, and hundreds of thousands who are taking part in climate marches worldwide, have a clear message for world leaders: keep fossil fuels in the ground and finance a just transition to 100% renewable energy.” In London an estimated 50,000 showed up. In Belfast and Berlin and Barcelona, climate activists took to the streets. Here in the United States, climate marches are underway in New York and Nashville, in Louisville and (later today) in Los Angeles. In Bargny, Senegal, demonstrators flowed through the streets. Please allow me to share some of the images by 350.org of marches (Global Climate March) that broke out in Africa, Asia, Australia, Middle East, Europe, and North and South America.
Climate March Nov 2015-Bargny Senegal (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Wellington New Zealand (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Warsaw Poland (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Tuvalu (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Quezon City Philippines (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Paris France (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Oakland CA (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Oakland CA 2 (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Moruya New South Wales (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Melbourne Vic Australia (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Melbourne, Australia2 (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Melbourne, Australia (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-London England (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Human Chain Paris (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam2 (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Green Groups Declare That Our Survival Is Non-Negotiable2 (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Green Groups Declare That Our Survival Is Non-Negotiable (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Forest City, Rockford, IL (credit: 350.org )
Climate March Nov 2015-Fiji (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Dhaka Bangladesh (credit: 350.org )
Climate March Nov 2015-Coppenhagen Denmark (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Cliffs of Moher, Ireland (credit: 350.org)
It is time to let our Sun Shine In Throughout Our Planet Earth It Is Time To Let Our SunShine In for it is the Clean and Renewable Energy such as Solar and Wind Energy that will slow down the climate change, solve pollution and energy problem, reduce international conflicts, enable prosperity for clean energy industry by creating more local jobs. Leaders of the world, will you be riding on the top of the wave of Solar Tsunami or below it ?! The decision is yours!
During our quest for more on solar energy in 2012, on October 6, we happened to be in Melbourne, Australia. On the Saturday morning, we strolled through the lovely Royal Botanic Garden of Melbourne, taking in as much of the sight, scent, and sound of its beauty, downloading into our memory bank. Suddenly, we came upon this group of boisterous young lads, obviously in blond wigs and black robes, serenading random joggers/walkers passing their way. At some point in time, one of their members pointed toward us and started to sing at us, literally, sing at us with these refrains:
You’re the voice, try and understand it
Make the noise and make it clear, oh, woah
We’re not gonna sit in silence
We’re not gonna live with fear, oh, woah
After I’ve posted the video clip on sunisthefuture Youtube Channel, I found out this is actually a group of John Farnham Brigades/Impersonators singing out the refrain of “You’re The Voice”. So, please allow me to share this very random but sunny encounter of John Farnham’s Brigades’ “You’re The Voice” in Royal Botanic Garden of Melbourne, Australia, below:
John Farhnahm turned out to be a famous Australian singer who had popularized the song “You’re The Voice“. Once I’ve looked over its lyrics, I am amazed at how much it resonates with our time and what Sun Is The Future is trying to do…. aren’t we all someone’s daughter or son, living at a transitional time in history, trying not to sit in silence but to spread/share the message of hope and optimism of solar energy, the solution that will hopefully be able to free us from wars among nations…. lyrics of “You’re The Voice”, below:
We have the chance to turn the pages over We can write what we want to write We gotta make ends meet, before we get much older
We’re all someone’s daughter We’re all someone’s son How long can we look at each other Down the barrel of a gun?
You’re the voice, try and understand it Make the noise and make it clear, oh, woah We’re not gonna sit in silence We’re not gonna live with fear, oh, woah
This time, we know we all can stand together With the power to be powerful Believing we can make it better
Ooh, we’re all someone’s daughter We’re all someone’s son, oh Give a look at each other Down the barrel of a gun
You’re the voice, try and understand it Make the noise and make it clear, oh, woah We’re not gonna sit in silence
Hope you’ve enjoyed this post. Hope you will also do what you can in making your voice clearly heard in spreading the message of peace, hope, and optimism in solar energy.
~have a bright and sunny day~
gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker, sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Any of your comments/suggestions/questions/concerns are welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
