South Australia Is a Time Machine Into the Solar-Powered Future

There are certain energy markets that offer us a glimpse of the future. China, the world’s largest auto market and home to major electric vehicle manufacturers, is one. Japan, with its intense competition for retail electricity consumers is another. Australia, where one in four houses has a solar power system, is yet another.

Let’s drill down on Australia a bit. On Oct. 11, 2020, South Australia generated more solar power than the grid’s total electricity demand; for the early afternoon, the state was entirely solar-powered. In its latest Quarterly Energy Dynamics report, the Australian Energy Market Operator called the occurrence a record for a grid this size, serving nearly 1.8 million people.