🤓 one thing i've learnt about energy is that you've _got_ to go to the data.
"common knowledge", aka "anecdata", is so very often wrong.
an example: i was recently told that @originenergy's #mortlake gas power station was generating "all the time", as "base load".
it's not!
"common knowledge", aka "anecdata", is so very often wrong.
an example: i was recently told that @originenergy's #mortlake gas power station was generating "all the time", as "base load".
it's not!
the chart above shows the last 12 months of output. (HT @dylanjmcconnell)
#mortlake has been running with a capacity factor of 28.9% and it's been 2 months since it even hit 50% power.
#mortlake has been running with a capacity factor of 28.9% and it's been 2 months since it even hit 50% power.
most wind farms and some solar farms have a higher capacity factor than #mortlake!
$ORG would need to work it about 3 times harder before you'd call it a 'base load' generator.
$ORG would need to work it about 3 times harder before you'd call it a 'base load' generator.
here's the 'output-duration curve'.
it shows that, over the past 12 months, 50% of the time #mortlake produced absolutely zero power, and operated above half-power less than 20% of the time.
a handy 'little' peaker — but it's not running "all the time", it's not "base load".
it shows that, over the past 12 months, 50% of the time #mortlake produced absolutely zero power, and operated above half-power less than 20% of the time.
a handy 'little' peaker — but it's not running "all the time", it's not "base load".
(just to be clear, it was an area resident, not origin, who told me it was operating all the time.)
