On those scorching days when temperatures soar into the high 30s, many of us with air conditioning wonder how we ever managed without it.
However, it’s precisely during these extreme heatwaves that Australians face the highest risk of experiencing a dreaded power outage.
“In the past, the winter evening peak was simply a result of everyone coming home and turning on their heating simultaneously,” she explained.
“Now, the trend has shifted to everyone cranking up their air conditioning at once.”
This increased demand on the electrical grid is further exacerbated by an ironic challenge with coal-fired power generation.
When temperatures climb too high, coal plants begin to falter under the strain.
“Coal generators are more likely to break down because they don’t cope very well with high heat,” Reeve said.
“So when that happens, that can also cause a blackout or a brownout, because you’ve got such high demand at the same time.”
When the grid is under too much strain, the major users are asked to switch off.
The biggest offenders are aluminium smelters.
Australia has four aluminium smelters that account for 10 per cent of the electricity used in the country.
And high power bills has meant the smelter is now turning to the federal government to keep them open.
But switching them off is an expensive endeavour.
The smelters run 24 hours a day, and any shutdown is problematic.
“It doesn’t happen that often,” Reeve said.
“It’s there if we need it.”
Solar panels generate the most electricity around 1pm, but the usual peak time for power usage is about 5pm. By then, the sun has started to set and less electricity is being generated.
So how can the average punter reduce the risk of blackouts on a hot summer’s day?
The best options are to add a few degrees to the air conditioner, and, obliquely enough, make sure your aluminium cans are getting recycled.
