Rooftop Solar PV, Coal Plant Inflexibility and the Minimum Load Problem
研究了澳大利亚昆士兰地区屋顶太阳能光伏扩张与燃煤电厂灵活性不足导致的“最小负荷问题”，发现全年尤其是冬春季会出现难以调度的时段，且无法通过扩大跨州输电解决，最终需要退出不灵活的燃煤电厂并引入灵活电源。
Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) has amongst the highest take-up rates of rooftop solar PV in the world. As with California, this has produced a distinctive load shape termed the “duck curve.” The Queensland version is being principally driven by non-scheduled (i.e., uncontrolled) rooftop solar PV. When combined with inflexible coal plant, it leads to a “minimum load problem.” In this article, we examine the feasibility of dispatch with ever-expanding rooftop solar PV resources in the NEM’s Queensland region and minimal demand elasticity. We find episodes of intractable dispatch throughout the year with rising intensity in the winter and spring months. Furthermore, we find no ability to “export your way out of the problem” via larger interstate interconnectors because the same problem is emerging in the adjacent region at the same time. Resolution ultimately requires inflexible coal plant exit, and entry of flexible plant.