Andrew Starr

Are we talking the SMS to "avoid usage/export to grid over the next 3hrs and we'll pay you $5" type thing? I'm still to be convinced if this will have > marginal impact.

I do like how Octopus in Texas have feed in tariffs linked to wholesale prices.

Maybe battery software will save us?

Price peaks have an outsize impact on generation costs. Maybe it's time for reserve batteries Nearly one third of the annual cost of generation comes from around 40 to 90 hours a year when the spot price is over $1000/MWh. Reserve batteries may solve this.

In market based wholesale systems like in much of Australia and some of the US, peak events have an "outside impact on generation costs" per below.

How do time of use/variable feed in tariffs help with rare events in this context, or what price signals work?

reneweconomy.com.au/price-peaks-...

The old ones are <1⭐ in safety rating, whereas the new ones are 5⭐.

And this isn't just for occupants, but for other vulnerable road users (eg. Pedestrians).

For example, the 2001 Rav4 gets 1⭐ for this category, whereas the latest model gets 5⭐.

towardszero.nsw.gov.au/sites/defaul...

Real estate agents in Australia using apps that leave millions of lease documents at risk, digital researcher says ‘This is a blatant and disturbing disregard for the law and for people’s security,’ digital rights advocate says

On the platforms used by real estate agents for renters, documents are exposed and accessible without any form of login, according to research.

I was able to view applications and lease agreements among other docs exposed. Most of the platforms didn't respond. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

In August 2021, I started running weekly simulations of Australia's main electricity grid to show that it's possible to get very close to 100% renewable supply with just enough storage to supply average demand for 5 hours.

Here are learnings from 4 years of simulations:
/1

Near 100 pct renewable electricity for Australia’s main grid is achievable and affordable: Year 4 update Very close to 100% renewable electricity is feasible for Australia’s main grid at reasonable cost using just several hours of storage. Four years of data proves this is so.

A great piece from @davidosmond.bsky.social via @reneweconomy.com.au on how his simple model shows that VRE + Hydro + Storage can meet over 95% of grid demand in Australia.

This aligns to the even more detailed AEMO ISP..

Now let's build!

🔌💡

reneweconomy.com.au/near-100-pct...

One really interesting (well to me at least) bit was the sensitivity analysis around the proportion of wind and solar.

Basically, you want about half wind & half solar. You can vary about 10% either way without much impact to system costs, but when wind drops below 40% you run into problems..

Near 100 pct renewable electricity for Australia’s main grid is achievable and affordable: Year 4 update Very close to 100% renewable electricity is feasible for Australia’s main grid at reasonable cost using just several hours of storage. Four years of data proves this is so.

A great piece from @davidosmond.bsky.social via @reneweconomy.com.au on how his simple model shows that VRE + Hydro + Storage can meet over 95% of grid demand in Australia.

This aligns to the even more detailed AEMO ISP..

Now let's build!

🔌💡

reneweconomy.com.au/near-100-pct...

A flat tire

Changing flat tire in 42°C weather, wouldn't recommend..

McConnell said that even though batteries are increasingly squeezing gas out of the system during evening peaks, they would not fundamentally change the fuel’s role in the system, which is to be available as a backstop during “high impact, low probability” events. “Batteries are eating gas’ lunch for around four hours a day. But if you need gas to run for 12 hours or so during a cold snap, that’s where the gas generators actually make their money. That’s not really affected by batteries because batteries simply can’t do that. “You end up using gas a lot less, but it’s still there. It’s still good value for those long-duration events.“

Still need the gas per the article kicker, for scenarios like yesterday in SA.

But IMO, the gov should provide some minimal capacity funding for gas plants contingent on them being available but not receiving >$1000/MWh for peak events.

$20k per MWh like yesterday is a market failure..

Just went outside, can confirm.

As Melissa’s rental swelters in Adelaide’s heatwave, she is confined to her bedroom – the only bearable part of the house Advocates say many renters live in ‘glorified tents’ that are too hot in summer and too cold in winter, forcing them to spend more on energy * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast When temperatures are this extreme, Melissa Fisher is trapped in her bedroom – the only bearable spot in her home in the Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth Vale. Fisher sweltered through South Australia’s hottest 26 January on record, with an overnight minimum of 31C. Now she faces a top of 43C on Tuesday as severe heatwaves continue across the nation. Continue reading...

As Melissa’s rental swelters in Adelaide’s heatwave, she is confined to her bedroom – the only bearable part of the house

Piper James autopsy finds ‘evidence consistent with drowning and injuries consistent with dingo bites’ Canadian backpacker, 19, was found dead on K’gari island earlier this week surrounded by pack of wild dingoes

Both pre-mortem and post-mortem bites, but the cause of death was drowning.

Theory is she ran into the water to escape the dingoes and drowned doing so.

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

When you can't open up the house after the cool change post the 39°C day because of bushfire smoke.

Good times..

Good luck to him, it's going to be a tough week.

Hard to imagine what it's going to be like in another 25 years...

What landlords are obliged to do to cool your rental property With the nation gripped by a heatwave, renters will be looking at their rights for cooling their homes. Here's what they can do.

And a reminder that cooling isn't required for rentals in any Australian state.

Vic is introducing the requirement from 2027, but all other states give a big 'f*ck you' to renters..

A split system costs a landlord less than 3 or 4 weeks rent, govs should mandate!

www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...

And a reminder that cooling isn't part of minimum rental standards anywhere in Australia.

Vic is introducing requirements starting in 2027..

@betterrenting.bsky.social

www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...

Griffith forecast for the next week. Temperatures in °C: 44 44 45 47 45 45 45

Thought Melbourne was hot this week given the 39°C today and 44°C for Tuesday. But have a friend who lives up in Griffith, and their forecast is completely nuts!!

Hoping that everyone up there has AC and reliable electricity...

Hilltop Hoods posting about how happy their kids were at them coming in at number 67 in the #hottest100

They just like us!! (middle aged, past their prime etc..)

Bed bug infested donation

#savedyouaclick

Any ideas how it will differentiate between the visa card and existing myki cards in my Android Wallet? Given my bugs with "card not accepted" on the new terminals I'm not overly confident...

The best thing to do about this is to reduce our dependence until we can say to the big fossil firms: "no thank you, we do not want or need what you are selling", and walk (or cycle, take an electric bus or drive an electric car) away.

Backup and restore to a new Android phone completely failed for me because of some app bug. I ended up just paying for the Signal Secure Backups which worked fine, had been meaning to donate for a while so that was one way to do it..

Non paywall version if required..

archive.md/jPvzD

Why this is the most dangerous time to swim in Sydney Three attacks in two days are the latest in a fourfold increase in shark bites along the NSW coast in recent years.

Only ~50 attacks in the harbour since 1807 per this article so 3 is a lot.

Climate change may be part of the reason, but the articles state "Shark attacks remain so rare that it’s difficult to tease out trends or tie the uptick in attacks to any one factor."

www.theage.com.au/national/nsw...

I don't understand how you can spend $10 a day on electricity for a small apartment. That's almost 30kWh.

We struggle to use 20kWh a day in a 3br all electric house with 4 split systems, 1 running 24/7.

Do you like charts? Oh yes you do. I've just published hundreds of them, as I do every year. www.nathanielbullard.com/presentations

To be clear, none of the questionnaire data was breached but it's pretty sensitive:

Alcohol or drug related problem in family
History of abuse to parent
History of abuse to child(ren)
Parent witness to violence
Child witness to violence
Gambling problem in family
History of mental illness of parent

This is why I didn't fill in the school entrant health questionnaire for our kids.

To paraphrase @metlstorm.risky.biz from this week's podcast with @patrick.risky.biz, education departments are the same as all other corporate networks (and that's not a good thing)..

‘Landlord’s market’: Melbourne unit rents hit a record high Melbourne’s typical unit now costs $580 a week to rent, the same price as renting a house, new data shows.

Interesting way of framing this drop in today's Ninefax...

www.theage.com.au/property/new...