Record power demand is being attributed to the hot weather which continues to scorch the region, as people run air conditioning units in an attempt to cool down.
The region’s three councils are also warning residents to use water wisely, with the heat expected to hang around for at least another week.
Alpine Energy general manager network Willam Rawlins said several power demand records had been passed in the region in the past few days, with the company reporting record demand as offices run cooling systems and farmers use instigators.
he company only measures maximum demand numbers for power, so the largest amount of electricity that is passing through the network at that time – the power peaks, not usage.
On Tuesday Timaru today recorded 62.6 MW.
“This is the highest summer peak on record, up 16 per cent from the 2016 summer high of 54 MW, and up 28 per cent on the summer 2015 peak of 49 MW,” he said.
Rawlins said the peak in winter had been 67 MW.
He said the hot weather had contributed to the peaks.
“In Timaru a lot of that will be from people running cool stores and offices that run air conditioning.”
At other substations throughout the district, irrigation was contributing to a peak, he said.
He said on December 2, the Bells Pond substation, near Glenavy, recorded 13.74MW of electricity – the highest power peak on record at the station and up 15 per cent on the previous high recorded last year.
“This is mainly due to irrigation consumption, one of those being the Waihao Downs Scheme and some from increased capacity at Oceania Dairy who are now also operating a UHT plant,” he said.
The Temuka substation also recorded it highest power peak on record of 57.7 MW on December 4, which is 2.5 MW higher than the previous peak recorded in November 2015 during a similar hot spell.
Mackenzie District Council utilities manager Geoff Horler said water use in the district had been “extremely high” in the past few days.
He said while every town in the Mackenzie was different, overall water use had been high for this time of the year.
he company only measures maximum demand numbers for power, so the largest amount of electricity that is passing through the network at that time – the power peaks, not usage.
On Tuesday Timaru today recorded 62.6 MW.
“This is the highest summer peak on record, up 16 per cent from the 2016 summer high of 54 MW, and up 28 per cent on the summer 2015 peak of 49 MW,” he said.
Rawlins said the peak in winter had been 67 MW.
He said the hot weather had contributed to the peaks.
“In Timaru a lot of that will be from people running cool stores and offices that run air conditioning.”
At other substations throughout the district, irrigation was contributing to a peak, he said.
He said on December 2, the Bells Pond substation, near Glenavy, recorded 13.74MW of electricity – the highest power peak on record at the station and up 15 per cent on the previous high recorded last year.
“This is mainly due to irrigation consumption, one of those being the Waihao Downs Scheme and some from increased capacity at Oceania Dairy who are now also operating a UHT plant,” he said.
The Temuka substation also recorded it highest power peak on record of 57.7 MW on December 4, which is 2.5 MW higher than the previous peak recorded in November 2015 during a similar hot spell.
Mackenzie District Council utilities manager Geoff Horler said water use in the district had been “extremely high” in the past few days.
He said while every town in the Mackenzie was different, overall water use had been high for this time of the year.
No water restrictions were in place but the council was reviewing that status on a “daily basis”, he said.
“It’s early summer but it’s what you’d expect the usage to be in January.
“Use timers if you’re using water,” Horler said.
Waimate District Council water and waste manager Paul Roberts said there was no high demand on water, at the moment, that warranted a restriction.
“We will only put on restrictions when we have issues,” he said.
Timaru District Council communications manager Stephen Doran said there were no water restrictions in place yet for the district. However, residents were encouraged to conserve water.
Thompsons Refrigeration and Air Conditioning owners Jeremy and Jadie McDonald had “definitely” noticed an increase in the number of customers needing their air conditioning units serviced in the past week.
“Everything works harder in more extreme conditions,” Jeremy said.
“For things to work properly in the heat they [air conditioning units] have to be clean and tidy. They won’t make it on a long, hot day.”
He said they were busy with extra jobs because of the heat. The work had been for a range of equipment, including a slushy machine, he said.
Jadie McDonald said there had also been an increase in the number of people coming in needing their car air conditioning units repaired.
“People don’t really get their car air conditioning fixed normally,” she said.
“With the constant days of heat though people have noticed they need it fixed.”
Timaru electrical repair company Sullivan and Spillane owner Sarah Pierce said generally the business’ busy time for heat pump repair was winter.
“Usually a bit of a lull at this time of the year,” Pierce said.
“The momentum is ticking along though with people enquiring about their heat pumps.”
She said traditionally people had seen heat pumps as an appliance to heat the home.
“More people could be using the airconditioning option,” she said.
Waimataitai Kindergarten teacher Rachael Polson said the hot weather had seen classes being moved to outdoors.
“We have had the sprinklers going and the kids out underneath it,” she said.
“We’ve had a lot of water out and we’ve been sitting out in the shade.”
She said the hot weather was generating the kind of temperatures the kindergarten had been used to in about February and March.
“It’s been about lots of water and sunhats.”
South Canterbury SPCA Timaru manager Barry Fairbrother said animal welfare during the warmer weather was all about “common sense”.
“Move them to shade or create shade for them and provide plenty of water,” he said.
He said farmers knew what to do in extreme weather conditions, and traditionally stock would find their own shade in intense heat.
Niwa meteorologist Ben Noll said the “unseasonable” heat looked set to stay for a while.
“For the next week or so it looks like it’s going to be pretty toasty,” he said.
“It’s been a very hot start to summer.”
– The Timaru Herald
Reference: https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/99543687/record-peak-power-demand-as-weather-heats-up