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GB National Grid Status

gridwatch.templar.co.uk

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Re: GB National Grid Status

#61

Post by bearbin »

oliwary wrote: post #54
IMSAI8080 wrote: post #51

There's quite a few of these. Here's another one that I prefer the UI of and I think is a bit clearer: https://grid.iamkate.com/

I really enjoy this one: https://app.electricitymaps.com/zone/GB It shows energy sources for all of the countries in Europe on a map, import/export, prices and CO2 intensity.

The visualisation on that site is good, but it's sadly plauged with data errors. The UK data doesn't seem to correspond to any other source I can find. I think it might be delayed by 24 hours, but even that doesn't seem quite right...

Re: GB National Grid Status

#62

Post by cjrp »

jackbarclay wrote: post #38
cjrp wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't most domestic panels actually feed into the grid (so presumably would show up on the stats as solar generation)? Unless you've got a battery system at home.

Domestic panels are what we call embedded generation - they are connected to the distribution networks, not the main transmission network. The System Operator (NGESO) doesn’t have real-time insight into the distribution networks themselves - they are just visible as a net demand on the system. Embedded generation serves to reduce this demand by feeding power locally to the distribution network. We can forecast the em…

Interesting, thanks! Does that also mean power fed-in by domestic panels will only be used locally?

Re: GB National Grid Status

#63

Post by WhackyIdeas »

rr888 wrote: post #50
pydry wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>No people to object about it I'm not sure whether this MP was in the pocket of gas, coal or nuclear interests or whatever but he successfully rounded up residents to NIMBY what would have been the biggest wind farm to date even though it would have barely have been visible. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navitus_Bay_wind_farm I was bitter before. Doubly so now electricity prices are through the roof.

Scotland has one of the biggest gas fields in Europe, why should it rely on ugly and unreliable Wind turbines? Esp Global Warming probably makes Scotland's climate more comfortable, and its proximity to Greenland means sea levels might even fall.

I am Scottish and I would be proud if all our energy needs were met by non-polluting and abundant resources such as wind and tide.

Even if you didn’t believe in man-made global warming, surely the idea of cleaner Scottish air would be a bonus.

Re: GB National Grid Status

#65

Post by corradio »

bearbin wrote: post #61
oliwary wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really enjoy this one: https://app.electricitymaps.com/zone/GB It shows energy sources for all of the countries in Europe on a map, import/export, prices and CO2 intensity.

The visualisation on that site is good, but it's sadly plauged with data errors. The UK data doesn't seem to correspond to any other source I can find. I think it might be delayed by 24 hours, but even that doesn't seem quite right...

A GitHub issue was filed regarding this: https://github.com/electricitymaps/electricitymaps-contrib/i...

Re: GB National Grid Status

#66

Post by lifeisstillgood »

DrScientist wrote: post #7
lifeisstillgood wrote: post #4

Ok, I must have missed this but ... Wind produces 16% of UK electricity, and nuclear produces 13% .... Ok wow. I assumed solar would be the thing that takes over, and In Spain that's probably true. But here it seems wind is going to be a win. Anyway I still need to work out how to spend my declining years - how to write software for renewable energy farms ... wind or solar.

The UK is one of the best positioned countries in the world in terms of natural wind resource. This is because large parts of the north sea are shallow/have banks that very large offshore wind farms can be built on. No terrain to get in the way, no people to object about it being close to their house. Scotland is also windy and not that populated and so has quite a few onshore farms. Eg see. https://orsted.com/en/med…

Oh - Doggerland

About end of the Stone Age ~15,000BC you could still walk from UK to Europe - there is I believe evidence of civilisation and villages down there still.

Re: GB National Grid Status

#67

Post by DrScientist »

phas0ruk wrote: post #52
DrScientist wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They do - but as the rate you are paid for electricity is now a fraction of the price you are charged, most people without a battery try and align their energy use with production. ( The suns out! Put on the washing machine/dish washer etc ).

Not if you locked in a feed in tariff from years ago. They lasted 15 years I think.

Sure - don't know what proportion of solar panel installations that is though - it was an early adopter incentive.

Bottom line - not all the local solar production is measured at the grid level - much of it results in demand reduction which can't be directly attributed.

I think this will only increase - either due to local batteries, or more electricity driven heating systems ( heat pumps for example ).

And this isn't just homes - if you have a farm and have a big water reservoir which you fill by pumping water - and you had some solar panels - you'd just run the pumps when it was sunny - there is no particular need to run them at particular times ( same if you had a wind driven pump ).

Re: GB National Grid Status

#68

Post by DrScientist »

snickmy wrote: post #37
DrScientist wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Adding to that, they are now looking at local hydrogen production from wind excess. While not nearly efficient as using the electricity directly, it's more efficient than throwing it away. Also the offshore farms sit in a pool of the raw material ( water ).

for record, best electrolysis for hydrogen is a 50% efficiency end-to-end conversion.

Yep efficiency isn't great - but as I said, better then the efficiency of throwing excess away ( zero ).

There is also value in the ability to store the energy - not as efficient as something like using water to store potential energy ( ~75% ), but there is value there.

I'm not somebody who thinks it will be hydrogen everywhere - frankly electricity is easier to distribute and we already have a good infrastructure - but that's not to say it doesn't have a role.

Re: GB National Grid Status

#69

Post by grey-area »

WhackyIdeas wrote: post #63
rr888 wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Scotland has one of the biggest gas fields in Europe, why should it rely on ugly and unreliable Wind turbines? Esp Global Warming probably makes Scotland's climate more comfortable, and its proximity to Greenland means sea levels might even fall.

I am Scottish and I would be proud if all our energy needs were met by non-polluting and abundant resources such as wind and tide. Even if you didn’t believe in man-made global warming, surely the idea of cleaner Scottish air would be a bonus.

They already are. Scotland has hit 100% renewable energy already on a few days.

Re: GB National Grid Status

#70

Post by mrspuratic »

cjrp wrote: post #13
snickmy wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In UK wind is actually broadcasted to take over. After the new line connecting with Norway (for hydro storage) the majority of investments are going into wind. On Nuclear, I think right now there is 1 big nuclear plan offline for maintenance so there might be some of that too. In the Mediterranean area, while there is more prevalence of solar, it's not a clear winner either. For instance in Italy there is quite an ag…

I read/heard somewhere that if the Republic of Ireland built all of their potential offshore wind-farms, it could power the country and generate a surplus for export. Obviously need to solve the storage issue or rely on interconnects for when the wind isn't blowing/blows too hard.

The east coast around Dublin (fortuitously, as the major population center) has good banks in relatively shallow waters ~10-20km offshore (Oriel, Kish, Bray, Codling, Arklow banks). There are only 7 offshore turbines in operation today (Arklow, 2003 25MW, planned expansion deferred), but hundreds more planned within the next 5 years. Less wind than the west or north coasts, which is seemingly less amenable, but there is at least one bank planned for Galway. https://gis.seai.ie/wind/
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