21–30 of 597 posts
It is kind of weird and worrisome that such a large entity doesn't use https Look at the weird error message... https://www.ercot.com/ The rest of the site appears to be http only What's funny is that they do have a valid certificate for their error message page.
This is not the first time has happened. Summer of 2019 saw a heat wave with no wind that lasted a week. Energy prices were way up.
https://cpowerenergymanagement.com/why-doesnt-texas-have-a-c...
Ps - I just checked the prices for northern Hub - day ahead was over $6,500 and real time around $4,500 per MW for 8pm.
Last Sunday both prices were around $25.
It frustrates me how most analysis of wind and solar cost-effectiveness fail to take into account the need to have tons of backup infrastructure that lays fallow most of the time. You need to decide between poor grid reliability or drastically increased capital expenditures. Hopefully storage tech will get better and this will cease to be such a problem.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-02/tesla-battery-expande...
It frustrates me how most analysis of wind and solar cost-effectiveness fail to take into account the need to have tons of backup infrastructure that lays fallow most of the time. You need to decide between poor grid reliability or drastically increased capital expenditures. Hopefully storage tech will get better and this will cease to be such a problem.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-14/deep-free...
Energy planners didn't account for extreme weather, regardless of source.
Some time ago, I worked for a defunct energy company that provided demand-side relief in exactly this scenario - when total system load outstrips total system capacity, we'd begin taking actions on behalf of end users, not the utility. Lights would turn off, generators would spin up, fridge temperatures would be raised. ERCOT (Texas) is an interesting case in that it can't import power from other states as easily - i…
In the UK, there is a system of load shedding that is tied to the grid frequency. My understanding is that some industrial users agree terms where they get cheaper rates but if the demand outstrips supply, they are first to be cut. This load shedding is implemented by components that monitor the grid frequency, and if it drops below a fixed value, it disconnects. It seemed a nice system to me as in theory it operates just based on the principles of an AC power supply.
Secondly, the UK has its own grid but is linked up to the EU grid with asynchronous HVDC connectors. We get a lot of our energy though those. Is this inefficient?
Seems like this is where a generator and appropriate hookup for powering (primarily?) a gas furnace might not be a terrible thing. Unfortunately almost all homes regardless of source will lose heat if the power goes out because of fans and furnace control.
It frustrates me how most analysis of wind and solar cost-effectiveness fail to take into account the need to have tons of backup infrastructure that lays fallow most of the time. You need to decide between poor grid reliability or drastically increased capital expenditures. Hopefully storage tech will get better and this will cease to be such a problem.
"...lays fallow most of the time." https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-02/tesla-battery-expande...
That is, if you depend upon wind and wind is screwed up for a week... batteries aren't going to let you stretch limited solar all night long.
It frustrates me how most analysis of wind and solar cost-effectiveness fail to take into account the need to have tons of backup infrastructure that lays fallow most of the time. You need to decide between poor grid reliability or drastically increased capital expenditures. Hopefully storage tech will get better and this will cease to be such a problem.
"...lays fallow most of the time." https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-02/tesla-battery-expande...
It frustrates me how most analysis of wind and solar cost-effectiveness fail to take into account the need to have tons of backup infrastructure that lays fallow most of the time. You need to decide between poor grid reliability or drastically increased capital expenditures. Hopefully storage tech will get better and this will cease to be such a problem.
> "Natural gas rose to a record $600 per million British thermal units in Oklahoma. And as much as half a million barrels a day of oil output in West Texas may be impacted by well shutdowns that began on Thursday because of the extreme cold ." https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-14/deep-free... Energy planners didn't account for extreme weather, regardless of source.
Texas' weather is colder now than in the past 40 years.
Some time ago, I worked for a defunct energy company that provided demand-side relief in exactly this scenario - when total system load outstrips total system capacity, we'd begin taking actions on behalf of end users, not the utility. Lights would turn off, generators would spin up, fridge temperatures would be raised. ERCOT (Texas) is an interesting case in that it can't import power from other states as easily - i…
Preface: I know very little about power grids, but had a couple thoughts. In the UK, there is a system of load shedding that is tied to the grid frequency. My understanding is that some industrial users agree terms where they get cheaper rates but if the demand outstrips supply, they are first to be cut. This load shedding is implemented by components that monitor the grid frequency, and if it drops below a fixed val…