Electric cars and the grid..... it has begun.

[fizzy]

Even the national grid aren’t claiming that renewables alone are going to be the answer to everything and they will need to be a part of a mix of other energy. So as far as I’m aware no one thinks renewables “alone” will cope.
From their website below.

It’s important to remember that the aim is not for renewables to be our sole provider of energy, but they will play a major part in the energy mix

So when do they decided enough is enough?
We are paying vast sums of money for these things to sit idle for a lot of the time. More windfarms just make it worse. Vast amounts of energy some times and almost none when you really need it. People say it is always windy somewhere but sadly it isn't. Areas of high pressure like this can sit over the whole of Europe.

 

[fizzy]

Just wait for the next non windy day….

We have had almost 2 weeks of them.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Areas of high pressure like this

I wish someone would send some up here, we're slap bang in the middle of a deep low atm.

 

[fizzy]

I wish someone would send some up here, we're slap bang in the middle of a deep low atm.

What is your weather like? Ours is bright and sunny but freezing. -6C last night and -3C today. Actually love this weather - anything but rain!

 

[daleyd]

We have had almost 2 weeks of them.

 

[fizzy]

View attachment 376133

From the 28th Nov to 2nd Dec very low - then not much better from the 4th until now - improved a bit from the 2nd to the 4th.
Now if someone could invent sensible storage we would be laughing!

 

[daleyd]

From the 28th Nov to 2nd Dec very low - then not much better from the 4th until now - improved a bit from the 2nd to the 4th.
Now if someone could invent sensible storage we would be laughing!

Not really a 2 week lull then? Ok.

Let’s not forget that the other periods of the year when wind is high then gas usage ramps down, the alternative currently is to use more gas all the time - as wind provides 25% of our electric per annum that’s quite a reduction in gas usage. I’m guessing you are against that?

I know you are going to mention nuclear but that’s not a solution that’s going to appear in the next few years, so let’s park that under “future developments”. If we do that then we can agree that in the current situation we can either:

A: carry on and use loads of gas
B: use wind/alternatives when available and less gas.

I also know you will also try and say that wind has caused the rise of gas, but again you will ignore the fact that gas replaced coal from the early 90’s onwards - long before wind became a “thing”. What wind appears to have done when you look at the historic trends is knock off the last bit of coal use and started to eat away into the gas usage.

Every time I look out the window and see still trees I fear for your blood pressure.

 

[dobbslc]

Every time I look out the window and see still trees I fear for your blood pressure.

 

[daleyd]

When I look out the window and it’s not windy…

 

[Popcorn]

At least we got a step in the right direction at the beginning of the month, with the new coal mine announcement.

 

[Kayos]

At least we got a step in the right direction at the beginning of the month, with the new coal mine announcement.

It's comments like this that make me hit the logout button

 

[fizzy]

At least we got a step in the right direction at the beginning of the month, with the new coal mine announcement.

I am not in favour of fossil fuels and coal is the worst of the lot BUT it is far better than our elderly freezing to death because they are too scared to turn the heating on!

 

[slim_boy_fat]

What is your weather like?

Bitterly cold, with sleet and wet snow on and off all day.

 

[minimutly]

Not really a 2 week lull then? Ok.

Let’s not forget that the other periods of the year when wind is high then gas usage ramps down, the alternative currently is to use more gas all the time - as wind provides 25% of our electric per annum that’s quite a reduction in gas usage. I’m guessing you are against that?

I know you are going to mention nuclear but that’s not a solution that’s going to appear in the next few years, so let’s park that under “future developments”. If we do that then we can agree that in the current situation we can either:

A: carry on and use loads of gas
B: use wind/alternatives when available and less gas.

I also know you will also try and say that wind has caused the rise of gas, but again you will ignore the fact that gas replaced coal from the early 90’s onwards - long before wind became a “thing”. What wind appears to have done when you look at the historic trends is knock off the last bit of coal use and started to eat away into the gas usage.

Every time I look out the window and see still trees I fear for your blood pressure.

This is a nice ballanced synopsis of where we are in the UK.
There really isn't a fast track answer. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. So we all have to suck it up, burn the gas when we haven't got sun or wind. And you can forget storage, it would be impossible to cover the required volumes. We are currently looking at scenarios where gas will be in short supply, and this could cause grid blackouts.
Build some tidal arrays quick, or we're stuffed, even then, we would need substantial storage to go with it - its never going to happen...

 

[DAPPH]

I wish someone would send some up here, we're slap bang in the middle of a deep low atm.

Pop along to Holyrood, apparently there is a veritable hurricane of surplus wind emanating from there.

 

[GRW]

Question.
For it's size per sq.mile , why does Wales have such a high number of traffic incidents and road traffic related deaths ? I've been here in Wales for 17.5 years and have seen seven dead people in separate incidents as well as knowing of the two dead boy racers killing themselves just down the hill from here. Goodness only knows how RTI I've seen in that time besides those mentioned below , well into the thirties I suspect.

Road and TMS cameras do seem to help stop things going even higher that's for sure . But it didn't help the two fatally injured within about 18 weeks of each other or their smashed up passengers on the long hill going by our front garden where there are speed restrictions and four speed bumps but no camera's so no financial & restrictive penalties to make the drivers slow down .

Tricky one. Historically everyone in rural Wales "didn't hang about" and charging down lanes in the dark like a WRC wannabe was practically de rigeur - and not just the young lads either. What should have been utter carnage was offset by the fact that a great many had driven off-road on farmland since they were tall enough to reach the pedals so were pretty handy behind a wheel.

But - the total tools determined to prove Darwins theory will always determinedly push their luck till it runs out by driving stupidly in entirely the wrong place.... and Wales' topography and the amount of bendy uppy-downy roads, with relatively more space to clog it - provides rather more opportunities to get dead (and/or kill some other poor sod) than other areas.

The truly unhinged are out there too. If anyone sees a Citroën transit-size van with "Jen's Haulage" livery (maybe based in Llanbadarn, Aberystwyth as that's where it eventually pulled off) - then give it a wide berth.
I do a lot of miles, and will be the first to admit I don't hang about (where conditions, traffic etc allow) - I (ahem) "make progress", so I'm not against a well-driven, sensibly-driven other drivers doing the same.
I overtook this imbecile just out of the Cross Foxes Junction nr Dolgellau heading home to SW Wales after a long day. Doing so seemed to incense this moron, as if I'd maligned his manhood or rogered his sister - he floored it & started weaving about inches of my vans tailgate in an aggressive manner (which I ignored). I passed a lorry and put him behind me and went about my business. A few miles later, he's glued to my bumper again, before making a very iffy overtake on me and the car in front of me, then somehow managed to put 2 more cars between us going through Machynlleth town!
I thought "that's the last I'll see if him - good!" - only to spot him (I'm in the middle of a group of maybe 9 vehicles) pulled over in a lay by a mile or two out of Mach.
Yup, a few miles later - he's forced his way up behind me (I hadn't moved as there weren't any safe overtaking opportunities), and spent the rest of the journey to Aberystwyth weaving about on my tail like a loon (in what I assume was an effort to intimidate and posture).
In short, a mental case with no sense or judgement, probably anger management issues or some-such and shouldn't be allowed behind the wheel.
(A Scamera Van is never going to apprehend & remove lethal lunatics like this guy).

 

[daleyd]

I am not in favour of fossil fuels and coal is the worst of the lot BUT it is far better than our elderly freezing to death because they are too scared to turn the heating on!

IIRC it’s for use in steel production, so unlikely to make it into an OAP home near you soon.

 

[sparkysy]

Yes steel production, which begs the question why, apparently we don't use it much here anymore and most of Europe's steel production is currently stopped, sooo who are we going to offload it to exactly?

 

[atomant48]

IIRC it’s for use in steel production, so unlikely to make it into an OAP home near you soon.

Mind you that’s like RB argued on their budget cap overspend this season !

 

[redlig]

I wish someone would send some up here, we're slap bang in the middle of a deep low atm.

Mentioning the word DEEP how is the snow ?