09-09-2020, 08:49 AM
Yes, grid capacity is a problem, but not unsolvable. Electric cars will also be part of the solution with V2G: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle-to-grid
What is certain is that in the UK we are generating almost nothing from coal, less from gas and a lot more from wind than we were a few years ago. The trend looks unstoppable as grid scale storage becomes more available. This means that the supposed unreliabilty of wind will be much reduced. Ultimately you keep some gas fired plant as a backup, plant that's cheap to build though expensive to run.
I rather doubt that Hinkley C will ever be completed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinkley_Po...er_station
I am well aware that the fairly recent large scale power failure was partly caused by failure of a wind array. It was also due to the simultaneous failure of a gas fired power station. There wasn't enough spinning reserve to cover the loss of 2 major power stations at the same time. That's not a reflection on the relibaility or otherwise of wind, it's a matter of grid management and how much cost should be devoted to rare double failures. There was also the ridiculous business of some electric trains not being able to restart without specialist attention, even when the power returned. The term "spinning reserve" is starting to look old fashioned as more large scale batteries come online.
What is certain is that in the UK we are generating almost nothing from coal, less from gas and a lot more from wind than we were a few years ago. The trend looks unstoppable as grid scale storage becomes more available. This means that the supposed unreliabilty of wind will be much reduced. Ultimately you keep some gas fired plant as a backup, plant that's cheap to build though expensive to run.
I rather doubt that Hinkley C will ever be completed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinkley_Po...er_station
I am well aware that the fairly recent large scale power failure was partly caused by failure of a wind array. It was also due to the simultaneous failure of a gas fired power station. There wasn't enough spinning reserve to cover the loss of 2 major power stations at the same time. That's not a reflection on the relibaility or otherwise of wind, it's a matter of grid management and how much cost should be devoted to rare double failures. There was also the ridiculous business of some electric trains not being able to restart without specialist attention, even when the power returned. The term "spinning reserve" is starting to look old fashioned as more large scale batteries come online.
www.borinsky.co.uk Jeffrey Borinsky www.becg.tv
