Electric car anyone?
7 lurkers |
72 watchers
Jul 2021
3:10pm, 21 Jul 2021
7,201 posts
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paul the builder
What used to happen (still does happen, I guess) to "wasted" electricity generated? And won't it be different eventually once there's greater (enough) storage? |
Jul 2021
3:31pm, 21 Jul 2021
39,268 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Yes, improving storage technology is one - another one is more local generation to demand (micro generation), and smart network distribution to send it to right place. Also flexible tariffs (paying people to use energy) etc and more smart users, in industry as well as domestically. Where necessary paul, they just disconnect supply - but it is "wasted" in the sense that some of that supply can't be stopped: coal, nuclear etc. have to run at a base supply. So other supplies that could be used, but aren't a "saving" are wasted. |
Jul 2021
3:33pm, 21 Jul 2021
15,148 posts
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larkim
Some of the "waste" used to go into higher or lower voltages on street lighting as a bit of a "sink" across the country, didn't it? But things like economy 7 / Octopus Go are ways of giving the RECs some certainty about nocturnal usage so (in theory) they can plan how that volume should be generated, whether that's via carbon sources or not. I suppose my point was that no matter what I choose to do with my car tonight, the amount of generation is (broadly) already established. Some generation can be switched on or off (e.g. feather the blades of a wind turbine) but individual decisions about using their charger etc don't really result in a saving. |
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Jul 2021
3:35pm, 21 Jul 2021
39,269 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
It's free though larks - there is excess at that time and you are using it.
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Jul 2021
3:40pm, 21 Jul 2021
15,149 posts
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larkim
Unless it is planned to be excessive though it isn't free, is it? No generating company plans to have excess over and above a normal tolerance do they?
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Jul 2021
3:45pm, 21 Jul 2021
39,270 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
I'm not up to date with the figures, but 10 years ago, the base generation (nuclear plus coal) was 50%, and night time usage was 40%. Yes, planned excess, nothing they could do about it!
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Jul 2021
3:53pm, 21 Jul 2021
39,272 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Larks, could you pop those couple of links that I put in a while back into the "useful links" as admin please? General lease search autoleasecompare.com Specific car search cars2buy.co.uk |
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Jul 2021
3:54pm, 21 Jul 2021
15,150 posts
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larkim
Fair point, maybe the reduction in coal in particular has changed that equation. Though it can't have done entirely otherwise nocturnal electricity would always cost the same, so on that basis you're right about the "free" nature. I audited RECs about 20 years ago so that is my best insight!!
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Jul 2021
4:02pm, 21 Jul 2021
39,273 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
There's also the long term argument that the more people who have night time "scheduled" usage of electricity and the less daytime use, and consistently, the more efficient they can be in the use of the balance of generation methods. So we're part of a better future, with scheduled night time usage. Even better if we use local generation (solar, wind at our own homes or some kind of community source) and also if we can make our battery storage available for the network to use to even out spikes too (without hindering our own convenience of getting to the shops/gym/school etc. next morning. Err, evening I mean as it would be drawn from during the day!)  G
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Jul 2021
4:15pm, 21 Jul 2021
15,151 posts
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larkim
Agreed; storage of renewables is just about the perfect solution. Just let the wind blow, the sun shine and the waves lap constantly, store up their production and release it as needed. Dinorwig is a great example of that though that is more about surge demand I think, and obviously it is not necessarily powered by renewables either. So is a terrible example really
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