Electric car anyone?
1 lurker |
72 watchers
Sep 2021
2:21pm, 24 Sep 2021
15,495 posts
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larkim
Ah, I thought I remembered you having panels on your estate (!) somewhere. I think our panels have a max output of 3kW on the brightest of bright sunny days, and even if we've got a surplus of a 2kW because we're just on base load for appliances etc, it's not a huge dent in the 7kW needed to charge the car effectively. And given that we pay 3x as much for daytime electricity as we do for the Octopus Go noctural stuff, the savings would be pretty small. Best estimate, say 20 days (weekends only, as the car is used as a weekly commuter) where 4 hours of 2kW could be delivered "free" would be about an £8 annual cash saving, assuming we normally get those 4x2x20 = 160kWh at 5p per unit. Even if I'm wrong and we could double or triple the amount of "free" solar charging, it's going to be less than £30 a year saving, so over a reasonable 5 year projection it's only worth outlaying say £150 on a solar-connected charger if money is all I care about. If I care about the carbon base to the kWh supplied then obviously that's a different equation, but any solar surplus I do generate is pumped back into the grid anyway and could be just as well used to displace carbon generated power to do "something" for another user so I'm not even convinced the green argument works particularly powerfully. |
Sep 2021
2:27pm, 24 Sep 2021
39,799 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Yeah, agree, it's just a nice to have, to store unused solar in the car, if car is there (as you say, would have to be the working from home paradigm). Of course, more batteries at houses or local substations would help too.  G
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Sep 2021
3:37pm, 24 Sep 2021
5,251 posts
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Windsor Wool
I assure you that there will never be a shortage of electrons Our neighbour is feeling smug as he’s just getting solar panels installed. In fact we had a power cut yesterday, not his fault though as they’d only put the scaffolding up at that point. He’s getting a car charge point put in at the same time, though his only e-vehicle is a bike right now. Agreed JDA, there will never be a shortage of electrons in this world. However, there is a real possibility that there may be periods where there aren't enough electrons to meet the UK's demand for them over this winter! |
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Sep 2021
4:10pm, 24 Sep 2021
39,800 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
It's not technical, it's economics. Simple market economics, supply and demand. Electricity is regulated and supply has a huge contingency built into it actually. We don't run above about 80% in the UK, ever (can't cite a link, but I worked in a big 5 energy supplier 10 years ago), unlike US who run to 99% and hence get brown outs (where the lights, literally, go off or at least voltage drops! :-O) But when the supply is low from the lowest cost sources, it has to be topped up from higher cost sources (turning on jet engines, buying more overseas gas to fire the gas turbines etc.) and the result is higher wholesale costs and eventually resale prices to domestic and commercial customers. And the 5 fold increase in gas costs will have a flow through to leccy prices. Which is scary. But also good, because it makes building more renewables more attractive. |
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Sep 2021
10:07pm, 24 Sep 2021
5,252 posts
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Windsor Wool
schooled 😂😂😂
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Sep 2021
1:10pm, 25 Sep 2021
39,803 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Sorry, did that sound a bit didactic. Sorry, wasn't intentional. Things are rarely impossible, just become economically unviavlw and therefore not available to most consumers. electrek.co Norway may sell its last ICE only car next year! Actually, stupid headline, cos actually quite a lot they are counting are hybrids. But even so, massive EV take up. Shows what govt subsidies /taxation policy can effect. G
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Sep 2021
1:14pm, 25 Sep 2021
23,499 posts
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Dvorak
Would it be bad manners to point out that Norway is achieving that entirely on the back of fossil fuel revenues?
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Sep 2021
1:28pm, 25 Sep 2021
39,805 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
You're right Dv that Norway's enormous wealth is based on oil revenue. But at least they are using it to minimise oil use in their own country. They also need to be encouraged to cut back production (which they're not doing) but the world is still consuming oil (and will do for a long time for things like medical grade plastics). But I agree they are paying for it with "dirty" money. Again, a poit for wider Environment Thread! G
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Sep 2021
3:09pm, 27 Sep 2021
5,257 posts
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Windsor Wool
NBP Nov just traded at >£2 for the 1st time ever. With IFA and IUK out (OK, IUK only for 2 weeks), Nov is looking very tight to me in the case that a blocking high pressure leads to low temps / low wind. I see the demand upside from WFH / offices re-opening as being a potential issue. There's just such a wide opening for Gov intervention here. All the same, I'm sure that the rolling blackout scenario is a very unlikely one, very unlikely. Fingers crossed, I mean I'd love to be able to drive around smuggly at the moment but the roads are all blocked with queues for the bloody petrol stations!! |
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Sep 2021
3:18pm, 27 Sep 2021
39,823 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Hard not to feel a bit smug, isn't it? "Petrol shortages, you say? Queues at the garages? Can't say I've noticed!" *smugface* G
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