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Will We Have Power Cuts?


Andrewcook

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You are more likely to suffer a power cut due to a failure on the local distribution network you are connected to (e.g. due to bad weather, or someone digging the road up and hitting a cable) than you are likely to have a power cut due to 'rota disconnection' resulting from a lack of generation. So, if your batteries can cope with regular power cuts you will be OK.

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1 hour ago, BroadAmbition said:

We’re covered at my hovel as we’ve got lithium batteries and solar panels 

Griff

How do they work in case of a power cut? Unless fully off grid they are supposed to cut out in case of power cuts so you are not the one electrocuting the repair crew down the road, I believe it's called anti-islanding.

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2 hours ago, RS2021 said:

You are more likely to suffer a power cut due to a failure on the local distribution network you are connected to (e.g. due to bad weather, or someone digging the road up and hitting a cable) than you are likely to have a power cut due to 'rota disconnection' resulting from a lack of generation. So, if your batteries can cope with regular power cuts you will be OK.

I wouldn't be so sure about that considering we have very little storage capacity for gas in this country and currently gas generation is supplying 60% of our electric, with wind producing just 2% and solar 2% at this precise moment in time. Thanks to delays in building new nuclear plants and the reduction in gas storage to about 9 days the grid is more vulnerable to rolling power cuts than it's been for a long time. 

One thing's for sure we need a bright and breezy Winter, not the usual Grey overcast days we get in this country during the Winter.

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No, they just want us all to panic buy electricity. :default_coat:

Anyone remember the time when the advertising people were trying to get us all to use more and more? It was "Shower Electric" versus creature comforts animations telling us gas is "very turn on and offable"? They said a 3 minute electric shower would save 1/3rd the cost of a bath. Hmmm.

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10 minutes ago, ScrumpyCheddar said:

It’s More BS British media speculation yet again.. I Will believe it when it does until then. Im continuing to carry on lights on heating on and Definitely the News will remain switched off.. 

I wouldn't be so sure. At this precise moment in time our generation shortfall is 14% being imported from neighboring countries only to keen to benefit from our short sightedness, until they need to keep their own lights on. That's despite coal being bought back online and providing 3% of our consumption.

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3 hours ago, Meantime said:

the grid is more vulnerable to rolling power cuts than it's been for a long time. 

Probably true, but it's gone from an almost negligible possibility to a very slight possibility. I would still maintain that you are at far greater risk from 'normal' local power outages.

The forecasters at the ESO are very good and will cover various scenarios from the likely to the extremely remote. The problem is - as ScrumpyCheddar points out - is that the media always latch onto the scenario which sounds worst.

 

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3 minutes ago, RS2021 said:

Probably true, but it's gone from an almost negligible possibility to a very slight possibility. I would still maintain that you are at far greater risk from 'normal' local power outages.

The forecasters at the ESO are very good and will cover various scenarios from the likely to the extremely remote. The problem is - as ScrumpyCheddar points out - is that the media always latch onto the scenario which sounds worst.

 

And yet the ESO have felt the need to put out 12 Capacity Market Notices in the last 6 years, with 6 of those being in 2022.

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How do they work in case of a power cut? Unless fully off grid they are supposed to cut out in case of power cuts so you are not the one electrocuting the repair crew down the road, I believe it's called anti-islanding.

I have purchased a changeover switch, so impossible to back charge the grid, exterior heavy duty plug, cable, generator etc etc.  I have yet to install / wire it all up and commission the system / kit though.

In the event of any sort of power cut, all I need to do is move the changeover switch, plug in one extension lead to side of the house, then flash up my standby generator - Hey presto, we are self sufficient and off grid

Griff

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6 hours ago, floydraser said:

Anyone remember the time when the advertising people were trying to get us all to use more and more? It was "Shower Electric" versus creature comforts animations telling us gas is "very turn on and offable"? 

Creature comforts were for electric.... But it does seem literally everyone remembers them as the "gas adverts".

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1 hour ago, BroadAmbition said:

How do they work in case of a power cut? Unless fully off grid they are supposed to cut out in case of power cuts so you are not the one electrocuting the repair crew down the road, I believe it's called anti-islanding.

I have purchased a changeover switch, so impossible to back charge the grid, exterior heavy duty plug, cable, generator etc etc.  I have yet to install / wire it all up and commission the system / kit though.

In the event of any sort of power cut, all I need to do is move the changeover switch, plug in one extension lead to side of the house, then flash up my standby generator - Hey presto, we are self sufficient and off grid

Griff

I'm intriged to know the cost of the battery bank.... I have the solar panels but only 2.5kw due to roof space.

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My hand was forced 2019 as our inverter went t1ts up just after its six year guarantee ran out (Sodding typical I thought at the time).

So a hybrid inverter was installed along with two lithium batteries, the batteries I seem to remember were £600 each supplied / commissioned.  So during the day we run off the panels, in the evening we run off the batteries.

That inverter going duff when it did managed to do us a huge favour.  Since then demand for solar panels, hybrid inverters and storage batteries have gone through the roof (Pun intended), supply and demand plus inflation have added to the costs massively.  We were very lucky indeed to have missed out on all that malarky

Griff

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7 minutes ago, Andrewcook said:

The only time we will have a Power Cut is we may have a Power surge when every one put the Kettle on at Half time with Football on England v Wales this evening 

there are a couple of hydro twin lake stations just for this eventuality, they can be producing full power in just a few seconds, they let the water from the top lake power the turbines when necessary, and pump the water back up overnight when there is spare energy.

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