Potential power outages this winter

What's amusing, is that most solar parks need the grid to be active to be able to export into it.

As soon as you shut it off in the day, the parks go "dark" therfore adding to the lack of power.

Same for people's roof top solar. Many think they still have power if grid goes off.. they don't understand how it works.


This amuses me greatly
 
Diagro said:
What's amusing, is that most solar parks need the grid to be active to be able to export into it.

As soon as you shut it off in the day, the parks go "dark" therfore adding to the lack of power.

Same for people's roof top solar. Many think they still have power if grid goes off.. they don't understand how it works.


This amuses me greatly
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I've been contemplating get a cheap 1.5-2kW petrol genny for this very reason, to bootstrap the solar panels onto if the mains ever goes off.
 
Jokester said:
I've been contemplating get a cheap 1.5-2kW petrol genny for this very reason, to bootstrap the solar panels onto if the mains ever goes off.
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Get an electric car and then use reverse charge for an even more complex, expensive solution, to a pretty unlikely problem :D
 
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V F said:
Hasn't this country shown it's all about spending as little money as possible while having no contingency plans? After all, don't we have a proven record when it starts hitting the fan the country runs about like headless chickens?

Look at some of the bad winters when we got rid of the snow vehicles and grit thinking it'll never happen again. Lessons will be learned and all that.
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What kind of boomer babble is this?
 
The UK grid system is an incredibly sophisticated well designed scheme. It's not their fault that for the last 30+ years politicians put politics before engineering realities. If you looked at the UK generating portfolio in 2000 compared today it would be substantially more resilient in every possible way.

Voltage control, spinning reserve, black start, fuels supplies all of these were susbstantially more resilient even 10 years ago. No one pays attention and everyone has to follow the subsisides to stay in business.
 
Diagro said:
What's amusing, is that most solar parks need the grid to be active to be able to export into it.

As soon as you shut it off in the day, the parks go "dark" therfore adding to the lack of power.

Same for people's roof top solar. Many think they still have power if grid goes off.. they don't understand how it works.


This amuses me greatly
Click to expand...
our installer was very clear about it. if any solar owner is unaware then the sales people did not do their job.
anyone can set their solar with battery set up to run off grid. it just costs more. I made the educated decision that the chances of prolonged power outage was not worth the added expense . this may turn out to be wrong... but I don't have a crystal ball.
but the engineers have to be confident in a power outage that there is no power to the gear they are fixing otherwise they could be killed.
 
PlacidCasual said:
The UK grid system is an incredibly sophisticated well designed scheme. It's not their fault that for the last 30+ years politicians put politics before engineering realities. If you looked at the UK generating portfolio in 2000 compared today it would be substantially more resilient in every possible way.

Voltage control, spinning reserve, black start, fuels supplies all of these were susbstantially more resilient even 10 years ago. No one pays attention and everyone has to follow the subsisides to stay in business.
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I get power cuts many winters and on each one mobile connectivity stayed up.

The fact I already get power cuts during peak winter periods, is why I am not convinced its scare mongering. Take into account was well measures taken in the EU.
 
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PlacidCasual said:
The UK grid system is an incredibly sophisticated well designed scheme. It's not their fault that for the last 30+ years politicians put politics before engineering realities. If you looked at the UK generating portfolio in 2000 compared today it would be substantially more resilient in every possible way.

Voltage control, spinning reserve, black start, fuels supplies all of these were susbstantially more resilient even 10 years ago. No one pays attention and everyone has to follow the subsisides to stay in business.
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It may bee sophisticated. However It's also incredibly difficult to do things. Due to poorly decisions driven by UK politics. 8 years to get a connection for a new solar park is one stupid thing.
 
Firestar_3x said:
Reducing the risk of engineers working on the grid getting electrocuted is moronic?
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Easy to mitigate that risk.

Unfortunately some of these engineers are of the ilk who can't engage their brain.

For example... recently, one chap decided to NOT check the breaker was open. Then used a metal magnetic screw driver inside the switch gear to get a screw. One very burnt chap later and a massive H&S review he's still off work.
 
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