@batalto

that makes sense but it's a difficult balance between being cheap when the wind blows and expensive when it doesn't.  It's not a good look for any government when relatively wealthy people with heat pumps, batteries and EVs can get even wealthier while those without struggle. I don't know what the answer is though, other than "storage" but that's easier said than done. 

@kev-m I would imagine some grid level storage and maybe green hydrogen production which you can then use when the network needs the power. If the cost is free who cares about round trip efficiency. Just make the hydrogen wherever you can with the extra electricity, store and burn. You could make it all summer long with all the extra PV and wind and then run down over winter - as long as you had the storage

Posted by: @batalto

@kev-m I would imagine some grid level storage and maybe green hydrogen production which you can then use when the network needs the power. If the cost is free who cares about round trip efficiency. Just make the hydrogen wherever you can with the extra electricity, store and burn. You could make it all summer long with all the extra PV and wind and then run down over winter - as long as you had the storage

I was reading an article several days ago, where it was stating that two wind farm operators based in Scotland, had been paid to not generate approximately 50% of their possible output, because the grid infrastructure could not handle that amount of power. 🙄 

This of course is a product of the inadequate forward planning and total lack of joined up thinking by the powers that be. 😡

A little bit of forethought would have said, do we spend millions of pounds installing high voltage DC undersea cables from Scotland to northern England, to get this power to the consumers, or do we use the excess capacity to produce Hydrogen gas which can be stored and used for power generation when the wind is not blowing.

Why was excess generating capacity, no doubt subsidised by the consumer/tax payer, allowed to be installed in the wrong place, in the first place? 🙄 

Posted by: @derek-m

Posted by: @batalto

@kev-m I would imagine some grid level storage and maybe green hydrogen production which you can then use when the network needs the power. If the cost is free who cares about round trip efficiency. Just make the hydrogen wherever you can with the extra electricity, store and burn. You could make it all summer long with all the extra PV and wind and then run down over winter - as long as you had the storage

I was reading an article several days ago, where it was stating that two wind farm operators based in Scotland, had been paid to not generate approximately 50% of their possible output, because the grid infrastructure could not handle that amount of power. 🙄 

This of course is a product of the inadequate forward planning and total lack of joined up thinking by the powers that be. 😡

A little bit of forethought would have said, do we spend millions of pounds installing high voltage DC undersea cables from Scotland to northern England, to get this power to the consumers, or do we use the excess capacity to produce Hydrogen gas which can be stored and used for power generation when the wind is not blowing.

Why was excess generating capacity, no doubt subsidised by the consumer/tax payer, allowed to be installed in the wrong place, in the first place? 🙄 

This is very much a chicken and egg scenario, which comes first the energy or the storage? Plans in the pipeline 800mwh battery storage 2024 and new pump storage at Coire Glas, Loch Ness and Glenmuckloch. The issues are;

In addition, they cannot bid to sell electricity through the UK government's Contracts for Difference auction system, which offers 15-year long contracts." (

BBC.COM "https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-57510870)"

 

The costs can be easily recovered from the wind farm £24.5 million costs to not produce. So maybe the government should subsidise building based on cost savings from wind generation. As mentioned previously the UK grid system is broken and this appears to be a feature of delayed storage solutions.

The UK spot price and futures pricing for gas has been going down since the insane prices in December. Big jump after the Ukraine invasion last night. Still much less than the over 400 price we had in December so far at least. 

A private members bill has just been introduced into parliament. 

@jeff I am glad now, that I took the 26p/kw fix price for a year, even if it seems crazy high after losing my 12p/kw price with Symbio.

Posted by: @andris

@jeff I am glad now, that I took the 26p/kw fix price for a year, even if it seems crazy high after losing my 12p/kw price with Symbio.

Price cap going up from £1971 to £3238 for an average home a possibility?

BBC.CO.UK "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60506940"

Ukraine crisis: Warning UK energy bills could top £3,000 a year - BBC News

The conflict in Ukraine could push the energy price cap to £3,238 a year from October, a report warns.

@Jeff, that is plain crazy. Wow. There are so many people that aren't going to be able to afford that.

Very little wind for the last few days. 0.7% of energy from wind currently. 

Current and futures pricing has settled down a lot for UK gas. Back down to pre ukraine for todays gas. 

The good weather, Norway outages back online, plenty of liquid gas shipments and more gas now flowing through ukraine again. 

@Jeff, that's good news. It'll be interesting to see what happens over the summer, and whether October will lead to positive news when the tariff cap is revisited.

I'm still subscribed to the weekly local oil club newsletter and I see that kerosene went up again this week.