Energy Matters Global and Domestic

[Peter.N.]

Nothing like hands on experience. I like Harry's farm more than the car programme, we live in the middle of a farm but I have learnt more about real farming from Harry than anyone else.

Our neighbors farm has 50kw worth of panels put in about the same time as we had ours, they had to fit a new 11kv transformer as the old one wasn't big enough, the new people have put in even more, I don't know if it will accommodate the extra panels, if not we shall have another power cut while they change it. We are right on the end of the line with our own transformer and 245 volts!

Peter.

[mickthemaverick]

I would do the downlighters but can't face scrabbling about in the attic and replacing all the transformers with mains wiring.
Although I could do as I have done elsewhere and use redundant laptop power supplies.

Very rarely use the sitting room anyway. Shame as the best stereo is in there, but again, that puts a strain on the substation when it is on.

Hope your sparky can locate the fault. Quite worrying.

No need to touch the wiring Steve as the replacement 12V LEDs go straight in from the front like a normal bulb change.

Further to my post earlier my MR16 LED lamps arrived at the weekend and I fitted them in the bathroom. All work brilliantly in terms of daylight but they all exhibited a slight shimmer. I traced that down to the transformers which were installed for the halogen bulbs that preceded them. I ordered 6 LED drivers to replace them and they arrived this morning. Unfortunately 2 of the 6 are faulty so I now have 4 proper working lights, 1 still shimmering and 1 not working at all as I cut the old transformer out of circuit before discovering its replacement was faulty. I found the first faulty one while changing number 3 so by the time I got to number 5 I only had 1 left to install which is why number 6 is still working with the shimmer!!

The old ones cut out to maximise wiring length to fit the new ones to and the 2 faulty ones!!

[Paul-R]

Why would he want to generate wind?

[myglaren]

California to phase out gas furnaces, water heaters by 2030

It'll reduce emissions a bunch, but stress the grid even more

The Reg

[NewcastleFalcon]

Not Home Solar. but Distillery Solar.

Increasingly businesses aren't just going to hang around and wait to be hit full on by the machinations of the energy market and ditto new schools/new houses/new hospitals etc etc

Nissan have been doing it for 15 years now at Sunderland with their on-site wind farm and solar installation, (viewtopic.php?p=730604#p730604) and Tesla wouldn't dream of building a gigafactory without solar.

Ad Gefrin

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Hawaii surely has it all to be 100% in clean energy. They must have geothermal and solar coming out of their ears, if they got their act together tremendous wave power, and wind.

In the news today
https://electrek.co/2022/09/28/tesla-me ... qus_thread

The last shipment of coal has arrived to fuel the last coal fired powerstation, for the last time before it is shut down. Simultaneously arrive more TESLA megapacks for the Kapolei Energy Storage facility (KES) will become one of the largest battery systems in the world with a capacity of 185 megawatts/?565 megawatt-hours. It is a project in partnership with Plus Power and Hawaiian Electric – the former decided to use Tesla Megapacks to power the system. Hugely expensive per piece, but TESLA don't seem to have any trouble selling them and they have created a product that is in demand worldwide.

In the 100% renewable energy quest according to one of the commenters...

HECO (Hawaiian Electric Company) insists on having "firm" renewable energy, by which they mean maintaining forests to burn in steam power plants -- think chainsaws, big trucks on the road all the time, smoke, particulates, .... Better than coal shipped across the ocean, of course, but...There is a big difference between "renewable" and "non-polluting"

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Ørsted and the CO₂ Battery

Ørsted background
Ørsted, as of January 2022, are the world's largest developer of offshore wind power by amount of built offshore wind farms. Ørsted has developed approximately 30% of the global offshore wind power installed capacity. Ørsted is listed at the Nasdaq Copenhagen stock exchange. The Danish Government holds the majority of Ørsted shares (50.1%). According to a political agreement, the Danish Government shall maintain a majority in the company until 2025. Reduction of the ownership below 50% requires political agreement of Danish parties.

CO₂ Battery Partnership
Italian startup Energy Dome, announced yesterday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Danish wind giant Ørsted. Together, they will run a feasibility study on the deployment of a 20 megawatt (MW)/200 MWh energy storage facility using Energy Dome’s CO₂ Battery technology at one or more Ørsted sites.

The partnership’s aim is to use long-duration energy storage to provide baseload renewable energy to Ørsted’s end-use customers in order to provide grid stability. The feasibility study will dispatch renewable energy over periods of 10 hours or longer. It's another storage possibility, but it would be a bit strange if Carbon Dioxide "Batteries" provided the solution to renewable energy's storage problem.

Kieran White, VP Europe Onshore at Ørsted, said:

We consider the CO₂ Battery solution to be a really promising alternative for long-duration energy storage. This technology could potentially help us decarbonize electrical grids by making renewable energy dispatchable.

The article has some info on what a CO₂ battery is and how a CO₂ Battery works, no doubt there will be a youtube vid somewhere too. If it has caught the attention of Ørsted, maybe there is something in it.

2 minute quick read

https://electrek.co/2022/09/28/maker-of ... ry%20works

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

On the ball as ever, looks like reading the Energy Matters Global and Domestic Page 80/81 (viewtopic.php?p=730078#p730078) has caused a frenzy of electric blanket shopping at ARGOS...across the entire country. Cambridgeshire has run out

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/whats- ... 25%20Argos

Regards Neil

[Peter.N.]

Largely due to this forum I'm sure.

Peter

[NewcastleFalcon]

While the current research in the sustainable energy generation and storage is commendable, I cannot stop thinking that more funding and effort should be directed at the general public reducing their demand for energy. The measures we have implemented in Maverick Manor have reduced our energy requirement by 40-50% without impinging on our lifestyle at all. Encouragement for all households to make similar adjustments would make a significant reduction in the overall load on the grid and thereby ease the situation.

The next stage in our drive for reduced energy demand may involve some sacrifices which will be motivated by cost saving rather than environmental concerns but the effect would be the same. People need to take a close look at their energy demand and decide how much is actually necessary and of that how much can be done more efficiently like our reduction of total lighting wattage from 1596 to 176!!

Let's look at the evidence so far, Chez Falcon



Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Sneakily borrowing Neil's format here are the results for the month ending 19th September in Maverick Manor. We have implemented some but not all of our light changes and implemented the gas kettle partway during this period so next month's comparison will be more meaningful.

Own creation from Neil's template

[NewcastleFalcon]

Sneakily borrowing Neil's format here are the results for the month ending 19th September in Maverick Manor. We have implemented some but not all of our light changes and implemented the gas kettle partway during this period so next month's comparison will be more meaningful.

Crikey Mick, are your meters working

Maybe we have a gas Leak, or our meter is reading too high!

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Crikey Mick, are your meters working

Maybe we have a gas Leak, or our meter is reading too high!

Reagrds Neil

I think it is mainly due to our almost none use of gas in the summer period as we hardly cook at home at all and obviously the heating and gas fire are inactive. Even our hotwater usage is minimal as I always wash and shave in cold water and SWMBO's daily bath is not much more than a puddle in the bottom of the bath. There is also the possibility of error in conversion as I used a web based converter to convert my cubic ft readings of 5 and 3 to kWh! Next month's figures will be more representative as the heating is now on and we have completed implementing changes to the way we do things.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Our Gas Meter is 2005 Vintage so records Cubic Metres.

Tonight its 44,030 and 44022 on 30th Sept. 8 Cubic Metres

Cubic metres (m3) used x calorific value (say 40.0) x Correction factor (1.02264) ÷ kWh conversion factor (3.6) = kWh

(8x40x1.02264)/3.6=90kWh for 4 days.

That on miserly use, no heating, showering hot water, but gas used for cooking maybe 1 hour/day seems excessive.

Maybe it's time for a new meter.

Regards Neil

[bobins]

A slightly contradictory article on the BBC website (quelle surprise !) about possible power cuts this winter.
Anyone with a BEV who empties their tanks on a daily basis might want to consider filling a few jerry cans with electrons in the next month or so 'just in case'

UK at significant risk of gas shortages this winter, warns energy regulator

"The UK is facing "a significant risk" of gas shortages this winter, according to the industry regulator, which could impact electricity supplies.
Ofgem said due to Russia's war with Ukraine, there is a possibility the UK could enter a "gas supply emergency".
This would lead to supplies being cut to power stations which use gas to generate the country's electricity.
Gas-fired power stations generate between 40% and 60% of the UK's electricity.......

......Asked about the risk of blackouts this winter, Ofgem told the BBC: "This winter is likely to be more challenging than previous ones due to the Russian disruption of gas supplies to Europe."
But it said: "Britain is in a good position with little direct import of gas from Russia."
etc, etc."

More at the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63118574