Renewables Now Britain's Main Source of Power

[Thirsty Lizard 3,215]

For the first three months of this year renewables were by far and away Britain's biggest source of power generation. Seriously good news at a time when we all need some.

https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4013704/significant-milestone-renewables-britain-main-power-source

[TeemuVanBasten 3,328]

Did it require most retail shops, most offices and loads of factories to close for half a quarter to achieve that? 

How is this good news? We should lockdown permanently to benefit the environment? I mean that has some merit, but why celebrate something so obviously temporary and accidental? 

Edited April 8, 2020 by TeemuVanBasten

[Thirsty Lizard 3,215]

No - it didn't - because as I'm sure you're aware most shops and businesses etc only actually closed at the end of the first week of March - renewables were already the biggest source of power prior to that because of the high wind speeds in January and February. 

[Thirsty Lizard 3,215]

9 hours ago, TeemuVanBasten said:

Did it require most retail shops, most offices and loads of factories to close for half a quarter to achieve that? 

How is this good news? We should lockdown permanently to benefit the environment? I mean that has some merit, but why celebrate something so obviously temporary and accidental? 

The reason it's good news is because man made climate change it the biggest long term existential threat to humanity that there is. The fact that renewables are so effective and are now also cheaper than fossil fuels gives us great hope that we can defeat this long term threat. 

Edited April 8, 2020 by Thirsty Lizard

[ricardo 8,034]

1 minute ago, Thirsty Lizard said:

No - it didn't - because as I'm sure you're aware most shops and businesses etc only actually closed at the end of the first week of March - renewables were already the biggest source of power prior to that because of the high wind speeds in January and February. 

Not something that can be relied upon with any level of confidence then.

Massive battery storage might help but we are still technically some way off that as a solution.

[Thirsty Lizard 3,215]

3 minutes ago, ricardo said:

Not something that can be relied upon with any level of confidence then.

Massive battery storage might help but we are still technically some way off that as a solution.

Britain's peak power demand is in the winter months Ricardo - the fact that renewables was generating by far and away the biggest portion of Britain's power demand during those winter months is a great thing. Now that we are into spring, solar power (which generates little in the winter) is ramping up as a source of renewable power too. 🙂 

[lake district canary 4,830]

I agree it's encouraging news.  Renewables are the future and the potential for finding new ways of generating power renewably is huge, whether it's from wind power, solar power, electonic grids in roads and pavemements that pick up the movement, to things that haven't been thought of yet. 

So the percentage is only going to carry on going up and quite rightly so.  It would be brilliant if one of the positives from this situation could be that pollution is reduced not just at this time, but permanently.  The earth has been given a respite from human excess and has almost immediately shown signs of recovery from air quality and sea and river water quality too.  Renewables are a key component of this and ramping them up and removing fossil fuel completely, will help reduce pollution still further.

 

[Thirsty Lizard 3,215]

7 minutes ago, ricardo said:

Not something that can be relied upon with any level of confidence then.

Massive battery storage might help but we are still technically some way off that as a solution.

Yesterday's thinking that it has to be battery storage Ricardo. There are a range of other energy storage solutions that are being developed (as well as improved battery technology). The pace of technological change in this area is eye-watering. It was only 10 years ago that offshore wind power was derided as being far too expensive - now banks, investors, pension funds and even oil majors are falling over themselves to invest in it. 

[Van wink 2,994]

Good news Thirsty 👍

[Ian 1,211]

36 minutes ago, Thirsty Lizard said:

For the first three months of this year renewables were by far and away Britain's biggest source of power generation. Seriously good news at a time when we all need some.

https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4013704/significant-milestone-renewables-britain-main-power-source

What's the actual breakdown please - how much of this is from biomass?

[wcorkcanary 4,784]

26 minutes ago, TeemuVanBasten said:

Did it require most retail shops, most offices and loads of factories to close for half a quarter to achieve that? 

How is this good news? We should lockdown permanently to benefit the environment? I mean that has some merit, but why celebrate something so obviously temporary and accidental? 

Still sniping?  Oh yah!! Every silver lining has its cloud. Try going back to bed and then get out on the right side. 

I'm reasonably certain that the development of renewables wasnt accidental...or temporary.  

I will now leave further rebuttals  to those that know .

Edited April 8, 2020 by wcorkcanary

[TeemuVanBasten 3,328]

3 minutes ago, wcorkcanary said:

Still sniping?  Oh yah!! Every silver lining has its cloud. Try going back to bed and then get out on the right side. 

I'm reasonably certain that the development of renewables wasnt accidental...or temporary.  

I will now leave further rebuttals  to those that know .

Try actually reading the article, where it acknowledges that the lockdown is a major factor. 

[wcorkcanary 4,784]

1 minute ago, TeemuVanBasten said:

Try actually reading the article, where it acknowledges that the lockdown is a major factor. 

Try blocking me again.  Please.  Of course it was a factor.  Though the fact that we actually  have renewables is a bigger one.   

Every time you try and pick an argument with someone you amuse me even more. Keep it up , if you can. 😉👍😂

[Thirsty Lizard 3,215]

6 minutes ago, TeemuVanBasten said:

Try actually reading the article, where it acknowledges that the lockdown is a major factor. 

For those who can't be bothered to keep up with TVB's relentless negative spin, nowhere in the article does it say that the reduction in demand in March was 'a major factor'. It actually says that demand dropped by between 10 and 15% due to the lockdown. 

[Thirsty Lizard 3,215]

33 minutes ago, Ian said:

What's the actual breakdown please - how much of this is from biomass?

They haven't put the report for Q1 2020 on their website yet Ian. The report for Q4 2019 shows wind generating 63% of renewable power - biomass 27%, hydropower 7% and solar 4%. 

Link here if you want to plough through it.

https://b74bc22f-390f-4347-ba45-b13ad13072ee.filesusr.com/ugd/504f4c_1c52f7db4a074e5b9e815bd43b769ba6.pdf?index=true

Edited April 8, 2020 by Thirsty Lizard

[TeemuVanBasten 3,328]

18 minutes ago, Thirsty Lizard said:

 It actually says that demand dropped by between 10 and 15% due to the lockdown. 

Which resulted in renewables having a greater share of the grid mix. 

 

[Thirsty Lizard 3,215]

7 minutes ago, TeemuVanBasten said:

Which resulted in renewables having a greater share of the grid mix. 

 

Yes! That's a good thing! 

[wcorkcanary 4,784]

3 minutes ago, Thirsty Lizard said:

Yes! That's a good thing! 

Not in TvBWorld it isn't.  Has Webber had a hand in this renewables hoodwinking then?

[Mr Apples 1,407]

Recent article re: renewables battery storage proposed by ScottishPower.

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18359195.scotland-leads-charge-towards-new-ion-age/

Apples

 

[Surfer 1,547]

And 10% of the renewables being hot air from Downing Street.

[wcorkcanary 4,784]

23 minutes ago, Surfer said:

And 10% of the renewables being hot air from Downing Street.

Recently renewed in the general election. 

[Thirsty Lizard 3,215]

1 hour ago, Mr Apples said:

Recent article re: renewables battery storage proposed by ScottishPower.

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18359195.scotland-leads-charge-towards-new-ion-age/

Apples

 

Lithium ion batteries already getting old hat Mr Apples......

https://www.rechargenews.com/transition/vanadium-flow-battery-giant-to-go-head-to-head-with-li-ion-kings/2-1-789769

[keelansgrandad 6,680]

Did anyone watch the programme about making a Cornish Pasty in the Ginsters  factory at Liskeard last evening?

At the end of the programme they went to a renewables site. This one uses waste food. And it pointed out that just the waste from 2 pasties plus a half of one would produce enough energy to boil a kettle for a cuppa.

They had numerous lorries arriving everyday loaded to the gunwales with waste food. The packaging is removed and sent to another plant which specialises in retrieving energy from that.

It is heartening that so many individuals and now companies are devising ways of gaining energy. Just our own compost creates heat and we really do need someone to show us individuals how to save energy rather than relying on companies to do it for us.

[Mr Angry 2,016]

6 hours ago, wcorkcanary said:

Try blocking me again.  Please.  Of course it was a factor.  Though the fact that we actually  have renewables is a bigger one.   

Every time you try and pick an argument with someone you amuse me even more. Keep it up , if you can. 😉👍😂

If you block someone, can they tell that you’ve blocked them? Just asking for a friend 😉

[Creative Midfielder 2,203]

8 hours ago, ricardo said:

Not something that can be relied upon with any level of confidence then.

Massive battery storage might help but we are still technically some way off that as a solution.

Yes, actually it can - higher wind speeds than average in the first couple of months of the year gave renewables an extra boost in this quarter but the premise that renewables without battery storage cannot be relied on at all for base load was totally debunked quite some time ago.

Batteries already have a part to play and that will continue but I think 'massive' battery storage will be quite rare. Renewable generaton is by its very nature distributed rather than centralised in the traditional power station model. Think of batteries in the same way, they will be in our homes, our cars etc etc. The intelligent grid of the future (if the government ever pulls its head out of the sand) won't look anything like the national grid that we've known all our lives, and thank heavens for that.

[Daz Sparks 1,558]

10 hours ago, Mr Angry said:

If you block someone, can they tell that you’ve blocked them? Just asking for a friend 😉

Yes, Indeed you can.

[Bill 1,788]

One of the two factors behind the push of renewables was the previous rising price of oil, and a belief that it would continue to rise. Whatever the cost is now renewables have got a foothold, so to speak, and have enjoyed the benefit of investment that has brought the cost down.

The other factor on a national level is security of energy supply. The UK is heavily reliant upon imported LNG, with ovet a third of it's energy needs imported. A major disruption would play havoc with the economy. Baring giant wind blocks or sun screens the UK is pretty much in control of it's renewable energy, which also smooths out any cost fluctuation (as in 1974).

Whilst it is certainly in the interests of us all (even loony righties) to have cleaner energy I suspect that is not the driving force of producers. But as someone who is not the least offended by the offshore wind turbines off Sheringham I can only hope the movement towards more renewables continues - and a more concerted effort to stop wasting so much of what we do produce.

[Van wink 2,994]

14 hours ago, keelansgrandad said:

Did anyone watch the programme about making a Cornish Pasty in the Ginsters  factory at Liskeard last evening?

At the end of the programme they went to a renewables site. This one uses waste food. And it pointed out that just the waste from 2 pasties plus a half of one would produce enough energy to boil a kettle for a cuppa.

 

Thing is KG if I ate 2.5 Cornish pasties it would keep me going for a couple of days and I would still produce enough methane to boil a kettle, win win mate😀

And what with all that radon down there you could be glowing and lighting your own way. Triple win.

Edited April 9, 2020 by Van wink

[wcorkcanary 4,784]

12 hours ago, Mr Angry said:

If you block someone, can they tell that you’ve blocked them? Just asking for a friend 😉

TvB made a very big and loud deal of blocking me a few months back, funnily enough , the courage of his conviction deserted him and he unblocked me. Maybe he realised that if you throw all your toys out of the pram.....you have no toys left to play with. Slow learner, I reckon.  In answer to your question,  I dont think so, but a lack of answers to direct questions may hint at such.

[Crafty Canary 547]

Unfortunately as the UK’s contribution to global CO2 emissions is just over 1% of the total achieving zero emissions is going to make very little difference to the impact of climate change.