Sorry, didn’t get the distinction. It is axiomatic the charges are based on modelling of the future because the charges are set before the electricity is sold. My bad.
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Not your bad…just it can be a bit of a quagmire to understand looking from the outside in. Having a number years in networking planning and I still don’t fully appreciate all the nuances or more recent changes to the network reliability standards (have been out of the industry of a number of years).
I think some of the excess energy could easily be in pumped storage hydro, rather than any battery bank (though in a way it is a “battery”). The excess generated over the day is used to pump water from a low point to a higher point, when the evening peak hits this higher storage is passed through generators to the low point. Repeated next day when the sun shines. Potable water supplies are not required for this storage, salty water, sea water are adequate to meet the need and can be re-used.
https://www.sandia.gov/ess-ssl/download/4887/ (pdf of ISSUE BRIEF
Energy Storage To Replace Peaker Plants)
" Pumped storage is by far the largest-capacity form of grid energy storage available, and, as of 2020, the United States Department of Energy Global Energy Storage Database reports that PSH accounts for around 95% of all active tracked storage installations worldwide"
Interconnection of the supply and use would still be required so that if one area didn’t get enough energy to recharge other sites would send power to meet demand, Wind power would add to the supply side and add another layer of added security of supply. There are of course other sources eg Tidal and geothermal.
The problem as I see it is that very little support has been given to the alternates and a concentration of support (political certainly) has been on fossil fuels including sequestration of carbon produced.
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Not to mention dispatchable solar and wind generation?
One of the down sides of conventional generation is it needs a steady load. It does not respond well to loads rapidly changing, increasing or dropping suddenly. All thermal processes are slow to respond to changes in inputs.
One of the simplicities of distributed solar PV or wind when they are available is the power taken can be quickly increased or decreased within the maximum generation available at the time of day. Changes in maximum power available are gradual. Clouds don’t suddenly appear nor the wind over a large area sudden stop blowing.
Solar and wind require storage systems for support.
Thermal (coal, nuclear, combined cycle gas) require over providing through excess capacity on line (spinning reserve) and backup through hydro or pumped storage held back, and direct gas turbine or fast start diesel support.
Neither are perfect. Solutions based on conventional thermal generation or low carbon solar, hydro, wind all require spare generating capacity on line and backup strategies for when peak demands or failures occur.
The idea promoted by some that wind and solar is not dispatchable defies how the NEM purchases energy.
P.S
UK 12 months Q3 2019 - Q2 2020
Gas generation 35%
Wind & solar 27%
Nuclear 15%
Bio energy 10%
Interconnect 6% net difference export vs import
Coal 2%
Hydro 2%
Note: Pumped storage has a small net loss.
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Yes I forgot to say some are at 60% ie: Denmark but the UK is going to go to a huge Increase reliance on Windpower which will make it the Dominate source of power and its making its grid smarter by doing so. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONp8dismI-Q And as Norway has 96% Hydro and somewhere between 40 to 60% of New car sales being Electric they seem to be coping well. And Denmark on some days produces enough renewable power to export it to Germany. A mixture of Fossil Fuels and Renewables is todays reality but building more renewables in a smart way will make for a cleaner and cheaper source of electricity.
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UK 38% Renewables and growing around 6% each year. Sources from Overseas also see less reliance on Fossil Fuels as they too change to Renewable Energy. Denmark has produced 110% of its needs on some days from Wind alone and exported the excess. Norway as you agree is 96% Renewables and yes mostly from Hydro (my mistake ) . So my assertion the trend is going to Renewables and countries other than Coal/Gas Australia (Land of Wind and Solar) can easily go far higher with renewables and have dispatchable power though Faster Battery Responses Tesla/Vanadium Redox (Started in Australia in the 1980’s). Hydro Storage, Nitrogen and Hydrogen Storage. The Baseload myth has long been busted and having interconnected EV’s will stabilise the 50Hz Grid than getting someone to fire up a coal plant.
It’s reassuring to see reports of increasing electricity generation from renewables. Australia is lagging. It’s not just about replacing current generation with renewables. The quoted figures are only one part of the story. The UK and others are a very long way from truely running the nation on 100% renewables.
How come?
Electricity currently meets only a portion of a nations current energy needs and causes only a portion of all Green House Gas emissions. Do we need to now look and report progress against meeting all energy needs from renewables?
On that basis the UK and Denmark are not really at 38% and 110% renewables. It’s only true when qualified for current demand for electricity.
The 2021 Australian Energy Statistics for electricity generation shows that 24 per cent of Australia’s electricity came from renewable energy last year, up from 21 per cent in 2019.
The majority of Australia’s current energy needs are not met by electrical generation. They also require direct use of fossil fuels including petroleum products, natural gas and coal (a portion is not used locally for grid generation).
For anyone curious about the full picture in the UK the following report reveals the UK is also heavily dependant on fossil fuels for industry, heating and transport. There are tables that summarise renewable electrical generation as a percentage of total by fuel source. Coal imports and petroleum imports/production as well as gas production are also summarised.
Note for the bigger picture:
One could alternately report the UK has achieved approx 13% renewables and Australia approx 8% in 2020. That’s if we measure progress of renewables towards meeting all energy needs of a nation. I’ve assumed a 1/3 contribution of electricity towards meeting current energy needs.
To meet future low carbon targets, the IEA has recently suggested renewable energy capacity will need to be expand significantly, several times greater than current electrical generating capacity. The exact numbers depend on assumed forecast future national growth rates, economic outlooks and patterns for energy demand.
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So the UK has Mandated no Fossil Fuel Vehicles by 2030 and if you watch Fully Charged Youtube video where they Interview the person getting the UK towards 100% renewables by …2030. Its says its doable. Norway the Land of Oil exports but its Mineral/Fossil Fuel lobby doesn’t sack its PMs every time they set targets or a Policy is heading towards the Majority of Vehicles sold New being Electric. The Internet should be used by Governments to find Solutions that are available now. And 2030 is looking to be the year we all should aiming for in getting to 100% Renewables. Hydrogen used in making steel, Nitrogen Salt Hydrogen Hydro Geo Thermal Battery Wave/Tidal Solar Wind all can be used for producing electricity storing it and distributing it. 100% of Manufacturing may not be obtainable but they are trying to get there. EVs like the Nissan Leaf are over 90% recyclable as are others. It should be treated like a War against pollution and have a similar manufacturing spurt to clean up our act.
Technology can be funny. What is old can be new again when the need catches up to it.
Not suitable for home or portable use but looks applicable to large scale regional solar storage farms currently ‘owned’ by Tesla Powerwalls. Another Aussie invention before its time, passed around beyond patent expiration, and here it might be coming.
Flow batteries as noted in the article can be produced using different chemistries.
An Aussie Redflow is on its third iteration using zinc bromine. Nominal 10kWh per pack, manufactured in Thailand. Marketing includes a 200kWh pod, suggesting other than the average household as prospective customers.
The previous design was marketed to industry and for home storage as the Zcell. Testing in the Canberra Battery Test Centre included one in the stage 2 product selection. Funding for the Centre ceased and it was shut down last year.
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