Will Jones – The Daily Sceptic June 13, 2023
Britain has started burning coal to generate electricity for the first time in a month and a half, after the heatwave made solar panels too hot to work efficiently. The Telegraph has the story.
One unit at Uniper’s Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal power plant in Nottinghamshire started producing electricity for the first time in weeks on Monday morning, while another coal-powered plant was warmed up in case it was needed by the early afternoon.
The National Grid turned to coal to generate electricity as a rush to turn on air conditioning and fans across the country during the heatwave led to a spike in demand.
High temperatures over the weekend also reduced the amount of energy generated from solar panels. Output on Sunday was almost a third lower than a week earlier, despite temperatures climbing above 30 degrees Celsius across large parts of the country.
Solar panels are tested at a benchmark of 25°C. For every degree rise in temperature above this level, the efficiency is reduced by 0.5 percentage points.
The temperature level refers to the solar cell temperature, rather than the air temperature. In direct sunlight, the cells can easily reach 60 or 70 degrees.
Alastair Buckley, professor of organic electronics at the University of Sheffield, said: “Both days were largely sunny in the morning, so a good part of the reduction in output will be due to the efficiency reduction from higher temperatures on Saturday compared to Friday.
“Compared with a cool cloudy day, the cells might be a maximum of 25% less efficient.”
Supply was also lower because of depressed wind speeds, which hit turbine output, and some gas power plants being shut for maintenance.
Worth reading in full.
It’s reminiscent of how wind turbines have to be shut down when it’s too windy. In our renewables future, it seems only Goldilocks will have power.
To add to the absurdity, Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station was due to be shut last year and is now scheduled to be closed next year.
And what will we do then?
I’m not sure they’ve thought this through.
Air-conditioning? When it was hot last year I used a cold-water bottle a few nights, three litres of water at about 10 degrees, maybe 15
The Lesbian & Homo sections of the armed forces, Have warned, They are about to embark on a policy of assassinations, within the forces, against the trans & gender fluid groups within the collective, They claim it weakens the integrity of the Force.
Our reporter can confirm, that 95% of the public support this proposal, the other 25% suggest a deal can be made.
Of course I made it up.
But no headline in ANY media outlet should surprise us anymore.
The world is literally falling off a cliff edge,
Well not so much literally, But I suppose that will comfort some of the flat earthers.
I’ve been in Scotland for nearly two weeks in my campervan. Okay, the weather has been good, and way too hot, as I went with the idea of escaping the heat.
I’ve been off grid the entire time. Big solar panel, and a biggish battery, and I’ve not needed to plug in anywhere. Yesterday my panel took in 1.29kw.
The point is, most of the appliances in your home are actually 12v, but they set them up so you need mains power. A good electrician could set them up to run on 12v.
Our homes are corporate temples of slavery and profit. While solar it’s the answer here in the UK, it’s something to be looked at. A few decent panels, some batteries and a big inverter, and you could be saving big money within years.
Ayup..Open up’th mines our Abdul its too ‘ot for’t solar panels….
Dear dear… what imbeciles..
HAPPY COMING INDUSTRY + ENERGY BREAKDOWN
WITH MILLION MORE INVADERS TO FEED !