OT: "All up: No reserves"

[Andy Burns]

More wind expected?

[The Natural Philosopher]

The weather forecast changes. Warm wet and windy adds wind power and reduces demand.

[Tim Watts]

Ah - so probably just that then?

I suppose it is equally at risk of going the other way, the weather being what it is.

Do you know if their contingency generation (the stuff they paid £123million for) is factored into the surplus calculation? Or is it kept in a dark room as truly emergency fallback?

[The Natural Philosopher]

Its factored in. Well sort of. I think the margin is what is available before any 'emergency measures' are put in place, which can range from asking customers on cheap tariffs to switch off, all the way up to asking anyone with a genny to fire it up to keep the grid going, and then the rolling blackouts.

There are two separate margin figures so maybe one is the 'before emergency measures' and the other is after...

[Tim Watts]

Thank you - that's most interesting :)

I was wondering why there were 2 lines that were similar...

[The Natural Philosopher]

To be honest I don't actually know. IITRC 'The Other Mike' is the ex-CEGB person who might know.

[Martin Brown]

BTW Frequency down at 49.95Hz and CCGT pegged to the end stop at 25.14GW on a 25GW scale (actually it seems to be reading a bit low).

12.30 6/12/16

I expect they are praying for deliverance on Wednesday when the mild weather returns.

[Tim Streater]

At least the French nukes will be coming back on line, according to th eTimes today.

[Andy Burns]

And they'd got money to piss away on "solar roadways" which even the PV industry is against as they know it'll end-up as bad rep for solar.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Thought nukes worked 24/7? Isn't that the whole point in them?

[Tim Streater]

They do, Dave. But occasionally they, like any piece of kit, need to be inspected.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Right. In the middle of a cold snap. What was that about wind power not working when needed?

[Tim Streater]

It might not be cold in France, for all I know. There was some business about unexpected amounts of carbon in some steel components which they have been looking into. I think they're testing at a dozen or so sites and seven have now had the all-clear.

Note that now, unlike wind, they'll be back producing the amount of power that it says on the tin.

And why are you getting so het up about it for anyway? Someone put termites in your porridge?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Just enjoying a laugh at your expense.

[Andrew]

Not in France they don't.

Volts down to 225 in Sussex. Always used to be 242, then about 5 years ago it *suddenly* dropped to exactly 230 V.

Not a problem, and the Woolworths 60 watt 240V bulb that the previous owners left in the bathroom (in 1991) is still working. All I need to do is wipe off the dust occasionally.

I see Drax have bought Opus energy who seem to have alot of business customers and their own OCGT units

[bert]

In article , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

Another of his inane comments.

[Tim Streater]

So someone puts termites in your porridge every day.

[e-mail]

Appropriately named.

[John]

Not when being checked or when being refuelled.

That is a very simplistic view of how nukes operate.

[bert]

In article , John writes

Well you have to keep it simple for our Dave. Even then he struggles.

[Dave Liquorice]

You should have looked Monday 5th mid morning, demand 49.? GW. Both coal and CCGT hitting their ceilings (I've seen coal just over 9 GW and CCGT at 26.1 GW), bugger all wind, both pumped and hydro pumped running at 1 GW, most, if not all, the interconnects importing...

The wind had picked up a bit on the 6th and you could see the CCGT fall away from the ceiling as it did so.

It wasn't particulary cold on Monday or Tuesday... If we do get a decent winter I can se the 6 or 7 GW of SBR they have being called on quite a bit.