Energy subsidies should focus on storage and cutting demand, MPs say

In message , Chris Hogg writes

I read the whole article as being a not too subtle push to sanitise and prepare for smart meters as a means of controlling domestic electricity use, as has come in in some parts of the USA AIUI.

Not sure I understand how this is compatible with cloud based technology in the home and industry unless there's a massive upgrade programme put in place.

I have been telling you this for years.

I read it as getting commercial customers to sign up for having their supply interrupted

This is much easier to do.

Stopping/reducing the supply for a few hours to one factory could give you the same saving as 10,000 houses

getting 10,000 houses signed up isn't going to happen any time in then next

They already have some commercial customers in the scheme.

tim

In message , tim... writes

The latest invention will allow messages to be sent on the electricity grid. These will be interpreted by a special plug on your hot water tank to heat water when energy is cheap in early afternoon, and avoid using peak power at tea time. "

and how many factories are running at full power without producing anything? Surely most switch off the lights already when they go home.

The article is full of contradictions - it says demand side management won't work, then it suggests demand side management.

Wifi hot water tanks ahoy?

First of all, replace my gas combi and install a hot water cylinder and immersion heater?

My tank is heated by oil.

Here, the only large electricity usage is for cooking. If they start suddenly turning the oven/hob/cooker off while SWMBO is preparing our scoff they'll get the sharp side of my tongue.

Re: Energy subsidies should focus on storage and cutting demand, MPs say

how does that make the govt's advisors anything but lost? I'm sure demand reduction will make sense in the future, and equally sure it makes no sense today.

I'm not sure they're government advisors, but MP's on the Energy and Climate Change Committee. But the comments do show just how woefully out of touch and unrealistic MP's are. "The committee said the government should redesign the capacity market to encourage energy storage, which ranges from lithium batteries to pumping water uphill and releasing it through turbines when power is needed." Don't they know that pumped storage in the UK has been looked at regularly over the last few decades, with much the same result - we don't have the topography. Calling for it to happen won't change that. As for lithium batteries - Samsung Galaxy Note 7 anyone?

If that sort of thing started happening meter bypassing would become commonplace.

Bill

Yo still don't get it do you? When electricity is scarce you will be charged more (maybe lots more), not cutoff.

It does. But complex and expensive to implement. Smart meters are the start. Smart appliances are the next thing.

They already have it in Germany. When there is lots of available power, they pay the consumer to consume.

The cost is why it doesn't make sense.

of a number of useless projects we will be coerced to pay for.

Germany, the country that buys into one lot of political nonsense after another.

NT

Has anyone done any maths?

Well, it is how I came to that conclusion. How else? Counting insects perhaps?

I'm not finding it, but I found this list fwiw...

Reduction to: 5mins 4hours

------------- ----- ------ Water heating 0 50% Space heating 0 50-66% Stored heating 0 50% kettle 50% - fridge 0 - washing machine 80% 50% Oven 50% 80-100% Lighting - - Sml appliances - - PCs - - TVs, stereos - - Shower - -

One could knock 50% off peak demand if wanted.

NT

god luck with the soufflé :-)

tim

Souffles are the one dish that do better with even heating than on-off cycl es of full power.

NT