Is The Electric Grid As We Know It Doomed??

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

A few weeks back the was a large convention of electric utilities engineers to discuss the grid as it is and the drop in annual revenue the utilities are now facing with customers installing grid tied solar/wind and many clients even dropping off the grid altogether.

Big problem this side of the pond is our grid is antiquated and needs upgrading big time.

The utilities problem is their annual profits are dropping due to the above, clients generating "green power"

I read a good paper by a Professor on his views about what is happening, he stated, "IHO", the grid is ancient history now, and will continually disintegrate with more and more people going solar/wind.

He sees the day, and not too far off, when the major grid system will be dismantled and localized "grids" of say several thousand people providing most of their own power backed up by smaller "green" "power stations" localized to these smaller grids.

As he states, just imagine whole neighbourhoods with 4-5Kw's of solar modules mounted on their roofs!

Department store and factory roofs covered in solar modules, school roofs covered in solar modules too.

Each installation will drive utilities profits down to where they cannot afford to maintain the grid infrastructure, something all of us will have to think about in the coming future, as governments continue to push green renewable energy.

[mick2me 3,033]

Maybe get all our utilities via the Internet soon?

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

I somehow don't think fibre optics can carry electricity..........LOL

[colly0410 1,181]

Read somewhere that if we could store electricity efficiently then the problem would be sort of solved. They suggested supper capacitors, giant accumulators, giant compressed air tanks, pumped water storage & thermal storage. Not sure what they meant by thermal storage, unless they mean a giant storage heater that makes steam to drive a turbine. Perhaps a combination of the above... Interesting subject John..

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Forget capacitors, they are only useful for storing energy for short periods of time, and cannot store large amounts of energy as in power for useful work.

Water energy has been used to store energy for decades, as in off peak generators being used to pump water to a high storage lake, then used as hydro power stations at peak times, I believe there's one or two of these type in Scotland.

The Professor was thinking small thermal stations to provide electricity during the dark hours, and during less windy days.

The man or woman who comes up with a viable cheap method of storing electricity will make a fortune, so far technology in that field eludes mankind.

I remember when I first started studying electronics at Tech, our teacher stated a 1 Farad capacitor would be 1 mile square with the dielectrics available, that was in the early 1960's.

Today 1 Farad capacitors are used as batteries for memory retention in PC's....

But to store huge amounts of power, capacitors are out of the question.

Nicola Tesla carried out many experiments and stated that he held the key to giving everyone on earth power for free or at the least, very very cheap electric power.

Problem was he kept most of his ideas in his head, when he died, his apartment was broken into and all his papers were seized by the government, so we will never know what he put on paper. I tend to believe he'd "cracked" the secrets of cheap power, but the likes of George Westinghouse etc wouldn't like their profits dried up.

[alisoncc 379]

As he states, just imagine whole neighbourhoods with 4-5Kw's of solar modules mounted on their roofs!

Still need to store the 'lecky. Solar isn't the best when the sun goes out. Probably the same reason that solar powered torches never took off.

[BulwellBrian 107]

Water energy has been used to store energy for decades, as in off peak generators being used to pump water to a high storage lake, then used as hydro power stations at peak times, I believe there's one or two of these type in Scotland.

According to a Government list there are four pumped storage power stations in the UK:-

Dinorwig 1728MW & Ffestiniog 360MW both in North Wales and Foyes 300MW & Cruachan 400MW in Scotland.

I understand that planning permission has been given for a further one in North Wales of 100MW.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Still need to store the 'lecky. Solar isn't the best when the sun goes out. Probably the same reason that solar powered torches never took off.

That's where a local small power station comes into play, and localised wind power. As the Prof say's, looks like the grid as we know it is doomed.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

I thought I recalled the Scottish one Brian, I had visions of Welsh ones but wasn't certain enough to include them...

I think Norway and Sweden have several.

[loppylugs 8,429]

Wish somebody at Georgia power would read this thread. They are in the process of building two more nuke reactors. Running into more cost overruns and various issues then the so and so's are allowed to charge us a %age upfront called nuclear cost recovery fee on our bills. Most businesses in my experience expand out of profits already earned not by charging customers for some thing not even working yet, which may never work.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Another good reason to stick it to them Dave, get a grid tied solar system, you can get tax credits if you wish for installation, then depending on your state legislation, either get paid for what the system uses or credited annually against what your electricity charges are...You could end up paying nothing for electricity!!

We are credited in Missouri, Nevada they get paid wholesale rates for power generated,, Each state mandates differently, but either way, the utilities pay one way or another... Look into it Dave.

[mick2me 3,033]

Superconductivity?