Solar ... In the news

NedS

The Government recently published their Solar Roadmap policy paper (30th June) here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/solar-roadmap/solar-roadmap-united-kingdom-powered-by-solar-accessible-webpage

I've skimmed through it, and a few things caught my eye.

Having recently been heavily restricted by my DNO when trying to add more rooftop solar, I noted the following:

Residential solar connection process

In general, residential rooftop solar projects above 3.68kW [footnote 43] per phase must receive DNO approval. [footnote 44] This can lead to installers limiting domestic solar projects to 3.68kW to avoid extra work and time involved, even where a rooftop could accommodate more panels. One DNO has raised this to 5kW, encouraging larger installations of residential solar. Ofgem has also proposed, in its End-to-End review consultation, an obligation on DNOs to review the 3.68kW threshold.

DNOs have recently launched a new connection process, introducing ‘Fast Track’ approvals for generation smaller than 14.72kW. DNOs must still approve the generator before it can be connected, but the response period is now 10 working days.

Obviously not my DNO (National Grid).

ed110220

NedS said:

The Government recently published their Solar Roadmap policy paper (30th June) here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/solar-roadmap/solar-roadmap-united-kingdom-powered-by-solar-accessible-webpage

I've skimmed through it, and a few things caught my eye.

Having recently been heavily restricted by my DNO when trying to add more rooftop solar, I noted the following:

Residential solar connection process

In general, residential rooftop solar projects above 3.68kW [footnote 43] per phase must receive DNO approval. [footnote 44] This can lead to installers limiting domestic solar projects to 3.68kW to avoid extra work and time involved, even where a rooftop could accommodate more panels. One DNO has raised this to 5kW, encouraging larger installations of residential solar. Ofgem has also proposed, in its End-to-End review consultation, an obligation on DNOs to review the 3.68kW threshold.

DNOs have recently launched a new connection process, introducing ‘Fast Track’ approvals for generation smaller than 14.72kW. DNOs must still approve the generator before it can be connected, but the response period is now 10 working days.

Obviously not my DNO (National Grid).

Interesting. I’ve been wondering how Australia manages with not only so many domestic PV systems (about a third of houses I believe) but a much larger average size than the UK. More robust distribution system or are we just more cautious?

QrizB

ed110220 said:

I’ve been wondering how Australia manages with not only so many domestic PV systems (about a third of houses I believe) but a much larger average size than the UK. More robust distribution system or are we just more cautious?

Export limiting:

https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/solar-export-limiting/

And in some states, the export limits are dynamic:

https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/dynamic-solar-exports-victoria/

(That's just the first blog I found with the info, there may be more detailed explanations elsewhere.)

Edit to add: in 2022, South Australia prompted dumb PV inverters to disconnect by simply raising the grid voltage far enough that it went out of spec:

https://reneweconomy.com.au/rooftop-solar-switched-off-in-south-australia-as-state-isolated-after-storm-damage-to-network/

Martyn1981

QrizB said:

ed110220 said:

I’ve been wondering how Australia manages with not only so many domestic PV systems (about a third of houses I believe) but a much larger average size than the UK. More robust distribution system or are we just more cautious?

Export limiting:

https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/solar-export-limiting/

And in some states, the export limits are dynamic:

https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/dynamic-solar-exports-victoria/

(That's just the first blog I found with the info, there may be more detailed explanations elsewhere.)

Edit to add: in 2022, South Australia prompted dumb PV inverters to disconnect by simply raising the grid voltage far enough that it went out of spec:

https://reneweconomy.com.au/rooftop-solar-switched-off-in-south-australia-as-state-isolated-after-storm-damage-to-network/

Speaking of South Australia, is that the state where roof top solar has reached the equivalent of 100% of state leccy demand at times?

QrizB

The forum lost my long work-in-progress post with quotes, so here's a short one.

Solar power evangelism, but not in some fringe publication or The Guardian; this is The New Yorker.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-a-warming-planet/46-billion-years-on-the-sun-is-having-a-moment

Far too many amazing statistics to quote them all, but "a one-acre solar farm produces as much energy as 100 acres of corn-based ethanol" is quite telling.

Edit to add: here's the referenced article for the "100 to 1" claim:

https://www.cleanwisconsin.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Corn-Ethanol-Vs.-Solar-Analysis-V3-9-compressed.pdf 

QrizB

It's a bit evangelical again but this podcast (there's a transcript if, like me, you'd rather read) makes some persuasive points about "solar plus battery" as a grid-scale base load replacement.

Although they're bit mean to Birmingham (and I dread to think what that's have said about Inverness).

https://www.volts.!!!!!!/p/solarstorage-is-so-much-farther-along

(Edit to add: the !!! In the link is Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, which the forum software blocks.)

Their core argument is that, in most parts of the world (up to 50 deg N/S or so) you can pair 6GW of solar PV with 17GWh of battery to make a 1GW 24/7 power source, and the LCOE for that is around US$100/kWh, competitive with new build CCGT, let alone nuclear.

Just thinking of the UK, 6GW of PV would need maybe 20,000 acres of land. That's 8000 hectares, 80 square kilometres. Big, but not unfeasibly big.

And prices of PV & batteries continue to fall.

Martyn1981

Hi QrizB, the link is broken, looks like you've been edited for a naughty word. As well as Birmingham, did you mention Scunthorpe? I fancy listening to it.

Here's the report to go with it, I'd have bet good money I posted it last month ...... but no can't find it. I suspect I must have previewed the draft, and never clicked post ..... something I'm quite fond of doing. 

I appreciate this is really more for sunnier climes, but that's where the majority of the world's population live v's the UK/Birmingham.

Solar electricity every hour of every day is here and it changes everything

Edit - Found the link, and yep I see why it got edited. I'll embed it to avoid the censorship (hopefully):
[double edit - nope MSE are too clever for that too.]

Solar+storage is so much farther along than you think

debitcardmayhem

GB Energy getting panels from China … hardly news https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1lj21pjn72o

michaels

Martyn1981 said:

Hi QrizB, the link is broken, looks like you've been edited for a naughty word. As well as Birmingham, did you mention Scunthorpe? I fancy listening to it.

Here's the report to go with it, I'd have bet good money I posted it last month ...... but no can't find it. I suspect I must have previewed the draft, and never clicked post ..... something I'm quite fond of doing. 

I appreciate this is really more for sunnier climes, but that's where the majority of the world's population live v's the UK/Birmingham.

Solar electricity every hour of every day is here and it changes everything

Edit - Found the link, and yep I see why it got edited. I'll embed it to avoid the censorship (hopefully):
[double edit - nope MSE are too clever for that too.]

Solar+storage is so much farther along than you think

So 102usd per MWh sounds good but this is for 97%. What does the remaining 3% cost using generation equipment that runs extremely intermittently for short cycles and how much co2 does it add?

Edit. The report looks at a slightly odd metric of steady output. In reality in some areas solar plus storage may actually be more effective at meeting variable demand (Vegas with it's high aç usage for example) but in Birmingham it will be even less useful than the calculated 62% at 160usd per MWh as the supply is likely to be inversely proportional to demand.

QrizB

Martyn1981 said:

Edit - Found the link, and yep I see why it got edited. I'll embed it to avoid the censorship (hopefully):
[double edit - nope MSE are too clever for that too.]

Here, this should work:

https://!!!!!!.com/e8em7e5j

OK,.seems they.block tiny URL too?