Solar ... In the news

Netexporter

Templar Gridwatch will have to get a new solar dial, or the needle will get bent.

G. B. National Grid status

QrizB

Templar Gridwatch will have to get a new solar dial, or the needle will get bent.

I'm sure I remember when "coal" had a big dial on the left of that display and "wind" had a little one on the right.

Now solar has a higher peak output than nuclear (although integrated over the year I think nuclear is still a bigger contributor). Maybe it'll soon be time to swap them over?

A sign of the times.

NedS

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81974671#Comment_81974671

NESO have today confirmed a new peak solar record, set yesterday (23/04/26) of 15,158MW.

And on Wednesday 22/04/2026, we also saw a new record for max zero carbon where the grid was at 98.8% zero carbon.

I use the NESO App which has a tab showing records and notifies when new records have been set.

debitcardmayhem

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81975804#Comment_81975804

As here below

JKenH

Will we soon see the half hour without gas that was supposed to happen last year?

Craig Dyke, NESO’s director of system operations, previously told Carbon Brief that the first-ever period of at least 30 minutes of “zero-carbon operation” was likely to take place this autumn.

Dyke added that NESO was “confident” it could meet the target, which he said would be “absolutely groundbreaking and pretty much world leading”.

Analysis: Great Britain has run on 100% clean power for record 87 hours in 2025 so far - Carbon Brief (29 September 2025)

We know there already is enough renewable capacity to make it happen so I can only assume NESO does not yet have confidence that they have the right assets in place to maintain grid stability. Whatever the cause of the Spanish grid shut down last year it may have moved the political goalposts regarding reputational risk for 100% renewable (including nuclear) generation. If for any reason it did go wrong someone will say “told you so” and it would be a huge setback for public confidence. A gas free half hour might, therefore, potentially still be a long way away: not because it isn’t possible but because the risk to the NetZero project is too great.

ed110220

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81974744#Comment_81974744

Is that site even updated anymore? It feels pretty derelict. Eg the coal dial hasn't been changed since coal was phased out and speaks of gas prices being "currently low". So we're talking of pre war in Ukraine at least

Netexporter

I just like the old steam-punk look of it. A bit of extra dereliction just adds to the effect.