Energy news in general

Scot_39 · 28 June at 4:38PM

It was only a rough guess - and the last time I remember seeing that was when I googled off grid homes - and it came up with 29m, 50-100,000 of which were off grid - so even that wasnt exactly precise.

And then you get into how thats broken down in different sets of Ofgem / govt / other figures - remeberig iirc Ofgem doesn cover NI.

So does a block of 20 flats with freeholder billing leasholders from one commercial supply from gird count as 1 or 20 homes etc etc.

In terms of govt figures - dwellings

Eng - est 25.2 (old data but forecast going forward)

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dwelling-stock-estimates-in-england-2022/dwelling-stock-estimates-england-31-march-2022

Scot - est 2.7m

https://www.gov.scot/news/housing-statistics-for-scotland-2022-23/

Wales - est 1.5m (2 yrs old)

https://www.gov.wales/dwelling-stock-estimates-31-march-2023-html

That adds up to 29.4 m for Great Britain

NI 850k

https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/housing-stock-statistics

That actually adds upto 30.2 million for UK of GB and NI

bristolleedsfan · 28 June at 5:15PM

https://news.sky.com/story/spanish-owned-scottish-power-sparks-merger-talks-with-ovo-energy-13389804

Ildhund · 28 June at 7:13PM

Thanks.

NI is always a nuisance, because it's not served by the GB national grid (nor was Shetland until very recently, I think ...). Ofgem are pretty good about always showing that their stats refer to GB, while gov.uk tend to treat England and Wales separately from Scotland. Meanwhile, the energy suppliers won't normally bother about where their customers happen to be when submitting statistical returns.

Scot_39 · 29 June at 3:29PM

Yes parts of the other major islands still aren't fully covered by grids.

Orkney only got its latest hvac cable c2023 iirc.

It had e.g. it's own hydrogen plant iirc to use excess renewables.

The Western Isles still has winter shortages afaik, had at one stage at least 2 decent sized diesel generation sites to back up the distribution mode link undercapacity (via Skye). But with renewables potential there's now talk of their own HVDC link a la Viking wind / Shetlands combined approach.

The_Green_Hornet · 30 June at 1:10PM

Britons could soon install balcony solar panels in flats and rental homes

Those living in flats or rented homes in the UK could soon plug in their own “balcony solar panels” to save on their energy bills under plans set out in the government’s solar power strategy.

The proposals could mean that British households that are unable to install rooftop solar panels will soon join millions of people across Europe who generate their own electricity with “plug-in” panels.

These panels, found on balconies across Spain and Germany, can be plugged directly into a home’s power socket to generate solar electricity for the household.

The DIY panels are already fitted to about 1.5m balconies in Germany, where they are known as Balkonkraftwerk (balcony power plant). They typically save households about 30% on their energy bills and cost between €400-800, with no installation fees required, meaning they pay for themselves within six years.

Britons could soon install balcony solar panels in flats and rental homes | Business | The Guardian

QrizB · 30 June at 6:47PM

The_Green_Hornet said:

Britons could soon install balcony solar panels in flats and rental homes
Britons could soon install balcony solar panels in flats and rental homes | Business | The Guardian

That's really good news of it happens. We've been discussing German "balcony solar" over on the Green and Ethical forum for a little while now, and it would work in the UK (electrons don't know which country they're in) but while it remains contrary to the Wiring Regs you're running a risk of eg. losing your tenancy if your landlord finds out.

Bundles like this seems really appealing; 800 watts of plug-in solar for £389 (currently on offer at £314 with a coupon):

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/316834628681

At current prices, even without an export tariff something like that could save most people £100 a year and payback for itself in 3-4 years.

wrf12345 · 30 June at 7:08PM

440W panels are £50-60 so how DIY are you allowed to go?

QrizB · 30 June at 7:22PM

440W panels are £50-60 so how DIY are you allowed to go?

If we follow the German model (and there's no guarantee that we will) you'll need a type-approved inverter and there will be a fairly low maximum power allowed.

I think the limit in Germany is 800 watts, hence the popularity of 800 watt kits. But I know even less about German wiring regs than I do about UK ones.

wrf12345 · 1 July at 8:12AM

Thanks, just by cosmic coincidence this popped up on my computer, the 1200W Utah version, uses microinverter and turns off when the grid fails (presumably the crucial bit) and needs a smart meter otherwise you end up charged for what you produce!