From NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT
By Paul Homewood
h/t Ian Magness
Meanwhile, let’s all switch on our washing machines tomorrow night!
Britain’s biggest energy supplier is urging people to avoiding using electricity during this week’s solar eclipse.
Octopus Energy is asking customers to delay using washing machines, dishwashers and other plug-in devices between 6pm and 8pm on Wednesday, when the Moon is expected to block up to 95pc of sunlight.
The eclipse will send solar generation plunging just as electricity demand begins to rise as millions of people return home from work.
The slump could knock out as much as 1.3 gigawatts (GW) of supply, according to the National Energy System Operator (Neso), which runs Britain’s electricity grid. That is enough electricity to power roughly half a million homes.
Gas-fired power stations will have to be turned on to make up some of the shortfall, alongside other sources of electricity.
While there is no suggesting that the eclipse could trigger outages, Octopus said it was encouraging people to use less energy to negate the need for gas power and so lessen carbon emissions.
Full story here.
Here’s a tip, Olly!
Nobody gives a toss about carbon emissions. What we want is a grid that can supply power as and when we need it.
It’s really quite simple.
WUWT addendum: Feature image by Anthony Watts, 8/21/2017, Ochoco National Forest, Oregon
So what do they do for power at that time in the Winter when it’s already dark?
Cry for mum, I hope.
That’s what I would do.
Yep here on Sarf Coast it’s dark by 4.45pm late December and doesn’t get light till 8.00 am
You’re lucky, I’m a Northerner, it gets darker in November and lighter in February
Worse in the Far North.
In the Peace area of NE BC I noticed light on the northern horizon at 10pm June as if there were a city beyond it.
Realized it was the sun – beyond the Arctic Circle.
A brother went on supply ships to the High Arctic in August, but I was up there helping airplanes servicing oil drilling in the winter when it is always dark.
Next, however, the eclipse plea will be extended to cover deep overcast days:
“Octopus Energy is asking customers to delay using all plug-in devices when clouds are expected to block up to 50+pc of sunlight.
Freeze? :-o)
(Reminds me of a nasty line when the federal government of Canada was being difficult to the petroleum industry in Alberta. ‘Let the eastern bleeps freeze in the dark.’ :-o)
(The federal government being in the eastern half of Canada, Alberta in the west.)
I said it the other day on this and I’ll say it again: Every day is now April fools day.
The Sun sets around 20:30 BST this evening and the eclipse occurs at 19:15 BST. I have to wonder who planted this story and what was was expected as a result – aside from the obvious ridicule.
Great Britain faces a shortfall of electricity supplies on Wednesday evening as the near total solar eclipse is expected to wipe out solar power generation.
The government’s electricity grid operator raised an official alarm that there is currently not enough power generation expected as the moon blocks up to 95% of the sun over parts of the country, the most dramatic eclipse visible in Great Britain since 1999. – Guardian
It’s just another attempt to wind the public up. It just goes to show how stupid they are and how stupid they think we are. Dunning Kruger? There’s a 97% probability
Good point. The sun is going to be pretty low on the horizon at the time of the eclipse and presumably way West of South facing, fixed mount solar panels. Even allowing for the fact that the Sun is partially blocked for some time before and after totality, solar wouldn’t be generating much power that late in the evening anyway.
It’s alarmist nonsense. Designed to alarm people, nothing more.
Its not the UK PV that is the problem but due to Gas Turbine maintenance shutdowns that Nesco approved. With the greater reliance on the interconnectors then Spain’s PV reducing etc will mean less surplus on the continent for the interconnectors that the UK is relying on to cover the Gas shortfall.
Like every time, the declaration that solar (or wind) can “provide power for [insert impressive sounding number] of homes” is a LIE.
Without adding a qualifier as to how many minutes per day that MIGHT be true, and a disclaimer that you can’t count on it.
It is kind of a Non-problem. The eclipse won’t be until 6:00pm and Solar is already ineffective at that time.
Here at 56N the sun was a fair bit N of West and anyway it was totally cloudy during the eclipse.
But if any of you are dinghy sailors, at our club racing today the Fireballs blacked out the red circles on their sails.
Cool.
Dramatic eclipse?
What drugs does the author of the Guardian article misuse?
Benilyn?
More probably calpol given their mental age.
Lithium!
Of course they want to “WIND” them up…”SOLAR” can’t cut the fluff most of the time … heck, even WIND blows it at times.
Hahaha…good one….or: how idiots make me laugh.
Actually I was betting on another blackout somewhere due to the eclipse lol.
After years with no visible climate problems, we have totally lost interest in carbon dioxide emissions. All we want is an electrical grid that supplies power when and where we need it.
It is really that simple.
Who had the cleverness of naming a utility company with 8 hands in your pocket ‘Octopus Energy’?
Humor – a difficult concept.
— Tl. Saavik
O/T Energy Extremism.
Is there such a thing? Well, the New Statesman seems to think so…
“I think supporting new oil and gas licences in the North Sea is an extremist position”, explained the New Statesman‘s “Executive Editor (Digital)” Oli Dugmore in a provocative social media clip. And here we are indeed provoked. Typically, we should ignore such tantrums. But the claim and its supporting argument are irresistibly illuminating of a section of the British Left, whose worldview is best explained as a developmental disorder.
Dugmore’s account of his position is, you will not be surprised to discover, not grounded in a deep understanding of the subject. It is, in its entirety, something that resembles an Extinction Rebellion media training crib sheet. It begins as follows:
– Daily Sceptic
They have learned from children….
Oh come on. You can just pretend like it’s the 1800s again. Light some candles, and you could even dress up in period clothing. Make it fun.
One wonders what Octopus recommends during the daily period when the sun is not up at all?
So, are we supposed to wait until the eclipse has passed before switching on the lights?
Yes
But it has got light again so we don’t need the leccy lights on for a while yet.
If you have an EV, or a hybrid, would 7pm be a good time to start charging it?
It’s the best time 😀
It is fortunate that someone comprehends that the sun is needed to generate electricity with solar panels. Given the insanity is rampant, at least a midget of credit is due to the warning advisory.
Now, will anyone be able to educate the indoctrinated that this is the reality? Solar only provides electricity when the sun is shining?
They can stick solar where the sun doesn’t shine.
Yes, let’s turn everything off and see what that does to the grid. Idiots.
The eclipse will be Between 6pm and 8pm with max at 7:02pm-7:16pm. Solar has already died out by that time anyway.
The point is that switching everything off would cause chaos on the grid having to go from say 35 GW to zero in a few moments.
Then they could blame the grid failure on Solar Power (or A lack thereof)
Now listen up, all you misguided folks that have grandiose plans to dim the Sun to combat “global warming” . . .
This reminds me of the Isaac Asimov novel Nightfall.
Wow. I had forgotton that story…very applicable in a really scary way.
Do solar panels have any output between 6 and 8 pm?
Great picture, Anthony! Solar eclipse photography isn’t simple or easy, not counting the grueling trip to the Ochocos. My house was on the Path of Totality that day in 2017. We had a perfect view but my photos were weak. Wonderful pic. Thanks for the memories.
Only simpletons don’t get it. 🙂
It’s the modern fear of eclipses!
Before you know it we’ll be burning witches at the stake again
And especially your electric clothes dryer.
Yes, there are natural gas clothes dryers. My mother had one, eventually a brother and I replaced it with electric which required installing 220v electrical outlet.
(With a business lesson: traditional hardware source in the town did not have but clerk pointed us to a lighting store elsewhere in town that was selling electrical parts retail as well. Enterprise is good.
And on one of the Southern Gulf Islands of BC, a Radio Shack store was selling lights for homes. I commended them but they said that as soon as someone opened a lighting store on the island they’d get out of that line.)
Good lord yet another reason not to waste our money on worthless solar.
Ditto
Tritto
Quadritto
Quintitto
You are right! Nobody gives a toss about reducing carbon emissions. We all have fantasies I suppose but the difference is that with leftist fantasies we are required to participate. No thanks.
Eclipse come and gone. Any follow-up for our amusement?