UK Electricity Generation 09Jun2020
posted 10th June 2020
This was a quote from the BBC yesterday 9th June 2020 by Justin Rowlatt, Chief Environment correspondent: "So far this year, renewables have generated more power than all fossil fuels put together.
Breaking it down, renewables were responsible for 37% of electricity supplied to the network versus 35% for fossil fuels."
Via NALOPKT
On the day this was published I thought I would analyse some of these claims when all the information became available..
Surface analysis (the weather situation).
Fig 1 show the synoptic situation on the 09Jun2020 at 1200Z
Weather
There was a ridge of high pressure, 1022hPa, centred in the North Sea just east of Humberside, with an approaching frontal system from the west. Mostly cloudy in the west, sunnier in the northern Isles, North Sea and SE England. Light winds. Temperatures a little down on average.
Fig 2 shows Satellite imagery for 09Jun2020
Satellite
Figure two shows little cloud over the North Sea, associated with the high-pressure system. Some cloud in the SE of England (trapped under the high-pressure inversion. The rest of the UK shows cloud associated with the approaching warm front and cloud associated with the cold front, off the north west coast. It also shows the cloud associated with a wave on the cold front off the coast of Ireland.
Although the Shetland Isles had 15 hours of sunshine there was much less over the rest of the UK.
Wind: Analysis from 29 locations in and around the UK the following table shows maximum, minimum, and mean wind speeds for each location. Plus, the number of hours of the day when wind was >10 mph (cut-in speed for turbines), hours when wind was <10 mph and the number of observations for the day of 09Jun2020.
Fig 3 29 Wind speeds and numbers of observations for 29 locations in and around the UK
The average hours when wind speed was >10 mph (cut-in speed for turbines) was 4.8 and average hours when wind speed was less than 10 mph. (two observation stations, Tees-side and Blackpool, do not cover the full 24 hour period) Average observations from the 29 was 39.4 for the 09Jun2020.
Electricity Generation 09Jun2020
Fig 4 shows electricity generation by type Past Day, Week, Month and Year
Electricity Generation
Past year: Demand 30.5GW
Wind 6.04GW (19.8%)
Solar 1.3GW (4.3%)
Hydro 0.47GW (1.5%)
CCGT 11.06GW (36.2%)
Coal 0.66 ((2.2%)
Nuclear 5.78GW (18.9%)
Biomass 2.1GW (6.9%)
ther 0.13GW (0.4%)
Summary
Unreliable Wind and Solar Electricity Generation: 24.1% + Hydro 1.5% = 25.6%
Fossil Fuels: 38.4%
Nuclear, Biomass & other: 26.2%
Interconnectors: 9.8% (produced by fossil fuels, nuclear and wind/solar)
Reality:
So called, "green energy" 25.6%
So called, Non "green energy" 74.4%
09Jun2020 - Demand 28.1GW
Wind 0.67GW (2.4%)
Solar 1.98GW (7.0%)
Hydro 0.29GW (1.0%)
CCGT 15.53GW (55.2%)
Nuclear 4.24GW (15.1%)
Biomass 3.02GW (10.7%)
Other 0.15GW (0.8%)
Interconnectors 2.56GW (12.8%)
Unreliable Wind and Solar Electricity Generation: 9.4% + Hydro 1.0% = 10.4%
Fossil Fuels: 55.2%
Nuclear, Biomass & other: 26.6%
Interconnectors: 12.8% (produced by fossil fuels, nuclear and wind/solar)
Reality
So called, "green energy" 10.4%
So called, Non "green energy" 89.6%
Wind and Solar are so unreliable they cannot keep grid frequency.
The electricity Grid needs fossil fuels to balance its frequency, otherwise the whole grid collapse not work, causing blackouts.