Airtricity, a question

LostinBlanch

HI,

I don't know if this is the right forum for this. So if it isn't feel free to move it (just pm me to let me know ok?).

Anyway, I'm looking at switching to Airtricity but have a question about the supply. What happens when the wind doesn't blow hard enough to power the windfarms? I read that some windfarms had to shut down over the last couple of weeks because of this. So does Airtricity have some kind of backup supply, or do they have an agreement to buy excess electricity back off the National grid?

If anyone is using Airtricity I'd like to know if their power supply was cut off.

Cheers

LiB

hotlips_h

LostinBlanch wrote:

What happens when the wind doesn't blow hard enough to power the windfarms?

LiB

Hi LostInBlanch

"And rest assured - even when the wind doesn't blow, your electricity supply will not be disrupted. This is because our electricity feeds into the national grid from generators which are powered by highly efficient wind turbines. A trading system, monitored by the government regulator ensures that the customer is always supplied, even if the wind doesn't blow."
From here:
http://www.airtricity.com/ireland/switch_to_airtricity/service/

I am an Airtricity customer and we have never been cut off.

Foxwood

When you switch to a "green" electricity company, you will still be getting your electricity from the national grid, and most of the electrons you use will come from the same sources they alays came from.

But you're putting your money where your mouth is with regards to supporting "green" energy, and helping to demonstrate a market for alternative energy sources. If 20% of the market switched to alternative "green" suppliers, it would drive the development of alternative sources. In some markets in the US, customers may actually pay a little more for "green" energy, so their commitment to buy their electricity from a company that is investing in renewables rather than burning coal, for example, helps to ensure that the market for green energy grows.

Of course the flip side is that if BNFL "imported" electricity from the UK through an interconnector, and sold it for less than the ESB charges, it might undercut the demand for green energy too.

It would certainly be an interesting experiment in public attitudes to nuclear power!!!!

LostinBlanch

Hotlips,

Thanks that is what I thought but I wanted confirmation.

Foxwood,

Like you say it is a gesture of support for green energy supply. If more people did this then there would be more movement on developing alternative means of supply. Price wise I think people are p*ssed off at the fact that the ESB gets given carte blanche to increase prices just when they feel like it, though they state rising oil prices etc as an excuse. The fact is that the perception is that it is merely helping to fatten up the ESB before privitisation. So it's another reason why I'm looking to do something positive rather than just bitch and moan about it. If I'm paying so much for power I'd prefer to see it going to develop alternative sources of supply rather than into Tony O Reilly, Dermot Desmond or other venture capitalists pockets a la Eircon.

Anyway, rant over. Thanks for your info guys, am going to see about changing over now.

Sarsfield

I thought Airtricity had withdrawn from the domestic market and only supplied commercial customers?

japanpaul

Sarsfield wrote:

I thought Airtricity had withdrawn from the domestic market and only supplied commercial customers?

I think you're right.
I could only find this on their website

"...and currently supplies green electricity to approximately 45,000 commercial customers in Ireland."

AND

" Why switch to Airtricity? The following are the reasons why over 45,000 businesses in Ireland have already switched to Airtricity..."

mhenness

Sarsfield wrote:

I thought Airtricity had withdrawn from the domestic market and only supplied commercial customers?

I think they have. They only mention business customers on the ROI website. I think they withdrew from the domestic market because of regulatory issues. Wish the government would move on this now, especially with fuel prices on the up. Might be time to take things more into our own hands and look into solar!

SeanW

Foxwood wrote:

Of course the flip side is that if BNFL "imported" electricity from the UK through an interconnector, and sold it for less than the ESB charges, it might undercut the demand for green energy too.

It would certainly be an interesting experiment in public attitudes to nuclear power!!!!

I'd buy that in a heartbeat!