Very informative article on solar P.V. in Ireland

lightson

https://www.thejournal.ie/solving-solar-noteworthy-5185924-Aug2020/

unkel

Aye. Ireland the dirty retarded man of Europe.

Why does the ESb need to upgrade their network? The demand isn't changing just the generation profile....put away the violin, the song is old but you sing it well

KCross

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

Why does the ESb need to upgrade their network? The demand isn't changing just the generation profile....put away the violin, the song is old but you sing it well

This seems to be ESBn's position on it

While Ireland has received international praise for the grid’s ability to handle large quantities of wind power, there are still issues with rooftop solar that can experience sudden spikes in production that can fluctuate wildly over the space of a few seconds.
This can then send excess power out to the grid in a short period of time and cause voltage problems and the overloading of transformers, at which point protection mechanisms will kick in and people can get disconnected.

I'd have my doubts about that. Scaremongering or reality?
It seems to me that ESB are just looking for a shakedown as the linked document mentions the ESB saying they would want the CRU to look at costs to support it... i.e. more money for ESBn from the consumer.

At this point they should be just told do it and suck it up.

A Feed-In-Tariff is much more important though. Most houses dont have the space for 6kWp+ anyway so its a moot point for most..... if everyone could get 2-6kWp installed it would do just fine.

garo

Sudden spikes in production? What absolute rot! The sun doesn't switch on and off like a light-bulb. And before you say clouds - remember that a cloud would move across the landscape so the shade will increase/decrease gradually over any reasonably large area. The 6kW export limit is nonsense as is their foot-dragging over the installation of smart meters and charging extra standing charges for day/night meters.

PS: Good article OP.

garo

BTW, the then minister for environment was my local TD last year and in a clinic I queried him about SEAI policies and general lack of support for solar including the 6kW limit and no FiT. His response was "We can't have FiT because then every farmer would put a up a solar farm in their field." I went away scratching my head wondering what objection does a Minister for Environment have to that?

graememk

garo wrote: »

BTW, the then minister for environment was my local TD last year and in a clinic I queried him about SEAI policies and general lack of support for solar including the 6kW limit and no FiT. His response was "We can't have FiT because then every farmer would put a up a solar farm in their field." I went away scratching my head wondering what objection does a Minister for Environment have to that?

Field? We have acres of nice and easy to install steel roof space, and yes a feed in tariff would finally make putting solar up viable/cover the electric costs of the yard (ie even the standing charge )

KCross

Read between the lines.

KCross wrote: »

This seems to be ESBn's position on it

"It's a closed shop boys and girls we don't like competition. Would ya like some smoke bombs instead?"

Water John

We are making the exact same mistake with solar as was made early on with wind. Early rounds of AER were about projects bidding down the price, against each other. We ended up with price being bid that was not viable, leading to stagnation. We were told that's what the EU had approved, which was BS, as the EU approved it because, we applied for it. Only with PPA for 15 years was the wind industry moved on.

richie123

Water John wrote: »

We are making the exact same mistake with solar as was made early on with wind. Early rounds of AER were about projects bidding down the price, against each other. We ended up with price being bid that was not viable, leading to stagnation. We were told that's what the EU had approved, which was BS, as the EU approved it because, we applied for it. Only with PPA for 15 years was the wind industry moved on.

The whole thing stinks.the fact it has to be subsidised with taxpayers moneys makes it pointless.ordinary taxpayers are being fleeced enough as it is

Water John

You're missing the point as, all fossil fuel generation is subsidised because it is not charged by the state for the pollution it causes.

Water John

Water John wrote: »

Only with PPA for 15 years was the wind industry moved on.

Did it?


We've the best wind resource in Europe outside of Scotland...how much are we exporting to the mainland?