Energy Matters Global and Domestic

[myglaren]

I had heard of diamond transistors a few years back and then promptly forgot about them until that article showed up.

[myglaren]

You all may not know it, but next week Genesis Energy in New Zealand will start a two-week test burn of torrefied renewable wood biomass to replace the coal burned at the Huntley power station. Huntly is a 4x250 coal power station that burns Indonesian coal, and the country is hoping to repurpose the plant as dispatchable renewable energy.

Dispatchable renewable energy is renewable energy that can be "turned on" when needed. This differs from wind and solar because when the wind does not blow nor the sun shine, then unless you have some form of utility-scale energy storage, you are out of luck trying to use any extra renewable energy when it's not available. Hence, until long-term large energy storage is available, renewable biomass can fill a usable gap.

The Huntly test burn series will be the largest in the world for torrefied biomass since the Portland General Electric tests I managed in 2017, and happens to also have me as the manager. Heading down to New Zealand with my assistant in just 2 more days.

Can't find anything on their website but have only skimmed it yet.

Interesting personally as I am acquainted with the poster. She used to come to the UK fairly frequently to power stations around here, among them the Alcan smelting plant on Tyneside.
Also visited Whitby and bought Whitby Jet jewellery for her girlfriend. My mother and MIL had loads of it.

Torrefaction by Wikipedia.

[Gibbo2286]

The energy companies have been trialling paying their customers for switching off in peak times to even out the peaks and troughs, it's brought a lot of comment from those who opted in, some saying they sat in the cold for an hour and only got sixpence for their trouble.
I got an email yesterday from my supplier Shell, they're going for the trial in a different way, instead of paying, for every 0.1Kw you save they enter you in a draw for £100 shopping vouchers then when the trial ends in April there's a new electric Mini and charging post for a prize.
All done through the smart meters of course.

[myglaren]

Shell reports highest profits in 115 years.

[mickthemaverick]

All done through the smart meters of course.

That's one I won't qualify for then!

[myglaren]

All done through the smart meters of course.

That's one I won't qualify for then!

Same here. They nag on but resisting up to now.

[Gibbo2286]

I've had mine for about six years now first with Atlantic energy then on with Shell, Atlantic replaced the first one with an upgrade and I had the gas one fitted at the same time..........works for me no problems at all and no estimated billing.

[mickthemaverick]

........works for me no problems at all and no estimated billing.

Mine works equally well and not only do I not get estimated billing but I know the monthly meter readings are done and submitted correctly as I do them myself!! I see no benefit to me whatsoever in converting to smart meters, just to the suppliers and also giving them remote control over my usage which they do not have at the moment.!!

[Paul-R]

I see no benefit to me whatsoever in converting to smart meters, just to the suppliers and also giving them remote control over my usage which they do not have at the moment.!!

my reasoning exactly.

[CitroJim]

I've had smart meters for years but I too see absolutely no benefits...

Currently I'm paying over £200 a month for my gas and electric and yet I'm almost £1300 in credit... I have no choice in how much I pay but surely with smart meters it could all be done with a bit more intelligence and monthly payments could be more accurately and dynamically tailored to prevailing use and credit.

Am I looking at it all to simply and am I (as usual) missing something here?

I'd rather see my money earning interest in my account rather than theirs...

[Paul-R]

You can query the amount of credit held with them and ask them to justify it. Then you can ask them to refund a suitable portion. I'm sure there's something about this on Martin Lewis's site.

[CitroJim]

You can query the amount of credit held with them and ask them to justify it. Then you can ask them to refund a suitable portion. I'm sure there's something about this on Martin Lewis's site.

That's good to know Paul, thanks

Maybe because I don't have any loans, or anything on credit they think I'm a bad risk so hang on to whatever they can squeeze out of me

[bobins]

Your energy company doesn't really have much excuse for running up such a high credit on your account. If you've been with them for more than a couple of years then they'll have enough data on your usage to be able to tailor your billing much more accurately.
Whilst it's reasonable for them to go into the winter period with some credit on your account, it's not reasonable to be in February running that much credit considering your historical usage. Depending on how long you've been with them, or more accurately - how long it's taken to build up that much credit, they may well reduce your monthly payments once they've reassessed your usage, and I'd expect them to repay you most of your credit balance pronto.

[myglaren]

I've had smart meters for years but I too see absolutely no benefits...

Currently I'm paying over £200 a month for my gas and electric and yet I'm almost £1300 in credit... I have no choice in how much I pay but surely with smart meters it could all be done with a bit more intelligence and monthly payments could be more accurately and dynamically tailored to prevailing use and credit.

Am I looking at it all to simply and am I (as usual) missing something here?

I'd rather see my money earning interest in my account rather than theirs...

I'm on a stupid meter and wish to stay that way.
I pay £200 a month voluntarily, they only ask for £119 a month.
Well in credit, over £1000. Eventually the energy costs will stabilise, hopefully, and I'll reassess the payments but it is money in the bank as when they refund they pay interest on it.
The gas on the last bill was more than anticipated but there was more than adequate to cover it.

[Peter.N.]

I bought a 1500 rpm Petter 3 kw diesel generator a few weeks ago, it weighs about 1/4 ton, I see why they make them 3000 rpm now, but it should be quieter and more economical than the much smaller Chinese one I have, and last longer of course.

The price that electricity is likely to be this year it may well pay to run it, if I can get hold of some red diesel. I will experiment with it when I get the opportunity. There is a Startomatic version of the same one on facebook for less money than I paid for this one but it hasn't been run for some years, I know that this one works.

Peter