Portugal runs for four days straight on renewable energy alone

[TomandJerry]

"Portugal kept its lights on with renewable energy alone for four consecutive days last week in a clean energy milestone revealed by data analysis of national energy network figures.

Electricity consumption in the Iberian country was fully covered by solar, wind and hydro power in an extraordinary 107-hour run that lasted from 6.45am on Saturday 7 May until 5.45pm the following Wednesday, the analysis says.

News of the zero emissions landmark comes just days after Germany announced that clean energy had powered almost all its electricity needs on Sunday 15 May, with power prices turning negative at several times in the day – effectively paying consumers to use it."

Roll on the day the UK can do it

 

[Sorrel]

Yep - let's hope so.

What's used these days to try and store power? My understanding was that this was the problem with renewables: that their maximum output was not aligned with maximum needs and therefore to store power was the main problem.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

(In 2015) The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) said in a statement it achieved "99 percent renewable electricity generation" this year. It also said for 285 days this year the country managed to power its grid on 100 percent renewable sources.


Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-12-costa-rica-renewable-energy.html#jCp

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

(In 2015) The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) said in a statement it achieved "99 percent renewable electricity generation" this year. It also said for 285 days this year the country managed to power its grid on 100 percent renewable sources.


Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-12-costa-rica-renewable-energy.html#jCp

Was just about to post the same thing here. Ultimately it's fairly easy for CR to run sustainably though as there is a fairly low average household consumption and there are plenty of available natural resources to generate clean energy. Geo thermal due to all the volcanic activity and wind too in the north of the country due to the Papagayo winds (wind generated over Lake Nicaragua where the difference in air pressure between the Pacific side and Caribbean side generates rapid airflow).

Anyway, well done Portugal!

 

[Fungus]

Well done Portugal and the others, it can be done.

 

[Cian]

Well done Portugal and the others, it can be done.

If you build huge amounts of fast-start gas turbines for when the wind dies down.

 

[SIMMO SAYS]

Is that because its sunny in Portugal

 

[beorhthelm]

News of the zero emissions landmark comes just days after Germany announced that clean energy had powered almost all its electricity needs on Sunday 15 May, with power prices turning negative at several times in the day – effectively paying consumers to use it."

is that including all the industrial site powerplants that arent officially counted in their power generation? and the nuclear source power imported from France? there is no way Germany can power their whole country on zero emissions, i would suspect this is domestic only and fudged claim at that.

we could do alot better here but no one wants turbines or hydro, the wildlife lobby prevents anything tidal and the govenrment keeps faffing on nuclear and biomass.

 

[Jim in the West]

is that including all the industrial site powerplants that arent officially counted in their power generation? and the nuclear source power imported from France? there is no way Germany can power their whole country on zero emissions, i would suspect this is domestic only and fudged claim at that.

we could do alot better here but no one wants turbines or hydro, the wildlife lobby prevents anything tidal and the govenrment keeps faffing on nuclear and biomass.

I believe Germany generates around 33% of its energy from renewable sources. We actually fare pretty well - around 25%, I think.

 

[Cian]

http://smartgriddashboard.eirgrid.com/#all is a rather over-developed tool to show the live island-of-Ireland power consumption and fuel mix. We're running out of places to put wind farms without severe objections and are also probably out of hydro sites. Not the windiest day so 14%, has been 20% this month and did peak at about 60% on one stormy day but there are also days its close to 0% all day.

Some very high demand days lead to nuke showing up on the pie chart - UK or even French nuke power bought over interconnectors.

 

[Seagull58]

Yep - let's hope so.

What's used these days to try and store power? My understanding was that this was the problem with renewables: that their maximum output was not aligned with maximum needs and therefore to store power was the main problem.

The dinorwig hydro plant is one mechanism that is used. When there is excess supply it isused to pump water from the bottom of the mountain to the top. In high demand periods the water is released through hydo-electric turbine generators to feed the grid.

 

[looney]

"Portugal kept its lights on with renewable energy alone for four consecutive days last week in a clean energy milestone revealed by data analysis of national energy network figures.

Electricity consumption in the Iberian country was fully covered by solar, wind and hydro power in an extraordinary 107-hour run that lasted from 6.45am on Saturday 7 May until 5.45pm the following Wednesday, the analysis says.

News of the zero emissions landmark comes just days after Germany announced that clean energy had powered almost all its electricity needs on Sunday 15 May, with power prices turning negative at several times in the day – effectively paying consumers to use it."

Roll on the day the UK can do it

Got a mainstream source, or an for that matter, on this claim?

 

[beorhthelm]

I believe Germany generates around 33% of its energy from renewable sources. We actually fare pretty well - around 25%, I think.

i believe thats over double the correct numbers, but i've only looked as far as wikipedia.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

http://www.theguardian.com/environm...-four-days-straight-on-renewable-energy-alone

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

Got a mainstream source, or an for that matter, on this claim?

http://www.theguardian.com/environm...-four-days-straight-on-renewable-energy-alone

 

[HoveSaint]

"Portugal kept its lights on with renewable energy alone for four consecutive days last week in a clean energy milestone revealed by data analysis of national energy network figures.

Electricity consumption in the Iberian country was fully covered by solar, wind and hydro power in an extraordinary 107-hour run that lasted from 6.45am on Saturday 7 May until 5.45pm the following Wednesday, the analysis says.

News of the zero emissions landmark comes just days after Germany announced that clean energy had powered almost all its electricity needs on Sunday 15 May, with power prices turning negative at several times in the day – effectively paying consumers to use it."

Roll on the day the UK can do it

Outstanding achievement. We could do it too, if we only dared try. Instead of the Tory party bleating on about shale gas we should be rolling out the renewables left-right-and-centre. Like the Swansea Bay lagoon, which is super exciting.

 

[Fungus]

If you build huge amounts of fast-start gas turbines for when the wind dies down.

Yes, we've obviously got a long way to go, and need a mixed supply*, but this shows some countries are heading in the right direction.

Edit: *And sensible energy usage, of course.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Wind farms should be going up everywhere in my opinion

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

 

[looney]

Wind farms should be going up everywhere in my opinion

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

They are, they are called Climate change conventions.

 

[GOM]

Why can't all new houses be built with solar tiles - not panels - on the roof (and anywhere else suitable), plus energy storage for use after dark. Prices would soon plummet for the materials just like solar panels are relatively cheap now.