Q1 2017 | Electric Insights

The quarter’s headlines

by Dr Iain Staffell – Imperial College London

This quarter’s issue looks at how the weather is increasingly affecting the power system.

Britain’s renewables are once again breaking records, with Quarter 1 seeing wind, biomass and hydro all register their highest energy production (see Article 2).

by Dr Iain Staffell – Imperial College London

All forms of renewable energy had a record breaking quarter to start off the year.Britain’s wind farms made the news for recording their highest ever quarterly output. Behind the scenes, biomass and hydro power also produced more than ever before, and solar power reached a new high for peak power output.

Q1 carbon emissions from electricity generation are down 10% on last year and 33% on the year before. As a sign of just how far British electricity has changed, the ‘dirtiest hour’ in the whole of this winter was lower carbon than the average generation mix just 3 years ago.

by Dr Iain Staffell – Imperial College London

In the last weekend of March demand on the national grid was lower during the daytime than it was overnight ‒ the first time this has ever happened.

Prior to solar power becoming widespread, minimum demand was always seen during the night. Daytime demand never came within 5 GW of the night-time minimum; but in 2015 the gap narrowed to 2.4 GW, and on the 25th of March it disappeared completely.

by Dr Iain Staffell – Imperial College London

Britain has again experienced a mild winter, keeping down electricity bills and carbon emissions.

2017 has so far been 1.9°C warmer than the 20th century average, lowering the country’s demand for electric heating.

by Dr Iain Staffell – Imperial College London

People often assess the economics of power stations with their Levelised Cost of Electricity, but it also matters how and when the electricity is produced.¹

The growing share of weather-dependent renewables means that flexible and controllable capacity is now more valuable to the system. As power prices become more volatile, the range of prices earned by different technologies is widening.

by Dr Iain Staffell – Imperial College London

Following their problems last quarter, the French interconnector and nuclear fleet returned to normal, so imports gradually rose over February and hit an 12-month high in March averaging 2.9 GW (1.8 GW of which from France).

Coal fell from 16% to 6% of the supply mix over February as imports rose and demand fell.

Q1 2017 report

The quarter’s headlines

This quarter’s issue looks at how the weather is increasingly affecting the power system.

New records for renewables

Britain’s continuing decarbonisation

Disappearing daytime demand

In the last weekend of March demand on the national grid was lower during the daytime than it was overnight ‒ the first time this has ever happened.

The mild winter windfall

Britain has again experienced a mild winter, keeping down electricity bills and carbon emissions.

What are different electricity sources worth?

People often assess the economics of power stations with their Levelised Cost of Electricity, but it also matters how and when the electricity is produced.¹

Capacity and production statistics

Following their problems last quarter, the French interconnector and nuclear fleet returned to normal, so imports gradually rose over February and hit an 12-month high in March averaging 2.9 GW (1.8 GW of which from France).

Live Grid Data

This quarter’s issue looks at how the weather is increasingly affecting the power system.

In the last weekend of March demand on the national grid was lower during the daytime than it was overnight ‒ the first time this has ever happened.

Britain has again experienced a mild winter, keeping down electricity bills and carbon emissions.

People often assess the economics of power stations with their Levelised Cost of Electricity, but it also matters how and when the electricity is produced.1

Following their problems last quarter, the French interconnector and nuclear fleet returned to normal, so imports gradually rose over February and hit an 12-month high in March averaging 2.9 GW (1.8 GW of which from France).

Live Grid Data

People often assess the economics of power stations with their Levelised Cost of Electricity, but it also matters how and when the electricity is produced.¹