Mon Aug 03, 2020 9:39 pm
#1788117
On the face of it it is.
The thing is that renewable energy can be in surplus at times. Wholesale rates go negative and organisations and people get paid to consume. The alternative is to have to shut down the power or drain it in some other way. Octopus were able to predict when there would be an excess - a lot of wind at night can, for example, result in excess generation. In the window I had I ran some things that would otherwise run at a different time. I also ran the kettle and switched everything else in that I could. It was a proof of concept, getting enough users onboard to see if they could influence consumption and generation. Octopus were able to use smart meters to measure and reward.
This is where EVs will, in the future, fit in, the batteries can provide storage for the grid and release energy at peak times. In a similar way you can install a home battery, link it to solar and also take excess power from the grid and the. Consume it later. National Grid have already said that they can cope with a switch to EVs.