wewbull

No, a transformer is a thing invented by Michael Faraday that uses magnetic fields to move energy between sets of windings.

A “rectangle -> triangle converter” is an inverter, and that coupled with a transformer and rectifier would be a way of stepping down a DC voltage (but not the only way).

The more general term you’re looking for is a “converter”.

No such thing as a DC transformer. Transformers rely on generating a changing magnetic field and for that you need AC.

One problem with that comparison is that, sure gasoline has a really high calorific value. Shame you put it in a machine with 20% efficiency.

Yep, Bob is making a killing selling them out of his truck.

Fair enough. I was on the defensive because of every other comment.

…because you’re on a price plan that doesn’t get cheaper on windy days.

Well this is after curtailment. It’s power in the grid.

…but yes there is a problem getting the power from the farms (mainly Scottish ones) to where it could offset gas turbine generators (mainly the south). So they have to turn turbines off.

Newer farms are tending to be built in more varied locations making it less of a concentrated problem, but it’s a real thing and why there’s been lots of talk of needing new pylons.

It’s over a 30 minute period.

It’s important because it shows our online capacity continues to grow. We’re not decommissioning old turbines faster the bringing new ones online.

Over the last 12months.

• wind 30%
• solar 10%
• nuclear 13%
• gas 30%

When the wind blows it brings prices down now, often to sub-5p per kWh. I find myself wishing for wind to get a cheap day.

Where have you seen that, what a terrible idea!

In the user manuals for the inverters I’ve looked at installing. Same is true for many battery inverters.

If they need to integrate with a grid supply at all, they must switch at precisely the right frequency. Mains frequency drifts and so that frequency must come from the grid.

Now some will also have a grid isolated mode where they can generate their own frequency when there’s no other option, but that’s not on all models as it’s a feature they don’t need for 99.99% of their life, especially when grid operators generally don’t want people energising the grid from their batteries when the mains is down as it puts workmen at risk. Cables become live at unexpected times. So if you do have an inverter cable of running without mains you also have to have isolation switch so you only energised your own wiring.

An alternative is a separate isolated output that only ever runs on the generated power and not the mains, but that’s a pain for all the rest of the time.

Right but, for example,

• most solar Inverters require a power supply to operate and define the switching frequency.
• Distributed storage and private generation may have enabled some areas to get by on reduced supply.
• Turbines and solar farms may have been in locations threatened by the fires or been damaged by ash / other debris.
• Repairing grid structure whilst the may be private batteries or generation online (damaged or not) might slow things down for safety reasons.

Once the electrons are on the wires I agree with you, it’s all much the same. However there are other aspects and I expect we’re still learning the good and the bad.

I’d be more interested to know how things have been in the recent disaster scenarios. The fires have downed power infrastructure all over the place. Have renewables been a positive, negative, or no different in terms of keeping the power on for people?

Trump said. “They ruin the environment, they kill the birds, they kill the whales.”

So it’s not dogs and cats this time. Ok.

Investors are interested in projects that start making money quickly, and wind is pretty good at that over other power infrastructure. Trump is going to be fighting the free markets that he holds so dear.