Just to add that I was told by a very reliable person who is at the centre of these thingsthat no domestically produced electricity from solar panels reaches the grid.
He told me that all such electricity is lost at the first substation it meets, dissipated as heat.
Well, he's kind of correct, but also wrong. The 'National Grid' consists of the 400kV Transmission Network and the 12 or so 240V Distribution Networks, so to say 'it never reaches the grid' is only correct if you mean the Transmission Network element of the grid. Locally produced 240V Export is only used in the part of the grid downstream of the local substation, so he's right there, but each substation feeds a number of homes so to be 'dissipated as heat' implies that no other premises in the area are using any electricity at the time, the odds of which are vanishingly remote. Any locally produced power will be used rathe than drawing more power through the substation.
But yes, the grid was originally set up to deliver rather than collect and there's a lot of engineering work to be done yet. None of it is impossible though, it's just a matter of time. And yes, the intention is that we should be producing the energy we need rather than becoming mini power stations, exporting to all and sundry. That's why having batteries is a key part of a modern installation.
I put your views to my client and he was emphatic that the national grid is high voltage and does not include the distribution networks. He pointed me to the nat grid website...https://www.nationalgrid.com where there is a one and a half minute video on the opening page confirming what he says. He further pointed to
https://www.nationalgrid.com/electricity-transmission/about-us where he asked me to note that they have dropped all reference to solar as a source! He went on ( I almost wished I hadn't asked him about it) to say that actually domestically generated electricity can't even get into the down flow from the substation. He said that if you lived in a close and there was a power cut, then your next door neighbour "downstream" may be able to pick up some from you but that if electricity was flowing normally there is no way you can add yours to it. Also, if everyone in the street has joined the solar panel thing then even in a power cut there's no way to harness the excess.
He reiterated that all new solar farms are being placed to feed adjacent units and that is why they can't take proper advantage of the acres of available warehoue roofing which looks like such a good idea.
He did mutter something about 3 phase electricity which I didn't understand and finished with his view that all new housing should be wired for low voltage lighting so that there would be no invertor waste if wall batteries fitted.
Wow, do bear in mind that this chap makes his vast income from the installation of solar, both domestic and commercial, but mostly big industrial stuff.
Nick
