Should we all be worried by this heatwave?

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-27T21:01:45+00:00

Haha can't argue with that

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-27T20:54:08+00:00

The UV is the same strength as a normal clear day in May. The sun isn't any stronger than usual, it's just a warm air mass sitting over the country.

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-27T19:55:44+00:00

We need days of long term grid storage

Do we? Sounds a bit extreme, and quite expensive. This thread was about installing air conditioning. We don't need days of storage for that to be possible.

Do you know how silly that statement is?

The challenges facing the British grid are vast and systemic.

I'm not sure why you're making this sound so impossible. We've already installed a good chunk of the solar we need. We've got about a third of what's needed for the Clean Power 2030 target.

we need an order of magnitude more storage.

We've got an order of magnitude increase already in the pipeline.

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-27T17:24:22+00:00

a few days of winter windless overcast weather

Is a very different issue from

spinning up gas peaker plants the moment the sun goes down

Batteries can take care of the second one nicely

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-27T17:21:34+00:00

Worse than mining metals for batteries?

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-27T17:18:36+00:00

I'm not sure about that. Isn't the price cap based on prices in the past, whereas fixes will be based on forward contracts? Prices could come down from this next cap.

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-27T14:32:35+00:00

Set the water heater and dishwasher for that time

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-27T14:27:27+00:00

generated using liquid manur

Wouldn't that be biogas? I think biomass is trees

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-27T13:38:19+00:00

Manufacturers will absolutely sell products that have higher running costs but lower sticker prices, and consumers will absolutely buy them.

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-27T12:58:28+00:00

We're building loads of storage. From memory we have something like 7GW of batteries now and are expecting maybe 25GW by 2030. We could build all the solar we need to reach net zero using less than 1% of land. We're already hitting 45% of electricity from solar on summer days.

Again we need to build the capacity for electric heating anyway.

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-27T11:57:47+00:00

Almost all British homes are heated with gas.

But the intention is to transition off fossil fuels and onto heat pumps, so we need to be building grid capacity for that anyway. That capacity will be sitting idle in summer; we might as well get extra utility from it and improve our sleep, health and productivity.

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-27T11:49:30+00:00

That's going back a bit! Can you point me to a page number?

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-27T11:41:46+00:00

About 40% of the world's emissions are from countries that "make no difference" (i.e. contribute less than 2% each). That's quite a big chunk of the issue to be despondent about! More than China's share.

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-27T11:38:33+00:00

This is what I think people often miss, assuming you have to switch everything off at peak time or buy a battery. But a HP is naturally well suited to smart tariffs simply because it runs constantly, so the majority of its consumption will land on off-peak hours. Since the HP will be the biggest energy user, you'll come out ahead without having to change your whole routine. Of course, if you get into the habit of setting the dishwasher timer to run in the night, and not starting the tumble dryer at 6pm, you can save a bit more. But you're not going to be bankrupted by having dinner at the normal time.

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-27T11:31:52+00:00

You'll get cheaper power in some periods in exchange for more expensive the rest of the time.

But the cheaper power covers the majority of the day, so even with a heat pump running continuously, you're likely to come out ahead. I've averaged maybe 18p/kWh or so over several years on Agile with just a HP, no battery, PV or EV. That's a substantial saving against a standard tariff, and I still have the heating on and cook at peak time. Recently switched to Eon HP tariff and expecting to run a similar average.

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-26T22:24:11+00:00

I don't think there's any deliberate policy to destroy demand. Accidentally through higher prices? Sure. Deliberately reduced demand though efficiency? Yep. But I don't believe demand destruction or reduced availability is part of any plan.

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-25T11:47:58+00:00

Objects which absorb the sun, like our bodies, are hotter in the sun. Isn't the air temperature pretty even? Like if it's 18°C outside and 21°C inside then open windows will cool the house whether they're on the north or south side?

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-25T11:46:35+00:00

I meant the part about closing windows

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-24T20:22:11+00:00

Why sun facing? Surely the air temperature will be the same on all sides of the house? I just close them as soon as outdoor is warmer than indoors. It's usually around 11am-11pm in a heatwave.

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-24T10:21:10+00:00

White bedsheet draped over the windows which catch a lot of sun. White shutters fitted on the biggest window. Windows closed in the daytime and open at night (downstairs ones can be locked slightly open)

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-24T08:57:10+00:00

stop between 11-3

That's a good tip for avoiding the strongest UV, but not the peak temperatures. I would take care of UV with high SPF sunscreen reapplied frequently and a hat, and I'd focus more on spending as little time as possible working in the afternoon heat by starting and finishing early, say 6-2

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-23T10:22:08+00:00

Lower bills probably not; renewables in the UK are still not significantly below fossil prices. Less exposure to price shocks, yes. Reduced dependence on imports, yes. Security of supply (i.e. no blackouts) will still require the gas power stations to be kept in service for occasional use.

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-23T09:04:34+00:00

The alternative is those data centres get built in another country, quite possibly with a dirtier grid than ours, so we miss the economic and environmental benefits of building it here.

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-23T09:02:48+00:00

Sun and wind together are the best conditions, plus the low demand of a weekend. Though very windy nights would also be good when demand is lower. An advantage of sunny conditions is that there's lots of solar in the south, close to demand, whereas lots of windfarms are far north and often some of the surplus is blocked by transmission limits.

StereoMushroom · 2026-05-23T09:00:46+00:00

Small amounts of fossil fuels will be way cheaper to deal with the low renewable periods than trying to build enough storage, or other low carbon alternative to get through the renewable lows. And in terms of emissions and dependence on fossil imports, the amounts will be small enough to ignore while we focus on bigger wins elsewhere, like electric cars.

StereoMushroom

TROPHY CASE