National Grid | Fully Charged

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 พ.ค. 2012
  • Robert Llewellyn visits the National Grid to find out what it's all about!
    LIKE Fully Charged on Facebook @ www. FullyChargedShow
    Fully Charged Podcast on iTunes @ bit.ly/fullchargediTunes
    The National Grid is a high-voltage electric power transmission network, connecting power stations and 340+ substations ensuring supply and demand is in the balance. Nigel Williams speaks to Robert Llewellyn about how the National Grid works in Great Britain, and what challenges it faces with the rapidly changing world.
    Fully Charged is an online show hosted by Robert Llewellyn (Red Dwarf, Scrapheap Challenge, Carpool), sponsored by British Gas: Looking After Your World. During this series, Robert will discuss why we need to change how we think about energy consumption now. He will be taking a look at the newest electric cars available on the market [Volvo, Ford, Peugeot, Renault & Nissan] and also different forms of renewable energy [Wind and Solar].
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ความคิดเห็น • 290

  • @morganjones6753
    @morganjones6753 7 ปีที่แล้ว +223

    Would be nice too see a new video on the national grid and see how much it's changed since this video!

    • @zapfanzapfan
      @zapfanzapfan 6 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Yes, wind was almost non existing and solar wasn't even included. We need an update.

    • @AbovetheanklesCoUk1
      @AbovetheanklesCoUk1 6 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Wind is doing fantastically well at the moment.

    • @Teddy_Bass
      @Teddy_Bass 6 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Coal Capacity would be down

    • @paradisebreeze1705
      @paradisebreeze1705 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@AbovetheanklesCoUk1 32% yesterday

    • @johnas2004
      @johnas2004 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Any change of a re-visit in 2019 please? As per 2:12 coal was 19GW or about half of the UK generation, this summer it has quite often been 0%. Also post the August power cut would be great to see some stats from that day.

  • @ASilentS
    @ASilentS 7 ปีที่แล้ว +45

    It would be interesting for Robert to go back today and see what's changed in 5 years.

    • @yarkmates3409
      @yarkmates3409 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      SilentS this videos was posted in 2012 , your comment was 2018 , mine is 2019 obviously so already far over the five ....but I do wonder upon the differences

    • @MattJBaugh
      @MattJBaugh 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      This link shows the current UK demand, it's interesting to see how much it has changed since this video www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

    • @tonyhussey3610
      @tonyhussey3610 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      8 years on...

    • @sonyakhalfina7219
      @sonyakhalfina7219 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@yarkmates3409 well I'm here in 2021, so...

    • @yarkmates3409
      @yarkmates3409 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@sonyakhalfina7219 so......... What's changed?

  • @robincb
    @robincb 8 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    this is actually really freaking interesting, I would love to hear more about our infrastructure

  • @jfbeam
    @jfbeam 7 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    I love how his tie appears to be an afterthought.

  • @JAxford
    @JAxford 9 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Very insightful. Great interview with quality questions and answers. Thanks

  • @sheponbass
    @sheponbass 7 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    Hi Bobby... just re-watched this after five years and it's striking how much the numbers have changed since! Any chance of you doing a follow-up visit to update us? I'm particularly interested in the context of stuff like the Electric Nation smart charging trial project, which I'm just in the process of joining

  • @CorvetteAustin24
    @CorvetteAustin24 6 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Very informative video! Thanks for the great content, even from 6 years ago! Keep up the great work.

  • @markgoogolplex2572
    @markgoogolplex2572 10 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    This was extremely interesting. Great information and insightful questions from Robert!

  • @sophrapsune
    @sophrapsune 6 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Brilliant episode. It would be great to see an update!

  • @AudiMouse
    @AudiMouse 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is brilliant! It's great to see some of the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes on to keep things working. I worked at a power station for a few years, and even we didn't get to see much of this bigger picture.

  • @McRocket
    @McRocket 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    This was a brilliant episode Robert. Fascinating...really filled in some blanks I had about the UK power grid.
    You asked great questions and I thought the fellow you interviewed did a marvelous job as well.
    Thanks again.

  • @givememorebliss
    @givememorebliss 7 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    4:05 "Integration with Europe is an issue" - well, he predicted Brexit. Hats off.

  • @XavierDecuyper
    @XavierDecuyper ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This video deserves way more views! Super interesting!

  • @free_spirit1
    @free_spirit1 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Robert, this was your absolute best video I've seen so far, and I can't believe I've seen it only now.

  • @TRYtoHELPyou
    @TRYtoHELPyou 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    this is a video that should be a prerequisite for all new subscribers to watch... im sad that its taken me this long to know that this video was made. what a great video!

  • @cooliobarrio
    @cooliobarrio 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Brilliant episode again. Experts have been getting better and better as the series has gone on.

  • @fullychargedshow
    @fullychargedshow  12 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    All I can say is please keep tuned. We discuss tidal turbines in detail in a future episode.

    • @KennyTew2
      @KennyTew2 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      It’d be great to see a revisit of this video.

    • @fullychargedshow
      @fullychargedshow  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@KennyTew2 I was working there recently and a return visit is definitely on the cards, and soon. And it has changed, oh lordy. When I went 11 years ago coal was producing around 30% of all over electricity. Now it's 0,05% over the year, wind has grown from around 9% peak back then to regularly peaking at 65% plus. So big big changes.

  • @CharlieStyr
    @CharlieStyr 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    This was so interesting! Really fantastic seeing the details and the inside of something that I have never seen. When people throw around complaints and comments about the grid it now makes a lot more sense having seen the control centre. Really great episode, thanks! :)

  • @urGermanfriend
    @urGermanfriend 12 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I absolutely loved this interview. It wasn't too enthusiatsic, not too pessimistic. He just said it the way it was. Simple unbiased facts.

  • @solentclips
    @solentclips 12 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    There's a balance point with distance where for the same size of conductor you can economically transmit more power with dc than ac, you have to bring in the cost of the convertors at each end. The main difference - with dc the volts are always there, with ac it's a rms value so you have to insulate for the peak, but don't get the full benefit

  • @marknquinn
    @marknquinn 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Really enjoyed this episode, well done & thank you!
    Never seen the innards of the national grid before, amazing to see real time numbers for energy generation, and also learn of the practical issues with supply & demand. The control room looked somewhat similar to a financial stock exchange! Most interesting!

  • @andyphillips7435
    @andyphillips7435 6 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    As below, please do again with same guy and same figures for comparison

  • @GuanoLad
    @GuanoLad 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    That was a fantastic episode. I understood almost all of it!

  • @Mugs64
    @Mugs64 7 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    @ 2:09 Wow...44% coal & 0.7% wind! Today Coal doesn't even get near double figures and wind is routinely more than double, sometime triple, that of coal today. Solar hit it's record this year with 24.3% in March!!!
    Would be really interesting to see an update on this video.

    • @iancooper418
      @iancooper418 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      gridwatch.co.uk

    • @paladinoestetica1915
      @paladinoestetica1915 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      It's about 1% wind and 50% gas rn. wind is just too unreliable.

  • @bannor99
    @bannor99 12 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Not even 5,000 subscribers? C'mon, people. Let's spread the word about Fully Charged!!!

  • @timengstrom14
    @timengstrom14 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Robert your channel is fascinating. Keep it up!

  • @ellieosborne2570
    @ellieosborne2570 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    science lesson gang
    -->

  • @neilens
    @neilens 12 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Myles Dyer brought me to this video and I'm extremely grateful! I can't wait for the future look into tidal energy and I'm also looking into jobs at the national grid now.
    Keep up the great work producers of this series!

    • @LaluBhaiya1233
      @LaluBhaiya1233 25 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Doesn't appear that much has happened in regard to tidal power

  • @brucekennedy5274
    @brucekennedy5274 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Just watched this. Brilliant. As so many others have requested, a return visit would be fascinating - just to see the change in RE vs coal etc.

  • @tommcmillan69
    @tommcmillan69 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Fantastic video. Very informative : )

  • @GITsL9I
    @GITsL9I 12 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    It's because we are pretty awesome ;)
    Working with NG is great though in all honesty, we all love our work and know that we have some amazing challenges ahead of us! I, for one, am very much looking forward to what's coming over the next few years!

  • @ELGee1
    @ELGee1 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    great video! lots of nice info on the screens so..

  • @avinashpradhan5030
    @avinashpradhan5030 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Very informative many thanks for this video👍

  • @OllieJonsson
    @OllieJonsson 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Very good episode. Thank you!

  • @kiltrash1
    @kiltrash1 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Please can we have an update for 2020 showing how the generation mix has changed. Thanks!

  • @msyin9
    @msyin9 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Brilliant show Robert. You are really covering lots of bases. I am really looking forward to what you have next. Keep up the great work.

  • @mrydeuk
    @mrydeuk 10 ปีที่แล้ว

    How more iconic do you need!!
    Robert LLewelyn (hope Ive spelt that right),,,
    Thank you - inspirational and unbelieveable

  • @abdulsslamkhierallah5170
    @abdulsslamkhierallah5170 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    Brilliant episode!

  • @rentoz
    @rentoz 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Well done! Loved it!

  • @TerraRoot
    @TerraRoot 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    great stuff as ever, hope it never gets dumbed down or drawn out for tele.

  • @misaq9606
    @misaq9606 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Close to 9 years since this has been released when I am watching.

  • @Doubledig
    @Doubledig 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Interesting. Nigel Williams knows his stuff and gives very clear information. Please can we have a National Grid update interview?

  • @mossyhils
    @mossyhils 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thought this wouldn't be for me (not known for an interest in elec gen) BUT loved it. interesting and well presented. more of same please! This channel is MUCH better than TV... Just followed you on twitter so I can stay up to date. Marvellous. Keep on keeping on.

  • @rasmusgundersen3502
    @rasmusgundersen3502 8 ปีที่แล้ว

    Fantastic to see!!

  • @tgm9991
    @tgm9991 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Will you be able to get in and do an updated video of this and also discuss in more detail the impact of half hour readings from smart meters, micro generation and vehicle to grid will have on the national grid.

  • @GITsL9I
    @GITsL9I 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Yep, even in summer
    That's amazing, so very different to what we see over here! We get a very steep rise in the morning, flat for most of the day, another rise in the evening and then a nice steep drop-off when everyone goes to bed!
    Wonder what the differences are which contribute to such a massive difference in energy usage over the day

  • @Velldog
    @Velldog 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Great, informative video thanks.
    Although, when using a multicamera set up you really should white balance your cameras properly so you can properly match the colours in post.

  • @taztaz79
    @taztaz79 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    love your videos! thanks! :)

  • @JimFaith
    @JimFaith 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Excellent segment. Please visit Mr. Williams again for a 2019 update. Thanks.

  • @vaudevillian7
    @vaudevillian7 11 ปีที่แล้ว

    Morning and evening cups of tea, before and after work ;)

  • @tech-rich
    @tech-rich 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Really interesting stuff! Nice work.

  • @be4tnl
    @be4tnl 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    great vid!
    funny that the grid control room looks just the same like over here

  • @EdgyNumber1
    @EdgyNumber1 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    An oldie but I've just seen this one. Very interesting episode, bobbylew!

  • @jkchravel
    @jkchravel 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    be good to have an updated video. great vid

  • @Surlywombat
    @Surlywombat 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Really interesting to get a look in there!

  • @lrochfort
    @lrochfort 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    Wouldn't happen to be a stone's throw away from where you filmed Scrapheap challenge? ;) Snuck into the set when I randomly discovered it. Very cool.

  • @greenmotorsport
    @greenmotorsport 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great Video!

  • @scottrichmond9903
    @scottrichmond9903 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Robert! We need to have an update!
    We all want to know how much difference has happened in 8+ years!

  • @engrsaleem.76
    @engrsaleem.76 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    thanks you sir for providing such valuable information.....Sir please make a video on which softwares are mostly used in national grids....thanks

  • @DLonergan
    @DLonergan 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Excellent reporting

  • @TomasC
    @TomasC 12 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Nigel suddenly has a pair of glasses on his head at 3:02 haha
    great video by the way, very interesting

  • @DanFrederiksen
    @DanFrederiksen 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    great episode Louie : ) he seemed to actually know things, how unusual.

  • @pallhe
    @pallhe 11 ปีที่แล้ว

    Amazing stuff.

  • @TassieEV
    @TassieEV 12 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Fantastic episode Robert. I would tend to say keep the show as webisodes as going to TV means the entire international viewership will be disadvantaged due to the idiotic rules the big media players have placed.
    Also keep up the great work you have done, seen every episode right from pilot and even re-watch episodes from time-to-time(something that cannot be done in mainstream(excluding those that have recorded onto PVRs/MediaCentrePCs/etc.)

  • @Neon1024
    @Neon1024 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Really interesting, good work.

  • @pikapika5301
    @pikapika5301 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Here in 2018 right this second wind meeting 33% of UK demand.

  • @mdkawsherhamid5068
    @mdkawsherhamid5068 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    wow...thanks a lot...

  • @gorilladroid
    @gorilladroid 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Very informative. Tied up a lot questions I had - and a few I didn't know I had. Created one though: the 'bootstraps' are dc? I thought ac was required for long distance transmission?

  • @Grumpy_old_Boot
    @Grumpy_old_Boot 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    That really was a very interesting episode.
    It would be interesting to hear some insights on some of the other bigwigs of the industry, such as :
    - How much energy does a national communications grid like the telephone network consume ?
    - How much energy is used in road signals ?
    - How much energy is used in trains ?
    - What is British Gas up to ? :)
    All stuff that the normal private person don't have a chance of getting info on themselves, but something that Robert has a chance to obtain. :)

  • @davidball1924
    @davidball1924 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Please please please do this interview again so we can see how things have progressed with the grid

  • @semkras
    @semkras 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    very intresting video , thanks

  • @Grumpy_old_Boot
    @Grumpy_old_Boot 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Wikipedia has an article called "Cost of electricity by source", where Coal and Natural Gas seems to be the two cheapest sources in general. There are several sets of numbers that vary somewhat due to them being from studies in different countries and plant variations, etc, etc.
    Stilll, it's a good read. :)

  • @jamessmith99731
    @jamessmith99731 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Really interesting episode.

  • @GITsL9I
    @GITsL9I 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Anyway, having popped a few replies down here, I just wanted to say thanks to Rob for coming over! Looks like you enjoyed yourself, shame I didn't get a chance to meet you in person... maybe next time.

  • @chris-vn6sw
    @chris-vn6sw 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Anyone know the title of the fully charged video showing the power station producing electricity from air. Thx

  • @HesteBremse
    @HesteBremse 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Really Good Informative episode - Thanks. And i never heard about the Water Storage thing, --does anybody knows how much power is lost that way ? because it seems pretty smart to store energy in "nature" rather that toxic batteries.

  • @KuraIthys
    @KuraIthys 12 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Very good question. I've seen other documentaries on the national grid that show there's also an issue around how long it takes to turn a particular type of power plant on or off... (A coal plant taking about 2 hours, nuclear can take a day or more, and gas can be turned on within about 5 minutes) - but as to cost, gas seems to be the most expensive by far, and unfortunately, I think coal still remains cheapest overall.

  • @timw1971
    @timw1971 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Nigel Williams made some good predictions. As I write at the start of 2020, the SMMT say there's about 275,000 EVs on the road, and if the current trend continues, there will be about 365,000 by the end of 2020. Nigel's predicted 500,000 by the end of 2020 being in the right ball park.

  • @tSp289
    @tSp289 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Seeing coal at the top of the board there 6 years ago, and seeing now that it's 0.0%, shows some great progress. Admittedly most of the slack has been taken up by gas, but it's still cleaner than coal.

  • @networker66
    @networker66 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Very informative report about the challenges to operate the national Grid in the UK.
    EV Recharge network Operator Better Place has built a network operation center which manages the recharging of their subscribed EVs centrally. They exchange information about available energy and demand with the grid operators in Israel. They charging their batteries when power is available and cheap and slow down charging when the demand peaks. Wonder if you can manage to get in the NOC of Better Place too.

  • @BHFJohnny
    @BHFJohnny 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Very nice video. It surprised me that you've got 50Hz too in UK, I thought is was 60Hz and there was a problem with connecting to the rest of Europe because of it.

  • @roidroid
    @roidroid 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    oop, when i said "pre-empts" i ment the opposite: "follows".
    ie: when you finally get to home/work, you first plug your car in, then you go inside and turn on the kettle/TV/PC. So the plugging in of the car's battery residue is wonderfully synchronised to offset whatever grid demand you will have now that you have arrived at your destination.

  • @PaulChurchley
    @PaulChurchley 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Robert, this is a super video. As an electric car owner it tells me that overnight charging is the way to go to fill in the "bath tub" of demand. It also tells me that electric vehicles are not going to cause a melt down of the grid as so many doom-sayers predict.
    Thanks for this superb report.

    • @captspiff6922
      @captspiff6922 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      I hope you also learned that the "doom sayers" usually have an agenda, and it's always sideways from where they are pointing.

  • @89kab
    @89kab 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Dinorwig Power Station (info on wikipedia) That is exactly what they do actually, this station in Wales pumps water to the top of a reservoir, and then releases it when required. They lose energy by doing this, but it does mean that during power surges you mantain a supply. I was told by a physics teacher that if it wasn't for this station the miners strikes may have suceeded, instead the station provided power during large surges.

  • @thegadgetdude
    @thegadgetdude 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    very interesting!

  • @bannor99
    @bannor99 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    One of the advantages of PV is that its peak output is well-matched to peak demand, in most places.
    PV, in sufficient quantities, does a great job of leveling the midday peak, when utilities would be forced to bring their most expensive and inefficient peaker plants online.

  • @nielsdaemen
    @nielsdaemen 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    *I would love to see an update on this, a lot has changed in 11 years!*

  • @GITsL9I
    @GITsL9I 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    There is also the whole issue of home style PV being completely unmetered in real time, much like Nigel was saying, it's very difficult to balance the network when we are unaware of how much of the demand is being hidden by people using solar panels.
    The only way NG sees embedded generation is as a reduction in demand, we recieve no data from the feed in tarriff at all... can be rather troublesome when a storm begins coming across the UK. We actually see the demand rise area by area.

  • @kleinbottled79
    @kleinbottled79 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great episode among many, subbed. Wonder if the smarter grid could use those 100,000's of thousands of electric cars (in future) to help level the grid in ways other that just 'filling in the bathtub'? Chargers that could charge faster or slower depending on the needs of the grid perhaps? btw : anyone else notice the aura of awesome radiating from Nigel and rest of NG staff? who knew.

  • @gigitrix
    @gigitrix 11 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I could sit in that control room just looking at those displays for a whole day...

  • @toyotaprius79
    @toyotaprius79 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Fully Charged, as always since episode 01 have always been interesting.
    Yet, since when you got the sponsorship from British Gas, everything has been far more professional, especially the camera quality!
    Robert, I think this is well good enough to appear on the teley. Something like the Discovery Channel maybe. You got CarPool in Dave and it was a success!
    This is really proper quality stuff, even on television standards!

  • @Grumpy_old_Boot
    @Grumpy_old_Boot 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Over long distances, you also get issues with synchronization of frequency due to time delay with AC power, no such issues with DC.

  • @djmattc1978
    @djmattc1978 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Would be nice to have an update from the same location!

  • @MaxwellsDaemon
    @MaxwellsDaemon 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    For those interested, you can view the real time demand & transfers on the national grid website. Unfortunately youtube blocks links from comments.

  • @owenwheatley9743
    @owenwheatley9743 ปีที่แล้ว

    “A storage solution, that’s just what we need”
    Well over 10 years later Tesla is installing Mega packs for energy storage. A drop in the pond for now but you have to start somewhere. With renewables needing to take on a bigger role storage is key. (I’m my opinion :) )

  • @bannor99
    @bannor99 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    At real utility scale, even those might be too costly. But the pumped heat technology with gravel "batteries" that is being developed by Isentropic in the UK shows great promise.

  • @beckham417
    @beckham417 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Need an update video on this ASAP so much has changed

  • @bannor99
    @bannor99 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Not sure but widespread use of air conditioners probably is a big factor in midday summer usage.
    I'm the only one of my entire circle of friends and colleagues who doesn't use one at home.

  • @adamgrant100
    @adamgrant100 12 ปีที่แล้ว

    Wow, that National Grid guy really knows his stuff. I know he needs to, and should, but still, impressive. Lots of food for thought there for us all.

  • @bjconway2474
    @bjconway2474 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    It would be really cool if you could do a revisit of this video 10 years further on.