Major power outages across the UK

[kabbes]

Bizarre. We get power cuts on an almost monthly basis. Often they last half a day, on one occasion it was three days (I went out and bought a generator after that). And yet this countrywide cut didn’t hit us at all. Go figure.

Reading the reports, I am genuinely astonished at the fuss people are making about not having power for a few hours. The hit to the transport network, I can totally understand complaining about. But the general shock-horror about shops being closed or not being able to use the leccy at home or things being quiet feels like, well, normal life to me!

 

[Badgers]

Bizarre. We get power cuts on an almost monthly basis. Often they last half a day, on one occasion it was three days (I went out and bought a generator after that). And yet this countrywide cut didn’t hit us at all. Go figure.

Reading the reports, I am genuinely astonished at the fuss people are making about not having power for a few hours. The hit to the transport network, I can totally understand complaining about. But the general shock-horror about shops being closed or not being able to use the leccy at home or things being quiet feels like, well, normal life to me!

I have up on London Bridge and trekked over to King's Cross just in time for the station to close to be fair most people were sitting around chatting, eating takeaway and a lot drinking beers or cans of gin. A few people getting irate at the staff but there were a lot heading away/home from holiday.

Only took me 4.5 hours to get the 50 mins home

All the shops were open and no power cut in Hertfordshire.

 

[cupid_stunt]

National Grid spokesman saying that 2 power stations going off-line within 2 minutes of each other is is very rare, the last time was in 2008. They had the grid back up to strength within 15 minutes, and the regional distribution companies then had to get their systems back up & running, which started happening bit by bit, with the last area back online at 90 minutes.

Of course, the big question is why with just a drop of 5% in power, the system took out the railways rather than more homes instead, because of the knock on effect that causes the railway network, resulting in trains being delayed for several hours.

 

[danny la rouge]

Pity likes. it’s come to this, MrCurry

 

[MrCurry]

National Grid spokesman saying that 2 power stations going off-line within 2 minutes of each other is is very rare, the last time was in 2008. They had the grid back up to strength within 15 minutes, and the regional distribution companies then had to get their systems back up & running, which started happening bit by bit, with the last area back online at 90 minutes.

Of course, the big question is why with just a drop of 5% in power, the system took out the railways rather than more homes instead, because of the knock on effect that causes the railway network, resulting in trains being delayed for several hours.

Tbh it’s made Mr Steve Holliday look a bit silly:

"The lights haven't gone out yet and thanks to the measures the government is putting in place this week they definitely won't go out in future. The UK has one of the most stable supplies of electricity in Europe."

Pity likes. it’s come to this, MrCurry

It really has. It’s the least I could do for you, and I fear it may be too little, too late.

 

[StoneRoad]

Noticed, on looking at Gridwatch, that the pumped storage stations went to full generate at approx 1700 on Friday.
But their contribution is a drop in the ocean (sorry) ...

It would appear that the national grid is not as resilient as it should be, and one or two places should check their back-up generators / UPS systems actually work.

Luckily, no power cut and I didn't notice even a brown-out here in SW Northumberland (If the voltage / supply frequency dropped. it wasn't enough to notice - we often get a minor drop at midnight which declares by a decrease in the lights)

 

[ViolentPanda]

Not just London. Large parts of the UK.

Major power failure affecting trains and airports Major power failure affecting trains and airports

What's a "power outage", ya fucken westyank?

Do you mean "power cut"?

 

[ViolentPanda]

Wtf is a brown out

It's when the lights go out, and you shit yourself.

 

[NoXion]

Bizarre. We get power cuts on an almost monthly basis. Often they last half a day, on one occasion it was three days (I went out and bought a generator after that). And yet this countrywide cut didn’t hit us at all. Go figure.

Reading the reports, I am genuinely astonished at the fuss people are making about not having power for a few hours. The hit to the transport network, I can totally understand complaining about. But the general shock-horror about shops being closed or not being able to use the leccy at home or things being quiet feels like, well, normal life to me!

I have never lived in any place where power cuts are a regular thing. I think you're just being ripped off by your power supplier.

 

[StoneRoad]

When we first moved into SW Northumberland, we were plagued by power cuts and brown outs. It took some major work on the supply network (a new switching / transformer station and some additional OHL) to solve that problem.

 

[kabbes]

I have never lived in any place where power cuts are a regular thing. I think you're just being ripped off by your power supplier.

Have you ever lived essentially in the woods, reliant on miles of power cables that are vulnerable to falling branches taking them out all along that network?

 

[TheHoodedClaw]

I have never lived in any place where power cuts are a regular thing. I think you're just being ripped off by your power supplier.

Depends how far out in the sticks you live. Power cables strung along telegraph poles next to roads and trees are pretty vulnerable.

 

[petee]

cans of gin

cans of gin?

 

[Serge Forward]

G&T in a can. It is a thing.

 

[weltweit]

Have you ever lived essentially in the woods, reliant on miles of power cables that are vulnerable to falling branches taking them out all along that network?

Yes, I do live there. And the first thing we thought on the cut yesterday (whenever) was that it was a tree down on the line somewhere.

 

[Proper Tidy]

I lived in the sticks for a bit. Peace and quiet and tranquility was lovely. Amenities, electricity and broadband were shit. Now I live on a road with a corner shop, a fibre cabinet 50 ft away and a substation half a mile up the road. On balance I quite like having lights and milk.

 

[Poi E]

Yeah they have both in the Faroe Islands. Can be done.

 

[equationgirl]

This is power station maintenance season, which always happens over the summer months, so some power stations would have been offline anyway. This means that only some are generating, and if they go down for whatever reason, there's not enough power going into the grid to meet demand. There were also high winds on Friday, so some wind farms may also have been offline.

 

[weltweit]

..
There were also high winds on Friday, so some wind farms may also have been offline.

Seems odd, too much wind for windfarms? The usual criticism of them being that there is not enough wind! I suppose like anything they have design limits.

 

[ViolentPanda]

cans of gin?

All sorts of ready-mixed shit available, including the blasphemous bourbon and cola.

 

[ViolentPanda]

G&T in a can. It is a thing.

Doesn't contain enough gin, so I've been told. Hold on, lets ask a ginophile friendofdorothy .

 

[equationgirl]

Seems odd, too much wind for windfarms? The usual criticism of them being that there is not enough wind! I suppose like anything they have design limits.

Yes, a lot of wind turbines have a narrow operating range. It's more likely that there will be damage at high wind speeds, so they tend to get switched off.

 

[StoneRoad]

They "feather" the blades when the wind / gusts speed is predicted to exceed the safe operating wind speed.
otherwise ...

O&S - Ardrossan 2012 par StoneRoad2013, on ipernity

Most of the edf nuclear stations plan down time for the summer season. It was the same for the base load coal fired plant, as the boilers needed regular cleaning and other maintenance.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Yes, a lot of wind turbines have a narrow operating range. It's more likely that there will be damage at high wind speeds, so they tend to get switched off.

That wasn't the case here, it's widely reported the turbines were still turning, but there was a technical problem with connecting to the grid.

We had gusts of over 70 mph, and our wind-farm continued to operate as normal, gusts of around 100 mph is when it becomes an issue.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Doesn't contain enough gin, so I've been told. Hold on, lets ask a ginophile friendofdorothy .

Sainsbury's G & T cans are shit - far too dilute. M & S ones are better - a more acceptable amount of gin.

The branded cans (Gordon's?) are not great either.

 

[moochedit]

I never noticed any power cuts here. Is this still going on anywhere?

 

[cupid_stunt]

I never noticed any power cuts here. Is this still going on anywhere?

No, it was only for a maximum of 90 minutes depending on the area, the national grid was actually back to normal in 15 minutes, it just took the regional distribution companies a little longer to get back online.

Apparently part of the reason for trains being delayed for several hours beyond that, was because drivers couldn't get them started, as the modern on-board computers had totally shut-down, so they had to wait for technicians to come out.

 

[moochedit]

Apparently part of the reason for trains being delayed for several hours beyond that, was because drivers couldn't get them started, as the modern on-board computers had totally shut-down, so they had to wait for technicians to come out.

I thought "turning off and on again" fixed computers not broke them

 

[cupid_stunt]

I thought "turning off and on again" fixed computers not broke them

It appears not with these modern trains.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I thought "turning off and on again" fixed computers not broke them

I've been on trains where the train manager has rebooted it due to it being in a strop. It's a bit odd with everything on the vehicle switching off, but it usually works.