Blackouts are back in the news again, but are they actually increasing? We’ve got the facts.
Britain has one of the world’s most robust electrical grids, but even so, power cuts can still happen. We’d wager you’ve experienced one yourself – two out of three Brits have had a power cut at least once in their lives.
And while it can be a novelty to get the candles out, you don’t want power cuts to be a regular occurrence.
You might be worried then by the recent news reports about blackouts. Perhaps you’re wondering if they’re becoming more common, and what you should do if that’s the truth.
Worry not, because we’ve got all the answers here. We’ll tell you if power cuts are increasing, what causes blackouts, how the UK’s electrical grid is responding, and what you can do to prepare for a power cut.
You can help shield against power cuts with the right solar plus battery storage setup. We’re MCS-certified installers, so why not answer a few simple questions, get your fixed price and arrange your free design.
Key Points:
Power cuts are caused by unexpected shifts in the supply or demand of electricity
Ageing infrastructure is key factor in power cuts
Blackouts are actually less common than they were over a decade ago
Only certain types of batteries will keep your home running during a blackout
Are Power Cuts Actually Increasing?
No, power cuts aren’t increasing in the UK and in fact, they’re actually decreasing.
Despite what the news might have you believe, the average UK household experiences around 43% less power cuts than they did back in 2011. This is according to data from Ofem.
We’re also spending 46% less time without electricity, again according to Ofgem. So there’s less need than ever to get the emergency candles out.
Could Power Cuts Still Become More Common?
Despite power cuts decreasing in frequency, the increased use of renewable energy sources could potentially make them more common.
This would only be a short term situation however, and there’s already plans in place to ensure the switch to renewables brings as few power cuts as possible.
Here’s why the switch to renewables could temporarily increase power cuts:
More renewables could make power cuts more common in the short term because our grid wasn’t built with them in mind. Basically, an old fashioned power station using fuels could keep a turbine spinning (inertia) even when the energy source stopped for a moment.
The inertia generated by the spinning turbines would continue to send power to the grid to keep things running, but solar farms and wind farms typically don’t create inertia.
Without inertia, natural events such as a lightning strike can cause the frequency to drop too fast. This leads to a blackout, because the grid’s preventative measures can’t kick in quick enough.
How Will Renewables Address This Problem?
Thankfully, there are already solutions to address the fact solar and wind farms don’t generate inertia.
Called ‘Grid Forming’, this allows solar, wind, and battery-based operations to generate synthetic inertia, effectively emulating the inertia generated by physical turbines in old power stations.
This process, like physical inertia, will slowly release electricity to the grid, instead of all at once, which is a current problem with renewable energy sources.
Now the main issue is getting this technology adopted by as many renewable energy providers as possible. NESO (National Energy System Operator) is working to make this easier, because it’s going to be essential to helping the UK’s power grid adapt to renewables.
Another idea is building giant ‘rotary storage systems’ made from multiple flywheels to recreate inertia for renewable energy sources. These rotary storage systems keep the grid balanced in two ways:
When the grid’s frequency exceeds a certain amount due to a surplus of electricity, the rotary storage systems switch to motor mode, drawing electricity from the grid and preventing it from getting overloaded.
If the grid’s frequency falls too low, the machine then releases stored electricity back to the grid.
The smartest part of this machine is that you don’t need controls for it to work – it simply follows the physical law of inertia and regulates itself.
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What’s Driving Outages?
There are many factors driving power outages, including infrastructure strain, energy demand spikes, and increasing frequency of extreme weather patterns caused by climate change. Let’s break it down in more detail:
Infrastructure strain – Britain’s electric grid was built around coal, gas, and nuclear power stations and much of it is ageing.
It was designed with the aforementioned inertia in mind too, so the increasing inclusion of renewable energy sources is a problem.
Renewable intermittency – As much as we need to switch to more renewable energy sources, right now we face the problem of intermittency.
The sun isn’t always shining and the wind isn’t always blowing, leading to supply gaps in the grid which can cause a blackout. Equally, surges in power generation from renewables can damage the ageing grid infrastructure and also cause a blackout.
Energy demand spikes – An increase in technology such as electric vehicles and electric heating (more people than ever are installing heat pumps, thanks to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme) means demand spikes on the grid will be heavier.
If the grid isn’t capable of managing these spikes (and in its current state, parts of it definitely aren’t), it could lead to power cuts.
Extreme weather – Climate change is bringing more extreme weather events to the UK. Violent storms and heatwaves are occurring more often and putting greater strain on the grid.
For example, 2021 saw Storm Arwen trigger power cuts for over one million UK households. Heatwaves on the other hand, increase the need for air conditioning, which puts a high demand on the grid, potentially leading to more blackouts.
Global events – Conflict and natural disasters can play a big part in outages. Take Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which triggered blackout fears in winter 22/23.
Russia’s gas was used extensively by UK power stations, and after Russia cut gas supplies to Europe, the UK prepared for planned blackouts to reduce the total consumption of electricity.
Thankfully, this never came to pass, but it shows how global events can lead to power cuts here in the UK.
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How Is the UK’s Grid Responding to Power Cuts?
The UK’s grid is responding to power cuts in many ways, utilising technology and incentives to reduce their frequency.
Smart grid technology for example, combines advanced sensors and software to help the grid match the supply and demand of electricity more effectively. In other words, it’ll work to keep the grid balanced and neither under or overloaded.
Then there’s battery storage, something many UK homes already have installed, only at a much grander scale.
Grid-scale storage would hold vast amounts of electricity generated by renewables and then feed it back into the grid when needed. This approach would help mitigate the problem of intermittency with renewable energy sources.
Another idea for solving intermittency is the use of interconnectors – high-voltage land and subsea cables connecting the electricity systems of other countries.
Basically, they let countries provide each other with clean electricity when one or the other has a surplus or deficit. For grids built with renewables in mind, this is ideal, because extra clean energy can be quickly traded and shared to help with increases in demand.
The grid is also working to stabilise the supply of electricity, partnering with energy providers to build new or upgrade existing assets. First and foremost is solving the issue of inertia, which we covered earlier.
Doing this will dramatically help the grid take on more renewable energy sources without increasing the risk of instability.
The UK government's Clean Power 2030 Action Plan is the driving force behind this, and it’s designed to help the UK transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources as smoothly as possible.
Finally, the role of domestic renewables in easing power cuts can’t be understated. The more homes using technology such as solar panels to generate their own electricity, the less strain there is on the grid.
Domestic renewables can help feed electricity into the grid via initiatives such as the Smart Export Guarantee, and certain tariffs like Octopus’s Intelligent Octopus Go do something similar via a ‘virtual power plant’.
What Can You Do to Prepare for Power Cuts?
The most effective way to protect yourself against a power cut is by installing your own power supply.
Be aware however, that you can’t just get any battery and expect it to automatically work when the power goes out.
Most battery systems will immediately disconnect from the grid during a blackout, so they don’t feed electricity back into the grid. This is to prevent engineers working on the power lines from being electrocuted.
If you want a battery that will keep the lights on during a power cut, get one with emergency power supply (EPS) functionality. It still won’t let your solar panels generate electricity, but it will let your battery use its reserve power to keep the lights on.
Realistically, most people won’t need storage batteries with EPS functionality, because power cuts really are that infrequent. It could be worth the investment if you’re reliant on sensitive electrical equipment such as those for medical issues, or live in an area where blackouts are more common.
Solar plus battery storage systems are still absolutely worth it for all the other benefits however. Lower energy bills, less reliance on the grid, and the knowledge you’re drastically shrinking your carbon emissions make switching to a solar plus battery storage a great idea.
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Conclusion
Power cuts aren’t increasing, but there’s no harm in being prepared. Getting a battery with EPS functionality for example, can keep your home powered during a blackout.
One such battery is the Tesla Powerwall 3, which comes with the Tesla Gateway, a nifty bit of technology that’ll enable your Powerwall 3 to instantly start powering your home if the power goes out. It’ll switch to battery power in just 25 milliseconds, so you won’t notice any difference.
Switching to smarter home energy solutions, such as an appropriate battery, gives you peace of mind and is well worth considering.
Psst… if you’re looking to install solar panels, we’re an MCS-certified installer. Simply answer these questions to get started. And, if you want to pair your solar system with a battery, we’ve got you covered there too – fill in our obligation free quote form.
