Alan Spillane

Electrical & Energy Engineer | Grid development specialist working towards 80% RES-E by 2030 🇮🇪

[Alan Spillane @alanspillane97]

Utility Solar PV in Ireland may not need be subject to an over install limit and should be allowed to over install without a cap through the use of a PPC and/or over current protection. I’ve wrote about how a solar PV plant can achieve this here:
"https://t.co/9iRJQJ7KkJ

[Alan Spillane @alanspillane97]

@SeanDubIreland @Dave25374251279 @eric_nelligan @RTE_PrimeTime @rtenews A 2s google search to find out this isn’t correct. Almost all ground-mounted utility solar farm’s use steel driven piles which do not necessitate any concrete foundation/base. Great way to regenerate nutrients in the soil for when the solar farm is decommissioned!

[Alan Spillane @alanspillane97]

@marxculture Not really? RES-E gen. increased by 55% from 2015 - 2023 whilst facilitating ca. 500% growth in digital hosting infra. as per CSO figures. Surely a much larger data centre expansion in Ireland is a better use case for utilising our renewables than French or UK imports?

[Alan Spillane @alanspillane97]

@JP_Biz Just curious, why would you compare LEU data centre power usage against urban households?

[Jesse Peltan @JessePeltan]

Lots of people know that batteries make solar more valuable, but most people don't know that batteries make solar cheaper.

How is that possible? Don't batteries add costs?

Batteries cost money, but so do transformers, inverters, power lines, etc. Batteries lower the costs of that other infrastructure.

Solar farms already deploy more watts of panels than their inverter and grid connection can handle.

Some of the power in the middle of the day is "clipped," but more power is produced in the morning and evening.

The ratio of DC solar watts to AC inverter watts is called the inverter loading ratio (ILR).

ILRs have increased as solar panel costs have declined.

Higher ILRs lower balance of system costs, but they also increase clipping losses. Clipping losses limit how high you can economically push the ILR.

Cheap batteries are a game changer. Batteries let you increase ILRs without clipping.

You can capture and store that DC generation and export it later with your existing AC capacity.

Batteries that don't have to pay for a grid connection and can charge for free every day from clipped solar are highly profitable.

As battery costs continue to decline, we can push ILRs higher and higher. At an ILR of about 3, solar farms can export electricity 24/7.

Every solar farm will have batteries.

[Alan Spillane @alanspillane97]

@SimonMahan Mega. Must be pretty busy with RES-E developments located nearby these loads?

[Ryder Cup Europe @RyderCupEurope]

EUROPE IS ON FIRE 🏆🇪🇺

#TeamEurope | #RyderCup

[Mark Coleman @Spark_ie]

⚡️With #StormAgnes 🌪️, our first of undoubtedly many winter storms, on her way, I said I'd pull together a little guide for you avid storm watchers with an Irish grid twist 🤓

[Alan Spillane @alanspillane97]

@ChloeMcGlinche3 Still have them?

[Alan Spillane @alanspillane97]

@Garylyons96 @PaulPaulKeegan @REDticketMenIRE Trying to dm you. Still available?

[Alan Spillane @alanspillane97]

@andreafcy Still have two available?

[Alan Spillane @alanspillane97]

@lbruning2 https://t.co/USX2vpSHoQ

[Alan Spillane @alanspillane97]

@lbruning2 https://t.co/dL4J3pb5l9

[The Sunday Game @TheSundayGame]

Impassioned debate on the broadcasting of hurling. #SundayGame.

[Hannah Daly @HannahEDaly]

Ireland’s draft long term climate strategy has been published.

https://t.co/JobFOwrFtK

[Alan Spillane @alanspillane97]

@Detaramebusters @lbruning2 https://t.co/mW15S8GtSi

[Alan Spillane @alanspillane97]

@lbruning2 You clearly haven’t seen the tax breaks given to fossil fuels then?

https://t.co/mW15S8GtSi

[Alan Spillane @alanspillane97]

@lbruning2 battery storage on grid can increase the reliability and reduce the risk of blackouts. Additionally, as tech improves and economies of scale are achieved, BESS costs are expected to continue to decline, making them an increasingly attractive option for powering our energy needs

[Alan Spillane @alanspillane97]

@lbruning2 This makes no sense? Clear you have a bit of a closed minded agenda here;

[Jan Rosenow @janrosenow]

A very basic point but still not widely known:

Electrification is energy efficiency.

If we electrified the economy to the full potential this would reduce final energy demand by 40%.

Data from Prof Nick Eyre @ecioxford @CREDS_UK
@oxfordgeography

https://t.co/b5QToGFDAl

[Manchester United @ManUtd]

Youth. Courage. Success.

It’s in the blood 🏆

#MUFC || #MUAcademy