Spain and Portugal maxi-blackout

cpsd

it has been a crazy day and night. Let's seewhat we have for Tusday

host_c

mikho

Watched this https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11470588/ not long ago, and it is scary that we are so vulnerable to a major blackout.

Nyr

This is what my source told me this morning about the cause:

Over here, they still aren't sure what the cause of what happened is, but it's most likely that it was all due to an imbalance in the grid caused by the instability of solar panel generation. This type of generation is growing rapidly, but it's very unstable—you can't predict the output. We've been told that in recent weeks there have been several days when the grid was on the verge of collapse, until everything finally happened.

ahnlak

More likely that a frequency variation elsewhere in the system caused PV to drop off grid, which caused a cascade. There's nothing intrinsically unstable about PV, but it does take more active management than old fashioned coal.

A lot of old grids have had decades of underinvestment in the face of changing generator profiles - the UK is only one bad day away from having the same thing happen. Our only saving grace is that we've got a lot more international inter connects to save our butts.

Chievo

@Nyr said:
This is what my source told me this morning about the cause:

Over here, they still aren't sure what the cause of what happened is, but it's most likely that it was all due to an imbalance in the grid caused by the instability of solar panel generation. This type of generation is growing rapidly, but it's very unstable—you can't predict the output. We've been told that in recent weeks there have been several days when the grid was on the verge of collapse, until everything finally happened.

Thanks @Nyr !

vyas

Depending on the 'prophecy' / conspiracy theory / philosophy you subscribe to : major solar storm causing 7 days complete blackout is expected in the current solar cycle.

This guy over does it some times, but I like his analysis sometimes..
https://www.youtube.com/@StefanBurns

or hers

https://www.youtube.com/@TamithaSkov

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@mikho said:
Watched this https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11470588/ not long ago, and it is scary that we are so vulnerable to a major blackout.

skhron

I wonder if it is possible to make cash payments widely acceptable in EU?

vyas

I am not what they call “Prepper” ( sometimes used as a derogatory term)

But world is moving towards digital, cashless, easier to lock out/lock down economies that way.

Cannot speak for EU but in India, 🇮🇳 very much the case, for reasons good or bad.

Keep cash equal to three months expenses is the “those in the know” mantra. And a faraday cage. In case the carrington event repeats.

I know a stock market advisor who backs up daily data, two locations, disks placed overnight in faraday cages. He admitted as much on a podcast…

ahnlak

@skhron said:
I wonder if it is possible to make cash payments widely acceptable in EU?

I can't speak for the whole EU but the places I've been in living memory - Spain, France, Italy, Malta - are all very happy to take cash. Event event they do have electricity ;-)

Nyr

@skhron said:
I wonder if it is possible to make cash payments widely acceptable in EU?

Cash remains widely acceptable except in Scandinavia.

skhron

Glad to hear that I was wrong about that

davide

I'm often the only guy with the contactless card passing thru the POS in stores. Gotta let Big Bother know everything.
Only once I walked out of a general store with 20 kilos of instant-ice bags and 20 liters of ammonia, and paid all with cash. They are still searching for who did it.