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Co-founder Martin Wood, Technical Director Adrian La Porta, and Professor John Dyson tackle the intricate challenges of the modern energy grid. This episode, inspired by recent power disruptions in Spain and Portugal, examines the impact of high renewable penetration, the burgeoning energy demands of new technologies, and the ongoing discussion about grid resilience. The experts highlight the importance of understanding ‘network value’ in energy, rather than just cost, and advocate for a more advanced, collaborative dialogue to secure a sustainable and reliable energy supply for the future.
Recent power outages in Spain and Portugal highlight the critical issue of grid inertia, a challenge exacerbated by the increasing integration of renewables like solar and wind power, which lack the 'spinning' stored energy of traditional turbines.
New technologies, particularly AI data centres and the electrification of transport (e.g., electric cars), are driving unprecedented increases in demand for reliable power, putting significant strain on existing infrastructure.
The discussion emphasises the need to evaluate energy sources based on their 'network value' - factors like reliability, ability to ramp up/down to demand, and flexibility - rather than just their absolute cost per unit of energy.
There's an ongoing debate about the optimal balance between large, centralised energy systems (like national grids and large nuclear plants) and more distributed, localised power generation and storage (such as car batteries or smaller modular reactors).
The current public and political discourse surrounding energy is often oversimplified and influenced by commercial lobbying. A more sophisticated, collaborative, and centrally informed debate is needed to make effective long-term decisions about investment and decarbonisation strategies.
Learn more about our Design to Value approach.
