Grid Watch Your Wind and Solar

We promised to provide some links to real time or near real-time power generation by source in various places.

This relates to a short video done on Feb. 3, 2022, in Alberta, about 4:30 pm at the close of an overcast day with virtually no wind.

To see the Alberta Electric System Operator near real time power generation by source, go to this link: http://ets.aeso.ca/ets_web/ip/Market/Reports/CSDReportServlet

This report updates every 15 minutes. (See screenshot below) The main section of interest is under the header “Generation.” If you are new to this, “MC” stands for “Maximum Capability” (the total amount of power that source or unit could theoretically put out); “TNG” is the column you want to look at to see the “Total Net Generation” – then you can compare how much is being generated to what the MC is; “DRC” is related to the contingency reserve available. On the right hand side of the page under “Interchange” you can see the amount of power Alberta is drawing (minus sign) or exporting to our neighbours in Saskatchewan, Montana, and British Columbia. There is much more comprehensive information on the AESO.ca website, many reports and consultations.

See our reports at the bottom of this page for more information on the Alberta power grid.

Ontario

The Independent Electric System Operator in Ontario offers similar information at this link “This Hour’s Data” : https://www.ieso.ca/power-data/this-hours-data

UK

Euan Mearns site hosts two UK power grid dashboards. Note that in the left sidebar there is also a grid watch for the island of El Hierro, which is an attempt at a fully 100% renewable project.

Live UK grid data: http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

Clive Best offers a more simplified visual representation: http://clivebest.com/rgraph/Wind.html

Germany

Agorameter: https://www.agora-energiewende.de/service/agorameter/chart/power_generation/04.01.2019/07.01.2019/today/

Fraunhofer offers this graphically interesting page where one can filter the information in many ways: https://energy-charts.info/charts/power/chart.htm?l=en&c=DE&stacking=stacked_absolute_area

US EIA

For ‘all things energy’, the US Energy Information Administration has every kind of chart and data on energy use, power generation, etc., by country and state. https://www.eia.gov/

IEA

The International Energy Agency (IEA) also tracks consumption of energy and production of electricity, offering a wide variety of charts. https://www.iea.org/countries

Related Reports:

True Cost of Wind and Solar for Alberta

What You Really Need to Know about Renewable Energy (That the Pembina Institute Won’t Tell You)

In the Dark on Renewables