I get a regular monthly technology journal direct from the European Commission in Brussels. A group is studying the implications of small windfarms, small hydro projects, area heating, bio-fuel, home-generation and other schemes at the low end of the size scale. For economic reasons and reduced standby-plant size, big grids have always been seen as more efficient and reliable. But conversely, small plants are seen as a way to reduce carbon emissions and to utilise alternative sources of energy for the generation of heat and power, which by it's nature has to be very localised. Very often, these schemes will not fit happily into a large electrical grid concept except to reduce local loads, due to transmission and conversion losses.
Alan
