As winter promises to be tense for the French electricity grid, the Ecowatt device could become essential to avoid power cuts. It is, in a way, an “electrical weather forecast”.
Specifically, the device indicates whether there is a risk of tension in the French electrical network, that is, that the consumption is greater than the electricity available, in real time but also in the next three days. Implemented by RTE, manager of the French electricity grid, and Ademe, a public agency responsible for the ecological transition, it was rolled out across the country in 2020 after being tested in Brittany and Provence. A new, simpler version of the service will be implemented in September.
• How does it work ?
The device is based on three signals of three different colors. The green signal indicates a reasonable consumption at the national level, while the orange signal indicates a tense situation for the electrical network. The red signal indicates a very tense situation and the risk of power outages if consumption does not decrease. In this case, alerts are issued by email and SMS to promote “eco-gestures” and reduce electricity consumption. To receive these alerts, you must register on the monecowatt.fr website. The device is voluntary.
• Why will it be useful this winter?
Between the closure of several nuclear reactors due to corrosion problems and the reduction or even the cessation of Russian gas shipments, the coming winter promises to be tense for the French electricity grid, especially during cold snaps due to heating. Ecowatt’s goal is to encourage the French to reduce or postpone their electricity consumption at peak times, in the morning (between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m.) and at the end of the day (between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.) , to restore the margin of maneuver to the electrical network and avoid power cuts.
• Who is it addressed to?
The service is aimed at individuals, but also at companies and communities. For example, an agreement has been signed between Carrefour and RTE: the brand has undertaken to reduce its electricity consumption, among other things by reducing the intensity of light in its stores or changing the way the birds are cooked, in the event of tension in the net. . At local authority level, the Brittany region has signed a similar charter. Businesses and communities can also promote service to their employees, customers, and residents.
• When will we be alerted?
The level of electricity consumption can be predicted three days in advance, but not before, because it is closely related to the weather and you have to wait for certainty. In the event of a risk of tension in the electrical network, an initial alert is sent at that moment by email or SMS, three days before, to give consumers time to plan their “eco-gestures”. A second alert is sent the day before to confirm the tense situation and indicate precisely when it is necessary to reduce or shift consumption
• What “eco-gestures” can we adopt?
The objective is not to eat cold food or completely cut off the heating, but to move or reduce its consumption at specific times. These are not substantial gestures: for an individual, it could be turning off a light bulb in a room that is rarely used, lowering the heating temperature to 16 or 17°C in the event of absence, not leaving appliances on stand-by, favoring eco mode for your appliances or run your washing machine at 9:00 p.m. instead of 8:00 p.m. Écowatt offers here ideas for “eco-gestures” at home or in the office.
• Is it really useful?
The accumulation of “eco-gestures” is quickly effective: turning off a light bulb in every house in France saves the equivalent of the electricity consumption of a city like Toulouse. Given the current stress on the French electricity grid, they will be essential during winter cold spells: for every degree less, electricity consumption increases by 2,400 megawatts in France, or two or three nuclear reactors. If consumption doesn’t drop enough during alerts, cuts could be unavoidable.
• What will happen in case of outages?
In the event of a very tense situation on the electricity grid, and if consumption remains at too high a level, load shedding is implemented to avoid a large-scale outage in France, that is, localized outages, in turn between the territories. Ecowatt sends alerts to indicate the location and time of the outage. Don’t worry: at the household level, electricity will not be cut for more than two hours (most of the time it will be shorter) and sensitive places such as hospitals will not be affected.
Source: BFM TV
