Grid Mix Screensaver
The Grid Mix screensaver is a live dashboard of Britain's electricity generation mix — wind, solar, nuclear, gas and more — with the grid's real-time carbon intensity, from the key-less National Grid Carbon Intensity API. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.
How the Grid Mix screensaver works
The saver fetches Great Britain's live generation mix and carbon intensity from the National Grid's key-less Carbon Intensity API.
Each fuel — wind, solar, nuclear, gas, biomass, hydro, imports and coal — is drawn as a labelled, colored share of the grid.
A big readout shows the current carbon intensity in grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour, colored from green when clean to red when dirty.
The bars ease to new values as the mix shifts through the day and the data refreshes every few minutes.
A worked example
On a blustery afternoon wind might supply half the grid, the carbon figure glowing green; on a still evening gas takes over and it climbs into the amber — the bars sliding to each new mix as Britain's power changes through the day.
Settings & tips
- Show carbon intensity toggles the gCO2/kWh readout.
- Accent recolours the dashboard highlights.
- Background sets the panel backdrop.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the grid data live?
- Yes. The generation mix and carbon intensity come live from the National Grid's Carbon Intensity API and refresh every few minutes.
- Which grid does it show?
- Great Britain's electricity grid — the mix of wind, solar, nuclear, gas and other sources powering the country right now.
- Does it need a key?
- No. The Carbon Intensity API is free and key-less; the saver only needs an internet connection.
- What is carbon intensity?
- It's how many grams of CO2 are emitted per kilowatt-hour of electricity — lower when clean sources like wind dominate, higher when gas does.
- Is it free?
- Yes — free, no download, in your browser.