Thanks for the Wind Farms

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irc
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Thanks for the Wind Farms

Post by irc »

Well worth all the subsidies and turning much of Scotland's scenery into industrial landscapes? Currently wind and solar energy between them are providing 1.1% of UK electricity demand.

Grid-Status (Medium)3.jpg


http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

As usual nuclear coal and gas are keeping the lights on providing 87% of demand. They look like they are pretty flat out though. Power cuts this winter? Probably not. Among other measures the National Grid has paid for diesel generators to be on standby.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... ional-grid
rjb
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Re: Thanks for the Wind Farms

Post by rjb »

Power cuts! All it takes is an interruption to supply by a fault at one of the power stations. We have already lost the link to France caused by a ship dragging its anchor in storm Angus. This will take a few months to restore. We are already running the least efficient plant at times of max demand, the open cycle gas turbines. Time to invest in a turbo and hub dynamo :lol:
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al_yrpal
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Re: Thanks for the Wind Farms

Post by al_yrpal »

I have a 5kw Gas stove which operates from gas bottles, its capable of heating the whole house. It came into its own when our boiler went phut in cold weather and we had no Central Heating for a week in sub zero temperatures. We have a twin burner camping stove too. I fully expect rotating power cuts soon. The country's energy planning and policy is rubbish. High pressure in January means no wind and sub zero temperatures, watch out for cuts.

Al
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Paulatic
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Re: Thanks for the Wind Farms

Post by Paulatic »

Thanks for the wind farms;
My village is building a new village hall.
Moffat is pledged 540K to spend on creating a future for the town.

Local energy for local people.
Whatever I am, wherever I am, this is me. This is my life

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PDQ Mobile
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Re: Thanks for the Wind Farms

Post by PDQ Mobile »

There is very little wind anywhere in the vicinity of the UK.
Therefore little available energy.
It's just nature and weather.

Turn off a few unnecessary things it will help.

The wind will be back!
It often makes around 10% of UK demand and sometimes gives as much as nuclear.
mercalia
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Re: Thanks for the Wind Farms

Post by mercalia »

PDQ Mobile wrote:There is very little wind anywhere in the vicinity of the UK.
Therefore little available energy.
It's just nature and weather.

Turn off a few unnecessary things it will help.

The wind will be back!
It often makes around 10% of UK demand and sometimes gives as much as nuclear.


well go to the North coast of Norfolk , near Sheringham - there is a massive off shore installation there of windmills
Abradable Chin
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Re: Thanks for the Wind Farms

Post by Abradable Chin »

al_yrpal wrote: I fully expect rotating power cuts soon. Al


I may have dreamt it, but I think Share Radio mentioned that a 2GW interconnect from France has failed during storm Angus. It might have been snagged by an anchor, or maybe foreign agents did it. It probably won't get repaired until January.

You have a good idea to have a gas bottle in reserve.

Share Radio is on DAB, BTW, and is refreshingly polite in the way it deals with interviewees (lots of pleasantries, no rush, and cups of tea chinking). They also manage to cover a more varied range of topics than you would imagine by the name.
francovendee
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Re: Thanks for the Wind Farms

Post by francovendee »

Off topic but I wonder how much the UK spends on French electricity?
PH
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Re: Thanks for the Wind Farms

Post by PH »

Are we not also importing some from the Netherlands, which will be wind generated?
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661-Pete
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Re: Thanks for the Wind Farms

Post by 661-Pete »

irc wrote:Well worth all the subsidies and turning much of Scotland's scenery into industrial landscapes? Currently wind and solar energy between them are providing 1.1% of UK electricity demand.

Grid-Status (Medium)3.jpg

http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

Fairly typical. As misleading, provocative posts go, this one takes a lot of beating. :evil:

I've not come across this 'templar' website before now, but it appears that, assuming it's genuine, it displays a 'snapshot' view of current consumption at the moment. I clicked on the link just now and I got wholly different readings.

Of course at the present time, with much of the UK under a big anticyclone, with clear blue skies from horizon to horizon and barely a breath of wind (and I'm looking out of the window as I write this), wind power generation is going to be down on the yearly average. That's what the meaning of 'backup' is! We have fossil fuel generators to provide top-up when there isn't enough coming from the renewables. People living in remote areas, schools, hospitals, etc., probably have a diesel generator in the house for when there's a power cut. This is merely good husbandry. Just like you probably have tinned food in the cupboard, to cover for those times when you couldn't get to the shops in time. Doesn't mean you eat tinned food all the time. Or does it? :twisted:

Simple fact is, at present renewable energy provides about 23% of our power generation, averaged over the year. Of this, about half is wind generation, the other half is other renewable sources.

And as for the "industrial landscapes" jibe - well let me tell you this. I went to school in Croydon. At that time the big Waddon Marsh Gasworks/Power Station complex dominated the northwestern side of the city. If the wind was blowing the wrong way, the fumes used to stink the whole city out. That's all gone now - become a big retail park. Whether that's a change for the better or worse, I don't know - but at least most of the stink has gone.
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mjr
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Re: Thanks for the Wind Farms

Post by mjr »

mercalia wrote:well go to the North coast of Norfolk , near Sheringham - there is a massive off shore installation there of windmills

Lovely to stand on the coast ridge (when the wind is low enough that you can stand!) and watch them spinning gracefully.

I'm surprised that there aren't more of the elegant giant flowers on the fens yet. It certainly feels windy enough when you're on a bike out there!
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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kwackers
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Re: Thanks for the Wind Farms

Post by kwackers »

661-Pete wrote:Fairly typical. As misleading, provocative posts go, this one takes a lot of beating. :evil:

It's the nature of the world at the moment.
Telling things as they are just isn't done, the important thing is to make stuff look as bad as possible by any means available - even if it's not the truth.
All sides are guilty, but in this case the information is easily available so there's no excuse.
JimL
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Re: Thanks for the Wind Farms

Post by JimL »

Misleading?

It is surely true that the visual scenery in central Scotland has been turned into an industrial landscape with windmills everywhere you look and woodlands flattened to accomodate them.Their contribution to energy supply over the last week or so has been almost nil.

Upgrading Hunterston and Torness nuclear power stations would have provided guaranteed carbon free electricity if not opposed by the idealogus in the SNP .
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meic
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Re: Thanks for the Wind Farms

Post by meic »

and woodlands flattened to accomodate them


You mean that a few trees were cut down for a concrete base area and road access. Possibly up to 1% of the forestry area which they are sited in. Even then it may have been due for harvest anyway.
This double usage of the forestry site then helps to ensure its financial viability into the future.
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JimL
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Re: Thanks for the Wind Farms

Post by JimL »

No I mean whole woodlands flattened.

The woodlands no doubt would have been harvested anyway but the windmill constructions (and the financial incentives ) clerly influenced the pace and extent. I see no evidence of replanting of woodlands among the the windmills.
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