Wind Turbines

[JohnD]

Here's the one I use.

A busier page.

G. B. National Grid status

www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk

At the moment, Solar is producing more than either gas or nukes. That will stop when it gets dark.

 

[Pat ex]

At the moment, Solar is producing more than either gas or nukes. That will stop when it gets dark.

JohnD, sometimes I left in absolute amazement by your wisdom.

If we had some global connections, the solar energy would be 24 hour.

 

[JohnD]

I think Europe is much more likely to get electricity, and hydrogen, from the sunnier parts of Africa.

Iberia is fairly close.

Provided the UK can come to a co-operative rather than a combative mode with our neighbours, we will be able to benefit from that.

Shouldn't be long now.

 

[fillyboy]

I think Europe is much more likely to get electricity, and hydrogen, from the sunnier parts of Africa.

Iberia is fairly close.

Provided the UK can come to a co-operative rather than a combative mode with our neighbours, we will be able to benefit from that.

Shouldn't be long now.

Plan to connect Africa to Devon village via world's longest subsea cable

Former Tesco boss is behind Xlink's £16bn plan to take solar and wind energy from Morocco to UK

www.business-live.co.uk

 

[Pat ex]

Iberia and Morocco are on very much the same longitude as UK, so there would be little benefit of extending the solar energy outside of the UK's productive period.
Granted the sun rises earlier and sets later.

South America and Middle East would be better bets.

 

[JohnD]

Storage.

And the Sahara is a lot bigger than Morocco.

But even Morocco extends the working day for other parts of Europe, cutting the overall European energy cost and hence the price of oil and gas. Libya would extend it for the Western fringes, like UK.

I don't think Devon is the ideal customer for Morocco.

 

[Deleted member 18243]

It will take a lot to make me believe that more than half our electricity, even that late on a Sunday night, is being produced by wind turbines.

The graphs are produced (partly) by Sheffield University - I wonder who funds them?

As for these turbines being green, what are they made from? Is green energy used to transport them and dig up the land etc? How long do they last? What maintenance do they need? How long does it take for them to "pay for themselves"?

They are certainly not environment friendly, unless you like seeing the big ugly things everywhere.

I am all for energy self-sufficiency and I think that it is all around us for the taking...but not in the form of wind turbines please.

 

[JohnD]

It will take a lot to make me believe....

....anything you don't want to hear.

Please show us the source of the figures that please you.

Or did they just fall out of your arse?

 

[IT Minion]

As for these turbines being green, what are they made from? Is green energy used to transport them and dig up the land etc? How long do they last? What maintenance do they need? How long does it take for them to "pay for themselves"?

Steel, Concrete, Carbon fiber. Steel and concrete are heavy emission activities at the moment.

They are transported using petrol/diesel vehicles. Most construction equipment is also petrol/diesel powered at the moment but there are electric plant in use in some places.

They're mostly recycled at the end of life. The blades are the only exception, recycling has only just started happening for them.

They last something like 20 years. The trend is that they are removed at the end of life right now as the technology has moved on so it's more profitable to replace them with fewer, larger turbines. If they can't then the towers and foundations can be reused and a new nacelle can be installed.

They pay for themselves in emissions terms in around 6 months, financially they're the cheapest form of electricity. If they aren't on the CfD then they're making a killing.

 

[Pat ex]

The graphs are produced (partly) by Sheffield University - I wonder who funds them?

Student fees.

Before 1998, universities were funded mainly by central government, although they have been increasingly reliant on charging students and seeking to raise private capital.

Universities in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Take a look, it's no secret:

University annual report and financial statements

Our financial statements and reports from December 2000 to the present are available to download from this page.

www.sheffield.ac.uk

 

[Justin Passing]

I've just been reading odds and ends to find solid figures on wind vs gas etc.. Failed, on the whole, but there's plenty to suggest that wind power is not only far more expensive than gas over a period, but it's probably worse for the environment as well.
Hmm.
Do they count methane leaks? Other stuff?
Maybe we should at least make our own turbines then, they cost billions. Danish, Spanish, Chinese mfrs.
Some emphasis on the cost of controlling the intermittent nature of the power. Cost? Does that eqpt have a short life too?
Plus the sources are all biased.
Clear as mud.

 

[JohnD]

I've just been reading odds and ends to find solid figures on wind vs gas etc.. Failed, on the whole, but there's plenty to suggest that wind power is not only far more expensive than gas over a period

Show us the evidence you think you have found

 

[IT Minion]

It's odd how Wind power is more expensive than Gas when contracts are being sold with a fixed price per MW of £48.

If it's moe expensive, why is it cheaper?

 

[JohnD]

Or less.

£37.35

Price of offshore wind power falls to cheapest ever level in UK

Contract price is nearly 6% lower than previous auction in 2019, which could ease pressure on energy bills

www.theguardian.com

 

[Munroast]

Or less.

£37.35

Price of offshore wind power falls to cheapest ever level in UK

Contract price is nearly 6% lower than previous auction in 2019, which could ease pressure on energy bills

www.theguardian.com

There we have it, so they can make a profit at 3.7p per unit but we are now having to pay 35p per unit - greedy greedy bastards.

it is gas that has went up in price, not the wind.