Brexit, for once some facts.

oldgroaner

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 15, 2015
23,461
32,613
80
I can remember when it flowed the other way. We clearly have not built enough wind things. We need many many many more all over the countryside and in our towns. That will solve the problem, until the wind stops blowing, then it won’t. They’re pretty useless really aren’t they.
No
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wicky and robdon

Danidl

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 29, 2016
8,611
12,256
73
Ireland
Coincidentally, I can see one from where I’m walking my dog. It doesn’t seem to be doing very much in the way of generating electricity & that is the problem with them. Things can’t stop because it’s not windy enough.
Discussion on this thread is very circular. We did discuss this topic previously. Before making any comments read up on Weillbull Distribution curves, Just an aside, the nuclear reactors powering the French grid were within hours of being shut down during the " cancuale" or drought in the Summer of 2007?., due to lack of cooling water. Nuclear power is the very definition of reliable electric power..so yes, under extreme conditions if there was no wind, all sorts of activities would need to be curtailed, just as we do with floods ,snow etc.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: robdon

OxygenJames

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 8, 2012
2,593
1,041
Only with any luck that it might be? :oops:
It's niggly little details like these that worry people

"A recent study by the Translational Genomics Research Institute showed that nearly half (47%) of the meat and poultry in US grocery stores was contaminated with S. aureus, with more than half (52%) of those bacteria resistant to antibiotics.[24] Furthermore, as per the FDA, more than 25% of retail chicken is resistant to 5 or more different classes of antibiotic treatment drugs in the United States.[25] An estimated 90–100% of conventional chicken contains, at least, one form of antibiotic resistance microorganism, while organic chicken has been found to have a lower incidence at 84%
And yet - remarkably - 340m Americans somehow struggle on.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,161
30,578
GB imports electricity from France and the NL, that won't change anytime soon.
A no deal brexit would probably keep the import duty at zero rate bur there may be higher 'grid access' charge.
Access rules and specifications may remain under ECJ to use the interconnectors.
It was acknowledged a little while ago that there would be no changes due to Brexit. Although overseen by the EU now, the origins of our interconnects were national agreements, starting with that between the UK and French governments.

The EU has a tentative ambition for a Europe wide grid, but I think the big increases in local generation in many countries are likely to scupper that in the long term.
.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: robdon

OxygenJames

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 8, 2012
2,593
1,041
Discussion on this thread is very circular. We did discuss this topic previously. Before making any comments read up on Weillbull Distribution curves, Just an aside, the nuclear reactors powering the French grid were within hours of being shut down during the " cancuale" or drought in the Summer of 2007?., due to lack of cooling water. Nuclear power is the very definition of reliable electric power..so yes, under extreme conditions if there was no wind, all sorts of activities would need to be curtailed, just as we do with floods ,snow etc.
Since Germany went 'Green' their CO2 output went up! How come? Because they had to power up their coal-fired stations for all the times it wasn't windy or the sun wasn't shining.

Fossil fuels - replacing the CO2 we so desperately need and making the planet green again (after all those terrible years of burning wood).
 
  • Dislike
Reactions: Wicky

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,340
16,858
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
If you ignore decommissioning costs. And ignore how many fossil fuels you had to burn to make them in the first place. And the dead birds. Etc.
do I detect that brexiters are pro coal burning and anti renewable energy?
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,161
30,578
you should look at yearly production.

According to RenewableUK, the average cost of generating electricity from large scale onshore wind is now around three to four pence per kilowatt hour, competitive with new coal (2.5 - 4.5 pence) and cheaper than new nuclear (4 - 7 pence).

Wind farms are fast becoming the most competitive source of energy.
Agreed, but it'a hollow argument when the wind isn't blowing.

Back in 1976 when we had a high over Britain for four continuous months and we were largely windless, we'd have been in a hell of a mess relying on wind turbines back then.

It's on the backup that we are falling down. Very flat Denmark is well suited to wind power and they have huge numbers of turbines. But they back it up by incinerating all their refuse in local stations for power generation.

We are starting to do that, I have one coming online currently in my area, but as usual we are lagging far behind.
.
 
Last edited:
  • Agree
Reactions: robdon

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,340
16,858
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
that 3p-4p cost is applicable to the new large scale wind farms, inclusive of maintenance and decommissioning.

If you ignore decommissioning costs. And ignore how many fossil fuels you had to burn to make them in the first place. And the dead birds. Etc.
If you knock down an old wind turbine, you can sell the recovered metal. It's not contaminated like a nuclear power station.
Apparently, you can recover the cost of dismantlement by the proceed of recycling the metals.

https://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/961382/cost-decommissioning

Dismantling an aged wind turbine and restoring the surrounding landscape account for between 1-2% of the machine's cost over an expected 20 year lifetime, or about SEK 0.01/kWh (EUR 0.0009/kWh), according to a study carried out for the Swedish energy agency. The study, by market research firm Consortis Producentansvar, will help developers meet requirements that they calculate life cycle costs as part of their permit applications. The Swedish Environmental Court, the final arbiter of permit applications, sometimes also requires financial guarantees for restoration. Dismantling a 2 MW turbine on land and restoring the site is currently estimated to cost about SEK 700,000 (EUR 66,000). Consortis estimates the cost for dismantling a 3 MW offshore turbine at around SEK 1.5 million (EUR 140,000), or between 2-3% of its total costs. Matthias Rapp of industry group Swedish Wind Energy says the sector should now work out a common system for providing the financial guarantees to cover decommissioning that the government demands.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: flecc

50Hertz

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 2, 2019
2,199
2,403
Wind farms run on average at about 25% maximum output, so it's normal to see them as lazy but as a matter of fact, they are now very competitive.
Except when the wind doesn’t blow, or the wind is too strong. We can experience extended periods of calm, especially in winter with a high pressure system sat over us, it can last for weeks and bring with it very low temperatures, thus pushing up demand. What happens on these occasions when we have long calm periods? Wind farms are ok to shut the vegetableists up and pacify them, but as proper means of providing a stable energy source, they aren’t very good. Huge nuclear power stations are what is required, preferably all built along the east coast, so if there is a mishap, the prevailing winds blow all the nastiness away from us.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: robdon and flecc

anotherkiwi

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2015
7,845
5,786
The European Union
that 3p-4p cost is applicable to the new large scale wind farms, inclusive of maintenance and decommissioning.



If you knock down an old wind turbine, you can sell the recovered metal. It's not contaminated like a nuclear power station.
Apparently, you can recover the cost of dismantlement by the proceed of recycling the metals.

https://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/961382/cost-decommissioning

Dismantling an aged wind turbine and restoring the surrounding landscape account for between 1-2% of the machine's cost over an expected 20 year lifetime, or about SEK 0.01/kWh (EUR 0.0009/kWh), according to a study carried out for the Swedish energy agency. The study, by market research firm Consortis Producentansvar, will help developers meet requirements that they calculate life cycle costs as part of their permit applications. The Swedish Environmental Court, the final arbiter of permit applications, sometimes also requires financial guarantees for restoration. Dismantling a 2 MW turbine on land and restoring the site is currently estimated to cost about SEK 700,000 (EUR 66,000). Consortis estimates the cost for dismantling a 3 MW offshore turbine at around SEK 1.5 million (EUR 140,000), or between 2-3% of its total costs. Matthias Rapp of industry group Swedish Wind Energy says the sector should now work out a common system for providing the financial guarantees to cover decommissioning that the government demands.

What do they do with the carbon fibre?
 
  • Agree
Reactions: robdon

Danidl

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 29, 2016
8,611
12,256
73
Ireland
Agreed, but it'a hollow argument when the wind isn't blowing.

Back in 1976 when we had a high over Britain for four continuous months and we were largely windless, we'd have been in a hell of a mess relying on wind turbines back then.

It's on th backup that we are falling down. Very flat Denmark is well suited to wind power and they have huge numbers of turbines. But they back it up by incinerating all their refuse in local stations for power generation.

We are starting to do that, I have one coming online currently in my area, but as usual we are lagging far behind.
.
A long term high would be very serious,and this means that storage or a very wide grid are necessary. But even under a constant high pressure, there are always diurnal coastal winds...
 
  • Agree
Reactions: robdon

Danidl

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 29, 2016
8,611
12,256
73
Ireland
Except when the wind doesn’t blow, or the wind is too strong. We can experience extended periods of calm, especially in winter with a high pressure system sat over us, it can last for weeks and bring with it very low temperatures, thus pushing up demand. What happens on these occasions when we have long calm periods? Wind farms are ok to shut the vegetableists up and pacify them, but as proper means of providing a stable energy source, they aren’t very good. Huge nuclear power stations are what is required, preferably all built along the east coast, so if there is a mishap, the prevailing winds blow all the nastiness away from us.
If you are located in UK,would you not be referring to your West coast?.
 
  • Like
Reactions: robdon

Advertisers