Wind farms!

[eggsarascal]

Me more a libertine conservative actually.

So?

What questions have I not answered Eggs?

Fire away.

I will do my best to honestly answer.

 

Have another read of the Bob Crow thread, there are two questions in that one thread that you did not answer. That's why I stopped debating the issue with you.

[TGB]

Putting aside who's going to make how much from what. As all electrical generation makes money for someone. I heartily agree with generation of electricity from wind. I also agree with generation via wave-action and via both solar collection and indirect generation.

 

I'd much prefer alternate power generation, than seeing loads of trucks and or trains, trundling to 'n' fro a coal fired station or the world having to deal with the production hazards & aftermath of nuclear energy.

 

I can't get my head round why people in general, say wind is the way to go or waves are the way to go, etc., etc. As I see it, it shouldn't be all your eggs in one basket, an either or argument but an altogether approach. Wind farms where there's enough, wave where it can be installed safely, solar where there's enough available, hydro where the flow is sufficient and where it won't detract from either the natural environment or hinder water-users. Plus a greater involment in both production, installation & research into alternative heating systems.

 

For instance, how many new houses have you seen built in recent years? And if those, how many have you seen with solar pre-heat or PV panels installed as part of the initial building or installed as a uniform addition to the build? Not many I'll wager. Why is it not stipulated on new builds or extension, to incorporate alternate forms of energy generation and or heating.

 

I freely acknowledge that solar pre-heat would be problematic on extensions. But why this lack of joined up thinking on new builds?

 

In the town where I was born, they've recently completed a new college, school and leisure centre. Acres of roof surface and wall panels, plus wide open spaces. Was there any installation of alternate power generation, a solar pre-heat for the pool and or washing facilities? Are there any PV panels of mini wind turbines? Windows on sensors that could automatically open, to help cool a building if it got to hot, instead of turning up the air conditioning. Are the heck!

 

No the local authority said it would break up the clean lines and that it would have to be an all of one type or nothing. So they went with nothing. And now they're complaining the buildings are costing too much to operate. That the pool could be limited to only a few days a week and not at all in the evenings. That the teaching budgets for both the school & college could be slashed to help pay for the heating/cooling. Stop the would, I want to get off!

Edited May 18, 2014 by TGB

[difflock]

ditto a new architect designed summer only tourist facility on the River Bann.

An oil fired plant room that ud do the Enterprise proud=check

Solar panels for peak summer domestic hot water(showers)=nope, nary the one

FFS!

[TGB]

There are other typos but

... Stop the would, I want to get off!

That should have been:

Stop the world, I want to get off!

[difflock]

Sorry

I under stood you meant stop the "wood" I want to get off!

[TGB]

Sorry

I under stood you meant stop the "wood" I want to get off!

Different forum - I only discuss such things in private.

[openspaceman]

 

 

For instance, how many new houses have you seen built in recent years? And if those, how many have you seen with solar pre-heat or PV panels installed as part of the initial building

 

 

I thought it was a requirement to have some sort of approved sustainable energy on new builds, here the builders seem to prefer air source heat pumps which is a bit of a scam. Having said that modern building regs are much more stringent on insulation and controlled air changes than even 10 years ago.

 

I have also seen quite a few new builds with mock slate roofs that incorporate solar pv instead of some of the slates.

[openspaceman]

Further to Openspaceman's comment: ineffecient in energy losses in converting mechanical energy into electrical ouput via dynamo, transmission loss (DC vs AC), battery drainage and then the huge environmental damage in mining, transporting and processing rare earth minerals to make the most efficient of batteries... phew!.. and replacing same in 5 years time. Does anyone know how much a set of batteries for an electric car costs?

 

A wind pump lifts water to a reservoir... even a local water tower... for 'free' on demand energy!

 

 

I was wondering if you had numbers, say alternator to DC to battery charge to discharge compared with pumping water up a hill and then generating electricity through a turbine.

 

Yes any manufacturing has energy costs and pollution but lead acid batteries can have a high level of recycling.

 

Less than 10 years ago people like turnip (whose gridwatch was cited earlier) were spouting forth that solar PV could never have a return on energy used to create the panels (it is huge as it takes a lot of carbon and electricity to get silicon from sand and then refine it) yet we are seeing panels still producing 80% of rated new output after 20 years.

Edited May 18, 2014 by openspaceman
addition

[jomoco]

The way some of you act as though you've never heard of natural gas powered peaker plants to compensate for the invariabilities of wind and solar plants?

 

Well it's downright comical in an only this or that black n white mule headed way.

 

Plants and Green Power Comparison | The Energy Collective

 

This is the 21st century guys!

 

Oh, ever see how much govt subsidies get doled out to nuclear power plants?

 

Tunnel vision, blinders? Too much single malt n bad music?

 

What explains such shortsighted nostalgic Dickensian era longings?

 

Jomoco:confused1:

[Johny Walker]

cant see why they dont channle money in to hydropower 90% of the infustrure is already in place ,