Green energy turns black!

[TLS Guy]

Green energy turns to smoke and fire on the Scottish Coast in a gale.

 

[adk highlander]

Wow that is crazy. We had a wind tower fall last year after a fire in the motor mechanism melted the upper portion and it came down. Other than that one we have not had any other incidents with the several hundred that are around our area. Did they give a cause?

 

[Rickster71]

It's too bad, right when the winds speed gets high and you'd think turbines would generate the most power, they have to be shut down or they're easily damaged.

Besides the obvious maintenance being very costly; there are other cost factors. The build-up of dead bugs has been shown to halve the maximum power generated by a wind turbine, reducing the average power generated by 25% and more. Build-up of salt on off-shore turbine blades similarly has been shown to reduce the power generated by 20%-30%. Not to mention the problems with icing.
Then if that wasn't enough, electricity generation from wind fluctuates greatly, requiring additional reserves of "conventional" capacity to compensate. E.ON Netz Wind Report 2004 [AWErg]

The 'honeymoon' has been over with wind turbines for quite a few years. Most of the problems are not mentioned in the press, just like the inefficiencies of solar panels.
Problems aren't widely circulated, in fear the funding will go away.

 

[TLS Guy]

Wow that is crazy. We had a wind tower fall last year after a fire in the motor mechanism melted the upper portion and it came down. Other than that one we have not had any other incidents with the several hundred that are around our area. Did they give a cause?

Yes, too windy, just like the advocates of this nonsense!

 

[its phillip]

I'm all for developing alternative sources of energy. It's unfortunate that solar and wind are so inefficient.

We need to start building nuclear power plants again

 

[JohnA]

They need to be looking into doing vertical wind turbines rather then these huge things....

 

[STRONGBADF1]

Did they give a cause?

Lucas electronics

 

[Swerd]

No new technology was ever perfect early in its development. If wind generated electricity works well enough to last, it will be revised and redesigned often, all based on lessons learned from such failures.

Scottish gales… hmm, reminds me of the Tay Bridge disaster. There were probably critics at the time that said these new-fangled iron bridges will never succeed.

 

[TLS Guy]

No new technology was ever perfect early in its development. If wind generated electricity works well enough to last, it will be revised and redesigned often, all based on lessons learned from such failures.

Scottish gales… hmm, reminds me of the Tay Bridge disaster. There were probably critics at the time that said these new-fangled iron bridges will never succeed.

The Grand Old Duke does not agree with you.

I pass the huge wind farm at Langdon ND. Now this is huge, with windmills for miles and mailes. It is the most productive in the US, achieving on average 30% of its rated output. However the substation that gathers the power and the lines taking the power away, are puny. This proves these are just toys.

The proponents of this nonsense have Bats in the Belfry.

 

[GO-NAD!]

Well, I wouldn't consider Phil the Greek to be an expert on the topic of electrical power generation. That said, I also have doubts about relying on wind as an energy source. I just wouldn't spout off to the media about it, as if I was an authority.

How do we generate lots of clean power? I'd say hydroelectric and nuclear. Some would argue that hydro isn't really "green", but there's no arguing that it's a lot greener than oil/coal generated power.

As for nuclear power, I just hope enough has been learned from Three-Mile Island, Chernobyl and Japan. The main lesson being, don't allow politicians or utility bean-counters to have the final say on design, maintenance or operation.

 

[Rickster71]

Lucas electronics

That was good!

 

[Rickster71]

I'd love to see green energy work.....but.
I think what's being missed here, is that there is a large political component, along with it's funding, that's driving wind energy to market before it's ready for prime time.

The photovoltaic is by no means 'new technology' nor is it early in its development. Russ Ohl made his discovery in the early 1940's at Bell Labs in the same building I later worked in.
( I may have bumped elbows with him reaching for the same Jell-O down in the cafeteria... I wasn't there at the same time of course)
There wasn't the political component driving the invention of the transistor or the photovoltaic, as there is now with so called 'Green Jobs.'

 

[10010011]

Yes, too windy, just like the advocates of this nonsense!

I would rather see that form of power generation exploding near me then this one.

 

[Adam]

We could always use less energy.

Okay, yeah...that's crazy talk.

 

[lsiberian]

The real secret is improving efficiency. So much energy is wasted with poorly designed AC units and bad water heaters. If the government subsidized the heating, cooling and automobile industry more than solar/wind industry we'd get a lot more for our money. I had a 2nd story apartment in Texas with a new unit, my wife had an old unit in a similar style apartment and her electricity bill was twice the cost of my bill.

 

[mtrycrafts]

The real secret is improving efficiency. So much energy is wasted with poorly designed AC units and bad water heaters. If the government subsidized the heating, cooling and automobile industry more than solar/wind industry we'd get a lot more for our money. I had a 2nd story apartment in Texas with a new unit, my wife had an old unit in a similar style apartment and her electricity bill was twice the cost of my bill.

Of course the two of you used identical appliances for the same duration of time each day, same room temperatures each day, same habits turning off lights when not needed or wasting it eaxactly the same amount and time? Single pane or double pane glass? Equally insulated?

 

[lsiberian]

Of course the two of you used identical appliances for the same duration of time each day, same room temperatures each day, same habits turning off lights when not needed or wasting it eaxactly the same amount and time? Single pane or double pane glass? Equally insulated?

They were nearly identical apartment even insualtion wise. In face she had more shading.

 

[Rickster71]

Happened to find a timely article from a reliable source.
FactCheck.org : Wind Spin

 

[TheWarrior]

Solar and wind is best served by a property owner. A grid tie system is and should be the future for most. For heating and cooling, we just need to start using 2x6 construction for the exterior walls so that more insulation can be used. Gas filled windows serve two purposes, thermal insulation AND sound insulation.

Simple things that make a tremendous difference. I hope I am able to make a difference when I start building houses.

 

[96cobra10101]

I'm all for developing alternative sources of energy. It's unfortunate that solar and wind are so inefficient.

We need to start building nuclear power plants again

New nuke palnt