Bishop Hill More wind
Apparently the Times has a story on the continuing failure of windmills to deliver sufficient energy. It's not online, but this looks like the key excerpt (H/T Philip Bratby)
Concern over huge fluctuations in the supply of electricity from Britain’s 3,000 wind turbines has prompted National Grid to begin detailed forecasts of wind strength.
The turbines have delivered well below their usual output this winter and in the 24 hours to 5pm yesterday contributed only 0.5 per cent of the country’s power. Parts of the day were so still that wind power’s contribution fell below 0.2 per cent. On the windiest days, the turbines deliver about 8 per cent. A record of 10 per cent over a 24-hour period was set on September 6 last year.
But since the beginning of December, turbines have been operating at only 20 per cent of their maximum capacity compared with an annual average of about 30 per cent.
Reader Comments (63)
BBD
Skeptic is American usage.
Terrible how it creeps in -- First, you lost the " and ' usage, now this. Terrible. 'Tis all becoming a gray -- oops -- grey area.
And the word is 'Merican. :)
Electricity Interconnector Policy
Table 1: Existing, planned and future interconnection
Snip
1.5. In addition to the “pure” interconnection projects in Table 1, there has been some interest in offshore windfarm connections to multiple markets (combining a windfarm connection and an interconnector) and – increasingly – in the idea of a North Sea offshore grid. These are important potential developments which raise a number of questions beyond the scope of this consultation, which require further consideration by governments as well as regulators. Some of the issues are discussed in the current CEER consultation on “Regulatory aspects of the integration of wind generation in European electricity markets”.2 We also note the recent formation of “The North Seas Countries‟ Offshore Grid Initiative”3 which provides a vehicle to address some of these issues. We recognise the need for consistency between the offshore grid and connection/interconnector combinations with the topics covered by this consultation, which will be facilitated as the same EU legal framework applies throughout. We would welcome views on any particular implications of these developments which should be taken into account in this consultation.
http://tinyurl.com/2fus77m
Open Letter on next steps from Ofgem’s consultation on electricity interconnector policy
http://tinyurl.com/238b4lu
Summary of responses to Ofgem’s consultation on electricity interconnector policy
http://tinyurl.com/2abtzjm
Complementarity of Hydro and Wind Power:
Improving the Risk Profile of Energy Inflows
http://neumann.hec.ca/pages/michel.denault/EnergyPolicy%202009.pdf
http://tinyurl.com/23c6gsc
Don Johnston on Energy Challenges
Article from some years ago
Sustainable Energy For Future Generations
In the mid-1950s, at the time of President Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" initiative, nuclear energy was seen as a godsend for both the developed and the developing world. Fossil fuels were understood to have a finite life, which of course they still do, although it has been modestly extended beyond estimates of that day.
http://tinyurl.com/24kw4yg
Donald J. Johnston, OECD Secretary-General from June 1996 to June 2006
http://tinyurl.com/69zq6u
IEA was created by OECD
Royal Society of Canada: Energy crisis looms (Toronto Star 2003)
Energy crisis looms, experts warn
Worldwide oil, gas production expected to peak in 2020
Only solution to impending shortage will be higher price
Nov. 26, 2003. 06:33 AM
PETER CALAMAI
SCIENCE REPORTER
Rees and other experts took issue with the more benign energy outlook presented by Don Johnston, secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Johnston, a cabinet minister in the Pierre Trudeau era, argued that a huge expansion of nuclear power would reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and slow the rate of climate change. Most questions about nuclear power could be solved by technology once countries were past the political and economic hurdles, he said.
But many people simply don't trust assurances from the nuclear industry, Johnston acknowledged including his own wife.
"Whenever I tell her all the good things about nuclear, she says: `They lied.'"
Several speakers expressed skepticism about the much ballyhooed "hydrogen economy" linked to fuel cells as a new power source for vehicles.
"Is it worth setting in motion this huge research and development effort just so we can keep our automobiles?" asked Richard Gilbert from the Centre for Sustainable Transportation in Toronto.
Gilbert said it was more sensible to redesign communities to make maximum use of tracked transit, such as streetcars and light rail, because these could be powered by electricity from any source.
"We can be reasonably clear that we're going to have a lot less energy than we have now," he said.
The Royal Society session also heard warnings that the looming challenge from declining oil and gas production is being obscured because governments in Canada are preoccupied with the Kyoto response to climate change.
"Kyoto is a distraction," Gilbert said of the multinational agreement for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/energyresources/message/45393
The Greening of Nuclear Power
http://tinyurl.com/2vylhcr
http://tinyurl.com/2ceu7gu
@: Jan 3, 2011 at 4:03 PM Retired Dave
Said: "Why do government just listen to the salesman's pitch every time and never seem to look beyond the brochure?"
A very pertinent point, I have always said the same of the computer salesmen - who made the sales-pitches to the Nu Labour ministers in charge of departments such as; NHS, HMRC, DWP the list is long..............that/those brouchure(s) must have been very persuasive or was it the little extras ....ahem...just thrown in!?
Athelstan and Retired Dave,
I've wondered about the computer fiascos. The conclusions I came to are:
The government was offered control by the computer salesmen - ID cards and the rest - and it was irresistible.
They knew nothing about software development and the ways it's gone tragically or hilariously wrong on numerous occasions. E.g. attempts to develop new operating systems have driven several computer companies under.
They know nothing about dealing with sharp rogues and the software industry has always had very sharp rogues, so not a sniff of penalty clauses etc.
Government projects can't run out of money and governments don't go bust in the way that commercial companies can and do. The disciplines just aren't there.
As for not reading beyond the brochure as regards heat pumps etc.:
There's hardly an engineer amongst them. If it offers on a superficial level to contribute to a low carbon economy, that's it.
They are not spending their own money and they aren't penalised for failure.
It may come from the EU, but our idiots have lead the charge in the EU and they seem to have the idea that the UK should take the moral lead on climate change.
Phillip:
I take your point - but the public debate still will be better served with actual cost fuigures in addition to efficiency calculations. We here in the US are not yet committed to outrageous and nonsensical targets.
Like Lord Beaverbrook and Phillip Bratby, I've been researching the home generation options. I use oil for heating so I have a fuel source to hand. The US-designed generators I've been looking at start automatically as soon as the mains cuts off, and they trigger an automatic changeover switch, of course. They aren't cheap (several K, depending on capacity) and they aren't small (think chest freezer) but they are quiet. Lacking a suitably located outhouse, I'd have to have some sort of brick housing built to protect the generator from the elements. I live in a rural area where power cuts and brown-outs are common so a generator would have functionality for me independently of the smart meter horror. Also I'm on a dual rate electricity tariff (much cheaper at night) and it has occurred to me that it may well make economic sense, at some point, to run a generator all day every day (though I haven't done the arithmetic on that) and just use the grid at night. It is illegal to use heating oil (which is relatively lightly taxed) in vehicles but I doubt that it is illegal to use it in generators. And even if it is ..
@: Jan 3, 2011 at 9:50 PM cosmic
Rather well put, it is a sad indictment nonetheless but so cruelly true.
For awbody thinking of using generators as a backup during blackouts, mind that AFAIK most generators will produce a square wave, rather than the clean and smooth sine wave most appliances are accustomed to, hence their lifespan will likely be shortened.
I live in a rural location prone to power outages, but run a business from home and need enough power to run a desktop and laser printer no matter what. I decided against a noisy generator and went for a 40W solar panel to keep four 100Ah leisure batteries charged up, and a steady 500W sine wave inverter. I keep it safe and simple so don't ever connect this solar backup system to the mains supply, just have a separate flex running from the inverter to the office and where ever else I want power. A cheap UPS gives me enough time to shutdown the pc when there's an outage and then plug it in to the solar supply. Laptops obviously negate the need for a UPS. More expensive than a generator, but no noise and it works fine for light loads. Just make sure you have somewhere safe and sturdy to keep the batteries - out of reach from children etc.
BBD. Interesting comment about the next generation of smart meters isolating certain household equipment. To be able to do that every household fuse board would have to be replaced. Who pays the huge cost of that stupid idea?
Or do they plan for every household electrical unit to have a built in programmer that shuts it off on receiving a signal from the meter? Who pays the extra cost for that to be built into the item? What do we do in that case, throw away all our washing machines, fridges, TVs etc?
The whole idea is insane and the bloody powers that be should have started the program to replace worn out power stations years ago. Instead, as we both know, they copped a mouthful of green crap and at some point they will pay for it dearly!
Bish,
There seems to be quite a few of us getting prepared for loss of supply. What would be the possibility of a post to gain some insight into the pit falls. Perhaps a call to any of the regulars that have electrical connection experience or have gone through the process already?.
My previous post appears to have been lost - DON'T PANIC, folks - my comment that I didn't intend fitting a changeover switch (having bought a standby generator) - I AM NOT connecting it to the mains..!!
I would simply have it freestanding - and if and when the mains go off, I will disconnect my fridge/freezer etc and feed them directly from the generator.
Thanks all for your concern - but I hate the smell of burning flesh - especially when its mine....
Jane Coles - re fuel for a standby generator. Short answer - yes you can. Because you are not using it in a road vehicle, there is no problem with the lower tax on heating oil - its the same as what we call 'red diesel' in the UK, which is used for farm vehicles - tractors etc. One caveat is that heating oil won't have the lubricating additives which diesel has - so could harm your generator long term.
You don't need much of an enclosure to protect your generator - a simple open shed should be ok - but make sure the electrics are protected from the elements, and any changeover switchgear is indoors.