Wind Power

[Atheist]

I heard recently on Radio 4 that on windy days Denmark gets all its electricity from wind generation. I was surprised and impressed. Did I hear right? If so, are you impressed?

[Gizmonster]

I'm not surprised, but I am still impressed (if that makes sense), because even here in the UK:
//// Wind power contributed 26.1% of the UK’s total electricity generation in Q4 2021, with onshore and offshore wind contributing 12% and 14% respectively ////

Copied from:
https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/energy-explained/how-much-uks-energy-renewable

[Atheist]

Thanks, Giz. I just love seeing those blades gliding gracefully and knowing that each turn gives us power. No oil or gas burning; no exhaust fumes; no deadly waste products with thousands of years half-lives; no foreign powers holding us to ransom. What's not to like (apart from the value of your property, but surely that's a worthwhile sacrifice. After all, you don't earn property value increases, you simply enjoy them at the expense of poor sids who are trying to afford somewhere to live).

[Gizmonster]

I'm with you 100% .... I'd have one my own doorstep (okay .... not literally .... but you know what I mean) if it meant reducing our carbon footprint and reducing our reliance on other countries for our energy .... no more being held to ransom by events happening which we cannot control.
A perpetual clean energy supply which will never run out - what's not to like??

[New Judge]

//...what's not to like??//

The only thing that's not to like is that it is completely unreliable. I don't want to have to rely on the wind blowing to be able to turn the lights on. I've been out this evening and as I walked home there was no wind whatsoever - absolutely zilch.

[Zacs-Master]

NJ, ever heard of batteries?
https://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=488

[New Judge]

Yes I have, Zacs. Alas I haven't heard of too many being used to store power generated by industrial wind turbines. I've heard of it in small scale ("domestic" type) installations but not those that power the grid. It's not a bad idea, bt it still relies on an unreliable source.

[Khandro]

Wind & sun are definitely a worthwhile contribution, but there is not the slightest possibility of meeting our current needs without nuclear, as the Germans are finding out.

[douglas9401]

Elon the bold built a battery thing in Australia to store solar energy.
I seem to recall him stating a timeframe in which it would be up and running or it would be free to Oz.

[Zacs-Master]

‘ Alas I haven't heard of too many being used to store power generated by industrial wind turbines’

Then you should read my link. Especially the bit which reads ‘ Through several different storage processes, excess energy can be stored to be used during periods of lower wind or higher demand’

[dave50]

How much energy is required to manufacture and erect each wind turbine?

[davebro]

we were going to have free leccy for all from nuclear - another pipe dream!

[Khandro]

dave50

A 2016 study from Danish engineers looked at onshore and offshore turbines and wrote, "The energy payback time was found to be less than 1 year for all technologies."

A group of engineers in Texas did similar work and reported that "the payback times for CO2 and energy consumption range from 6 to 14 and 6 to 17 months," with on-shore facilities having a shorter payback.

There are many steps in the making of a wind turbine. The raw materials need to be mined, those materials need to be turned into rotors and towers and those parts need to be shipped. It takes energy to install a turbine, and a small bit of energy to operate it. And at the very end — after 20 to 30 years — it has to be dismantled and recycled.

[Atheist]

Khandro; Why would a windmill need to be dismantled after 20-30 years? I'd have thought it could last much longer if the pylon is well built and the blades and electrics are mainained and repaired as necessary. Nuclear and fossil-burning power plants seem to last much longer.

[Atheist]

Answering my own question at 14:07?

[Khandro]

Atheist; IO should have put the above in quotation marks, it was cut & paste not my words.

I read elsewhere some time ago that all the British mills are made by the Sth Koreans who have all the technology.

[Khandro]

^^ I may be wrong on that but Britain is nowhere when it comes to manufacturing, which is surprising at least, having such a lot of wind - physical & metaphorical :0)