Wind power in crisis...

[Nemesis]

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2126748,00.html

 

[Nemesis]

Even trying to reduce your own energy consumption can be hell at times - plays HAVOC with the fingernails dahlings...


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/main.jhtml?xml=/property/2007/07/14/pearth114.xml

 

[skier-hughes]

Rubbish links on the end page, if you want to use them, clear the spaces that the Telegraph have no doubt added, which are shown by %20 in the title bar.

Graham

 

[biffvernon]

Turbine shortage to leave some Scottish communities in the dark

Sunday July 15, 2007 The Observer

A worldwide shortage of wind-turbines has been caused by a sudden surge in demand and the frenzied industrial growth of China creating delivery delays that could take years to rectify. Plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions and meet more of Britain's energy needs by an expansion of offshore wind farms have had to be revised, because experts now believe the chances of building them before 2010 at the earliest is unlikely.

more
I guess we're going to see a lot of stories like this as we discover that there is not enough time left to build an alternative energy strategy. The PV industry is also expanding as fast as it can but not meeting demand. Soon people will realise that we have a problem.

 

[Penners]

The London Array offshore wind farm is planned to be 341 units. Pie in the sky if they can't get the turbines.

http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=12417&channel=0

 

[Penners]

There is of course an alternative solution....

http://www.bwea.com/you/byo.html

 

[Johneds]

My concern is that wind turbines are not really that efficient. They are getting better all the time, but by the time we do have efficient ones all the good sites will have gone.

 

[NT]

Temporary shortage is a normal feature of capitalism, and is soon rectified by market forces. I dont see that as being any basis for doom & gloom mongering.

During such shortage, it is as said, the tiny production end of the market that suffers temporarily, an area that producea only a tiny percentage of total wind power output.


NT

 

[Penners]

Temporary shortage is a normal feature of capitalism, and is soon rectified by market forces.

Absolutely right. With the possible exception of the word "soon" in this particular case.

The international demand for wind turbines must be growing exponentially, and will surely continue to do so for some considerable time (I have no official source for this supposition - it just seems inevitable to me). So, for market forces to balance supply with this demand, production of these things is going to have to grow on a massive scale for a long time.

That production will increase energy usage, so we'll need more wind turbines. And it will suck in ever more raw materials.

So production of those raw materials will have to increase, which will increase energy usage, so we'll need more wind turbines...

 

[biffvernon]

During such shortage, it is as said, the tiny production end of the market that suffers temporarily, an area that producea only a tiny percentage of total wind power output.

Translation?

 

[NT]

Temporary shortage is a normal feature of capitalism, and is soon rectified by market forces.

Absolutely right. With the possible exception of the word "soon" in this particular case.

The international demand for wind turbines must be growing exponentially, and will surely continue to do so for some considerable time (I have no official source for this supposition - it just seems inevitable to me). So, for market forces to balance supply with this demand, production of these things is going to have to grow on a massive scale for a long time.

That production will increase energy usage, so we'll need more wind turbines. And it will suck in ever more raw materials.

So production of those raw materials will have to increase, which will increase energy usage, so we'll need more wind turbines...

If a turbine has a payback period of a few years, all is well. There is also the fact that turbine production consumes a very tiny percentage of total energy use, so makes insignificant impact on total energy consumption.

Reality can be more boring huh. Otherwise we migth have to start building wind machines to produce wind to drive our new power-making turbines to produce more so we can manufacture more.... I can see it now, with ever increasing windspeeds around the country as the energy balance becomes ever more critical. People would no longer need petrol to get to work - but they'd use double to get home.


NT

 

[NT]

During such shortage, it is as said, the tiny production end of the market that suffers temporarily, an area that producea only a tiny percentage of total wind power output.

Translation?

I thought I'd translate it twice for you, as a special favour....

"During such a lack, it is like known as, the tiny end of production of the market which suffers temporarily, a sector this produces only one tiny percentage of total output of power of wind"

Unfortunately it seems google can translate french now. Last time I tried it it told me a fort was running through the food!

Russian:

In the absence of such, as it is known, the tiny cut-off market, which has temporarily sector is only one small percentage of the total output of wind power

... worryingly good, it almost makes sense.


NT

 

[NT]

"During such lack, it is as said, the very small extremity of the production of the market that suffers temporarily, an area this produces only a very small percentage of the exit of being able total of the wind"

... even .pt has improved.

 

[biffvernon]

Ah, so the wind is caused by the trees waving to and fro. Now I understand. Thankyou.

 

[Penners]

Ah, so the wind is caused by the trees waving to and fro. Now I understand. Thankyou.

Yup, and - according to an opinion I heard expressed the other day - there's going to be mass carnage as birds get "sucked in" to wind turbines.

:roll:

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Ah, so the wind is caused by the trees waving to and fro. Now I understand. Thankyou.

wasn't that the generally accepted "scientific" explanation of where the wind comes from a couple of hundred years ago?

 

[Lime]

Ah, so the wind is caused by the trees waving to and fro. Now I understand. Thankyou.

wasn't that the generally accepted "scientific" explanation of where the wind comes from a couple of hundred years ago?

Indeed it was.
Now we know better.
It is the turning of the Earth that pushes the trees into the air that causes the wind.
Proof of this can be seen quite clearly in a strong wind as many of the trees are bent back with the force they are exerting.
Some trees work so hard that they are uprooted.
Have you ever noticed that once trees are uprooted the wind eventually dies down?
Further proof surely?

 

[Penners]

I think we should all stop this. It's starting to sound frighteningly plausible. :wink:

 

[biffvernon]

It is the turning of the Earth that pushes the trees into the air

Centrifugal force is it? So the growth theory was just a conspiracy.

I think we should all stop this. It's starting to sound frighteningly plausible

So it risks Admin deleting the thread?

 

[Penners]

I think we should all stop this. It's starting to sound frighteningly plausible

So it risks Admin deleting the thread?

Actually, I think the wine at lunchtime may have been a factor.