Article in IET queries role of wind power and balancing costs in the UK

David Millborrow is a Claverton participant…. Thanks to Hugh Sharman for forwarding this piece. This article from David Millborrow seems to pretty much demolish this article.. .. http://tx1.fcomet.com/~claverto/cms/download/316/ …………………………………. Quote ” Today, the UK is committed to European Union targets to deliver 35 per cent of electricity from renewables by 2020. Starting from a base of […]

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That financial crisis in full – G20 triumph – latest

The banks lost all their money, put pressure on the politicians who in London, agreed to give them all the money back, by taking our money and giving it to them for the next 20 years. The also agreed to leave the tax havens pretty much as they are – well the ones that people […]

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Electrical Energy Storage: applications, markets and technologies

The energy storage industry is assured of a successful future.  There will be setbacks in these difficult times, of course, in a sector that has many vulnerable pre-commercial technology developers.  However, storage has all the attributes of a cornerstone technology, enabling real progress in areas that are certain to be of huge significance: the effective use of […]

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HOUSE OF COMMONS SEMINAR ON LAND VALUE TAXATION

    Organised by The Coalition for Economic Justice Hosted by Vince Cable MP Panel of Speakers: Sir Sam Brittan,  Financial Times Fred Harrison*,  Land Research Trust Prof Iain McLean,  Professor of Politics– Oxford University Ashley Seager,  The Guardian Molly Scott Cato,  Green Party Economics speaker David Triggs,  Henry George Foundation * Author of Boom […]

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Water Meters – confusing cause and effect ? Letter from Prof Lesley

Dear Editor, Is today’s front page story another attempt by the Government to tax us more ? UK homeowners (with or without meters) already pay more for water than Continentals. UK water use if wasteful. About 90% of domestic water flushes toilets and washes; ourselves, clothes and dishes. Fortunately the washing machine makers have reduced […]

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ZERO EMISSION HYBRID RAILCAR

Ultra Light Rail – the Fast Track to Fuel Cells Introducing Fuel Cells to the Commercial Public Transport Market Fuel cells are now recognised as a key technology in the process of weaning the modern world from its dependence on fossil fuels and leading it into a new age of alternative energy. The principal obstacle […]

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How Much Wind Energy is there? – Brian Hurley – Wind Site Evaluation Ltd.

Introduction

The starting point is an estimate of the total quantity of kinetic energy in the atmosphere. Lorenz gives 1.5 x 106Joules/m2 as the quantity of kinetic energy contained in the atmosphere(1). Smil gives a figure described as the annual “solar radiation reaching the earth” as equal to 5.8 x 1024Joules, or 1.84 X 1017W, and 360W/m2(2). Annual Solar radiation absorbed by earths surface(land and sea) 2.9 x 1024Joules, or 9.19 X 1016W, and 180W/m2. Note the solar constant is 1,366W/m2. Smil refers to a source from Lorenz(1976) that “atmospheric motion” was about 2% of 3.5PW insolation. ( Applying 2% to Smil’s 9.19 X 1016W giving 1.84 X 1015W with his figure for winds below 1km 1.22 x 1015W is the right order of magnitude

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