The potential electricity available from British offshore wind, using current technology including the Norwegian floating turbines, is about 2TWe. This is equivalent to 50 times current British electricity consumption, and 8 times current total energy demand (electricity, heat, transport)
Read MoreAndrews Smith discusses "Wind energy is not controversial apart from its effects on wealthy land owners"
“Wind energy is not controversial apart from its effects on wealthy land owners” A claveton responded: “I’m not sure in what respect it’s not controversial. It’s not ‘the’ answer to anything, except as very much a small part of something. The on-shore wind companies are now having to diversify because, they say, all the possible […]
Read MorePotential Wind Energy Investment Opportunity
We have been approached and asked to make known an opportunity to invest in a wind farm(s) project to Claverton members or their associates. Essentially this involves 600 MW capacity in a series of wind farms in various countries with 30 MW in the UK. We have been told that agreements have been obtained with governments and land owners. […]
Read MoreConference on Offshore wind power planning, economics and environment University of Birmingham Friday 28th August 2009
MORE DETAILS FROM: Dr David Toke, Senior lecturer in Environmental Policy, University of Birmingham, email : d.toke@bham.ac.uk
Read MoreWind Energy Variability and Intermittency in the UK : New Reports
Three completely independent reports on the wind variability issue appeared in June and July 2009, all with the same message: the variability of wind needs to be taken into account, but it does not make the grid unmanageable; and the additional costs, which are modest, can be quantified.
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What square of land area of wind turbines would be needed in reasonable sites in the UK to in one year generate all UKs power demand?
Data
A 5 MW turbine rotor diameter is 126m ( from the Repower website http://www.repower.de/index.php?id=12&L=1 )
According to Martin Alder, a wind farm owner and developer:
Across wind turbine spacing = 3 x dia (Assume tower to tower)
Down wind turbine spacing = 5 x dia
According to Colin Palmer, of Wind Prospect, a leading wind farm developer, load factors of 30 – 35% onshore, and 40% offshore are readilly achievalbe.
So assume 33%.
Calculation
Take a 70 mile by 70 mile square. This equals 112 km by 112 km
So downwind, turbine spacing (tower to tower) will be 126 x 3 = 378m. Thus in 70 miles / 112 km we can accommodate (112 x 1000 / 378 ) +1 = 297.3 towers (allowing half blade length to protrude out of area at edges).
Similarly, cross wind, we need 5 x 126 = 630 m. Thus in 70 miles / 112 km we can accommodate (112 x 1000 /630) +1 = 178.8 towers (again allowing half blade length to protrude out of area at edges).
Thus a 70 mile by 70 mile square can accommodate 297.3 x 178.8 = 53,157 turbines..
At 5 MW each, these will generate at peak 265.7 GW.
Assuming reasonable sites and a 1/3 , 33% load factor, this will generate on average 79.73 GW.
Read MoreConference on Offshore wind power planning, economics and environment
Do you want to know more about planning issues and offshore wind and how they link up with other issues such as economics? Do you want to know about international comparisons between the UK and other EU states? Well come along to the University of Birmingham on August 28th which has a registration fee of […]
Read MoreRelative / comparative costs of wind energy, nuclear energy, hydro power, coal power, natural gas, geothermal energy, and biomass
In general it can be seen that there is not a lot to choose between the cost of wind energy, and coal, gas or nuclear. PV and CSP are considerablymore expensive however.
Read More"They work and are quick to build: let the wind blow" Daily Telegraph, Thursday, July 16th – Dave Andrews is and independent energy consultant and Chair of the Claverton Group energy think tank
Daily Telegraph, Thursday, July 16th, page 5
Wind farms as is well know only work when the wind blows. This means that a turbine will on average, produce electricity on only one day out of three. However, this is not of itself an overwhelming disadvantage – as is often claimed.
Wind farms can still compete with other forms of electricity generation because although turbines are expensive to build, they have very low running costs.
The other argument against turbines is that they require back up when the wind is not blowing. This, too, is true. However, again it is not really a problem, since the power station needed to provide backup have already been built, and are cheap to keep on standby. Wind farms just make sure we use less of the fossil fuel than we would otherwise, therefore cutting emissions.
Read MoreUK National Grid – NG have published a very positive consultation on Wind Capacity
NG have published a – very positive consultation on Wind Capacity http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/Operating+in+2020
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