Wind Energy and renewable energy blog

UK Micro- Renewable Energy Masterclasses

With fixed prices for small scale green energy generation on their way, UK residents are starting to show some serious interest in generating their own renewable electricity.

Green electricity company Good Energy is planning an event to help people get started with their own electricity projects.

The workshop ‘Power from the People: How to Generate Renewable Energy’ is aimed at a wide ranging audience from homeowners to farmers with the objective of helping to get small scale renewable energy projects up and running.

Mainstream Kick off 1st South Africa Project

Mainstream and joint venture partner Geneses Eco-Energy kicked off public consultation on their Jeffrey’s Bay wind energy project at the weekend.

Displays showing details of the 100 Megawatt project were on display at the town’s ’shell festival’ over the weekend.

The Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm is one of a number of proposals in South Africa hoping to be in the first tranch to secure a fixed rate tariff from the Government.

Mainstream Renewable Power SA Director Leila Mahomed-Weidman said ‘people have been very positive about the project with many asking how quickly can you get the wind turbines up’.

Green Revolution Moves forward a step as China promises Carbon Cuts

The Chinese President announced today that he was prepared to take action on climate change. President Hu Jintao told the UN summit that the country is prepared to make a carbon reduction promise through the introduction of a 2020 target.

Jintao said that notable reductions in emission levels would be made by 2020 from the 2005 levels, a in a move that was welcomed by Chinese green groups.

Although no specific target has been set and there much work to be done, China has for the first time indicated that decisions about the energy future of the country will not be entirely driven by short term economic goals. The announcement demonstrates that pressure from other countries leading the way on carbon reduction can make a difference.

I attended a public consultation exercise for a new wind farm at Spaldington Airfield, in Yorkshire, England at the weekend. Many people were supportive of the proposals and felt strongly that every small move counts in the fight against climate change.

UK Back on the Green Energy Investment Track

After the PR disaster of the Vestas factory closure on the Isle of Wight, the UK Prime Minister is looking to reel in another wind turbine manufacturer and step up investment to get the country back on the green manufacturing track.

The Guardian’s Terry Macalister reported yesterday that PM Gordon Brown wants Siemens to open a factory in the UK as soon as possible. The move would provide a renewable energy manufacturing base and green collar jobs. The goverment is desperate to secure economic benefits from its huge potential wind energy market.

According to the Guardian, the prime minister will meet CEO of Siemens, Peter Löscher to provide some certainty and comfort on the delivery of a large scale offshore wind energy market. This lack of confidence in wind energy market growth was what led to the Vestas decision to abandon the UK.

A Siemens offshore wind representative said that the company will be closely watching what comes out of the Crown Estate’s Round 3 offshore wind farm license announcements which are imminent.

Death at Scottish Wind Farm Site

The BBC reported today that a contractor has died at a wind farm at the north eastern tip of Scotland.

The incident happened whilst the contractor was carrying out routine maintenance work at Causeymire Wind Farm near Thurso. Emergency services rushed to the wind farm site just off the A9 at approximately 9am this morning

Council Leaders Hit Back at Prescott on Wind Energy

The leaders of East Riding and the Isle of Wight Councils have responded angrily to comments made by John Prescott about UK wind farm decision making last week.

At the first ‘Age of Stupid awards’ the former Deputy Prime Minister spoke out against people who oppose wind turbines being constructed near their homes and the planning committees who take action in response to their lobbying. Prescott is concerned about the number of recent decisions to refuse permission for new projects to generate renewable energy “Stupid planning committee in Bedford, stupid planning committee in the Isle of Wight – I hope they get upset about it. We have to counteract the NIMBYs who say they want change but not in their backyard.”

Despite the East Riding of Yorkshire being well positioned for wind energy, Councillors have refused a number of the wind farms proposals in their area. Council Leader Stephen Parnaby said “I think Mr Prescott’s comments are a bit rich. “It’s typical of this Government backing off from its responsibilities…the energy of the country should be dealt with at a national level and the blame should not be passed on to local authorities.”

New Wind Energy and Major Infrastructure Petition

Wind farm NIMBYs are becoming more vocal in the UK leading to big challenges for companies trying to construct wind energy projects.

The British Wind Energy Association and wind energy companies say that most people in the UK are supportive of wind turbines but they are less likely to express their support for specific projects than people who are against proposals. This group are known as the ’silent majority’ and they are also usually against wind farm NIMBYs.

Ministers say Wind Energy Developers Should Buy UK Planning Consents

The UK Government’s ‘new’ idea to try and combat wind farm NIMBYISM is to get wind farm developers to give local communities cash, according to the Times this week.

The reality is however that payments are already being offered to communities by wind energy companies on a voluntary basis. The introduction of a formal system of payments is in itself therefore, unlikely to lead to the desired plethora of delivered renewable energy projects.

Planning problems have been cited as the key constraint holding back British onshore wind energy projects with wind turbine manfucturer Vestas blaming NIMBYS (not in my back yard) for its recent decision to close Britain’s only wind turbine manufacturing plant, on the Isle of Wight. A Vestas spokesperson described Britain’s approach as “like being in Saudi Arabia and not drilling for oil”. In response Ministers are considering whether to establish a “conservation bank” which they say will overcome planning objections to wind farms and other renewable-energy projects.

2009 Forecast Promising for European Wind Energy

Europe’s wind energy trade association has revealed new research showing that the wind farm industry has weathered the financial climate successfully over the last year.

The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) says that 8,600 Megawatts (MW) of new wind energy capacity will be installed in the European Union countries during 2009. Assuming each turbine is rated 2MW capacity this means an additional circa 4,300 wind turbines generating green electricity across Europe.

Second Call for Offshore Wind Demo Projects

The UK Government announced its Second Call for offshore wind energy demonstration projects today. The Second Call has, according to the Government a value of £10 million (US $16.4m) ring fenced for the deployment of offshore wind.

The Offshore Wind Demonstration Call is being administered through Solutions for Business, a Government support vehicle for new products. The aim of the funding is to stimulate and encourage the development and demonstration of offshore wind technologies and components for larger multi-megawatt wind turbines.

The UK Government desperately wants the wind farms in UK waters within the 2020 timeframe to meet its climate change commitments. Bids must be received by 28 August 2009. Application forms, guidance notes and the call for proposals are on the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) website.

Community supports Westmills Wind Farm

Westmills wind farm is officially popular with its local community according to a recent report by the BBC. Westmills is the first 100% community owned wind energy project in the south of England and provides for the needs of around 2500 homes.

The five turbine wind farm is located within half a mile of the village of Westmills in South Oxfordshire, England. The turbines started generating electricity in February of last year after a long planning haul patiently negotiated by landowner Adam Twine. More than 200 local people bought into the wind farm co-operative and now receive a financial return on their investment.

Conservative Councils’ Poor Wind Farm Record

Conservative Councils refuse more wind farm planning applications than Labour Councils according to figures released this week.

The Figures on wind farm approvals released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change show that Conservative Councils approved 44.7 megawatts (MW) of onshore wind energy schemes whilst Labour Councils approved 68.3 MW. This is despite the Conservatives controlling the majority of rural Council areas where wind farms in England are usually proposed.

Minister Says New Quango Will Speed Up UK Wind Farm Delivery

UK Planning Minister – John Healey today spoke out against claims that the planning system is preventing renewable energy projects being delivered.

The UK Housing and Planning Minister wrote a letter in response to a Financial Times article about the planning system holding up wind energy projects. The FT article posted on 15th July – “Energy plans face delays, groups warn” was criticised by John Healey for “missing the point”.

“It is precisely because of cases like Vestas, the wind turbine manufacturer that had to close one of its factories, that we are creating a fairer, faster planning system” said Healey.

Bright Future for US Wind Turbine Manufacturers

Denise Bode from the American Wind Energy Association talks to Clean Skies News about the $3billion recovery package grant for renewable energy on the You Tube video below.

Bode believes that much of this package will go towards wind energy projects. She sees the US wind industry changing from an industry grown in Europe to being ‘built out in the US’. According to Bode 50% of wind turbine components used by US wind farm developers are now supplied from within the US with long term commitments existing for homegrown manufacturers.

European Report Tries to Establish the True Cost of Wind Energy

An indigenous energy source such as wind energy seriously reduces the exposure of our economy to fuel price hikes and falls according to a report published recently by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).

This risk reduction provided by wind energy is not usually taken into account when different energy technology costs are compared. The EWEA report says that current calculation methods “quite blatantly favour the use of high-risk options for power generation…but that as the world becomes more dependent on importing fuel from politically unstable areas at unpredictable and higher prices, this aspect merits immediate attention“.

Welsh Authorities Hampering Wind Energy Projects

Strategically important wind energy projects in Wales are being hampered by the local trunk road authority and local councils according to wind farm developers.

Wind energy developers want to carry out wind turbine delivery ‘dry run trials’ through Welsh towns to establish likely physical obstructions – before investing in multi million pound wind farms.

Wind Farm Neighbours

Canadian wind farm neighbour Mulikow tries to describe the noise from his next door wind farm in the video below. As with all attempts to replicate ‘noise experiences’ this video struggles to represent accurately wind turbine noise due to the noise of the natural wind in the microphone and the fact that we – the listeners are located out of context. However Mulikaw gives what seems to be an un-emotive, and descriptive account of what it is like to live next to an operational wind farm. Don’t believe him though – go visit one for yourself.

Nuclear Power Station Proposals Threaten Wind Farm

German utility giant RWE caused a stir yesterday by threatening to move a UK community wind farm. The company may want to move the wind turbines to make way for its new nuclear power station at Kirkstanton in Cumbria, England.

31% Evangelists Don’t Believe in Climate Change

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life recently announced results of a survey about people’s opinions on climate change.

The survey carried out last year among 1,502 American adults asked people if they believed there is solid evidence that the average temperature on Earth has been getting warmer over the past few decades. The survey showed the white evangelical protestants are the biggest non-believers in climate change with 31% saying that they believe there is no solid evidence.

Wind Farm Landowner Experience

If you are thinking of hosting a wind farm on your land, check out the following You Tube video for the views and experiences of one farmer.