Comments on: Top Ten Wind Energy Myths

By: Aeolus

Aeolus — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:15:29 +0000

It’s always alarming when anti-windfarm campaigners claim to have access to “facts” which are absolutely untrue. James (above) stated it as a “fact” that houses in the UK lose 20% of their value when a wind farm is built nearby. A link to the case he cites would have been useful, given that all the available studies (UK and overseas) indicate that property values do not fall and that, if anything, they tend to increase faster near windfarms than elsewhere. Similarly, James refers rather airily to “documented” cases of windfarm developers having to buy back unsellable properties. But, of course, finding these “documented” cases proves extremely difficult. In short, James was having us on when he pretended to have done a bit of digging – no amount of digging (except on unreliable and irresponsible anti-windfarm campaign websites) will reveal the mythical 20% drop in UK house prices. This is your standard, common-or-garden anti-windfarm myth-mongering, aimed to create confusion and concern but (as always) lacking in any actual evidence.

By: Phil

Phil — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 22:36:54 +0000

At least 40% of the Electricity we consume in the UK is produced by burning Natural Gas, approx 20% comes from Nuclear Power, approx 30% comes from Coal Fired Power Plants and the rest comes via cable Interconnectors from the near Continent and from ‘Renewables’. Of all the Renewables by far the largest contribution comes from Wind Turbines, (Today 29/8/11 the total supplied by Wind Turbines was in excess of 7%) This was a particularly large %age due to the fact that today is August Bank Holiday Monday, (therefore the demand for Electricity is relatively low) and it was a fairly windy day. The total amount of power generated by UK Wind Turbines for the 24hr period up to 11:00hrs 29/8/11, was 50853MWh. This equates to over 2000MW for each of the previous 24hrs, or roughly the equivalent of operating a large Coal Fired Power Station flat out. To produce that amount of power a Coal Fired Power Station would need to burn around 24,000 Tonnes of Coal.
As I said earlier, today was quite windy, and on most days a lot less power is generated by the currently operational Wind Turbines. However, the average amount of power generated per day by Wind Power is still around 3.5% of the power we consume.
The UK Government has set a target for electricity generation from Renewables by 2020 at 15%, most of this will come from Wind Turbines. Clearly, to meet these targets many more Wind Farms will need to be built.
Personally, I do not think that Wind Farms are attractive and I would not like one in my back yard, (nor would I like any other type of power plant in my back yard). But I do accept that there is a very real and pressing need for the UK to reduce it’s dependence on imported Gas and Coal and to reduce emmissions of pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels. Therefore I am willing to accept that if it were demonstrated that a site near me was suitable for the siting of a Wind Farm and that the Environmental Impact Assessment Survey concluded that the ‘benefit’ of the development outweighed the ‘Risk’ to the local Environment then I would not oppose any such development.

If you would like to find out where your power is actually coming from then take a look at http://www.bmreports.com then under the ‘General’ Tab click Electricity Data Summary. This website provides near real time and historic data about the Balancing Mechanism which is used by the National Grid (System Operator) as a means of balancing power flows on to and off the electricity Transmission System in Great Britain. I hope you find this useful.

By: James

James — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:06:06 +0000

I support renewable technologies but not Wind Farms as a viable replacement for fossil fuels.

Wind Power cannot be used for Base Load for instance, nor is it reliable enough to cater for peak demand, so in effect building wind turbines is a false green economy as it cannot be used effectively to meet our energy demands.

If you look towards Denmark which has the most wind farms in the EU, they have stopped building several new wind farm projects, and reducing subsidies for wind farms. Most of the electricity that was generated by the wind farms in Denmark was exported to their neighbours, at a loss, as it was no use to them, and didn’t even replace 1 single fossil fuel based power generation facility.

Spain is another country that is stopping subsidies, and this is a growing trend across the entire EU.

Also it is fact than in the UK house properties drop in value by 20%, this was established in Ireland after a court judge ruled against West Coast Energy Ltd and made them pay the loss of property value to the home owners.

There is also documented cases all across the world of energy companies having to buy unsellable properties near wind farms.

All it takes is a little bit of searching to find the facts, rather than what is presented hear.

I understand that this is your livelihood and therefore your main money earner, but really at the expense of other people lives, it is wrong to spread this FUD.

There is many more feasible renewable products which can be better employed to serve a nations power needs, and frankly, Wind Farms are not the solution.

By: Vicky Portwain

Vicky Portwain — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 18:53:54 +0000

I have an interest because I work in and strongly believe in the renewable energy sector!

By: Joe Fordham

Joe Fordham — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:25:38 +0000

Vicky,When you say look at the metres at the wind farm, they may be correct but have you considered that they be be being rotated by the dirty electricity from the grid. They do this to impress the share holders and to stop the forty tonne blades from bending the rotar shaft. You and your husband seem to have a great interest in this subject,would you please tell us why?

By: Joe Fordham

Joe Fordham — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:11:11 +0000

A great article Chris, you and I are of the same mind.
The carbon footprint that these onshore giants will take twenty years to claim back in comparrison to staying with a coal fired plant. There are 500 Cubic metres of mixed concrete required to hold them up, this accounts for some 1500 tonnes of sand gravel and cement having to be excavated and processed. It then requires the same amount being excavated to form the base of the turbine and then disposed of.Even if the figures that we are being fed are correct,climate change will be knocked back by years with all this extra carbon being produced.
I suggest that our Minister of Energy has a look at the online patents that are out there and stops any more of the toy windmills being produced.

By: Vicky Portwain

Vicky Portwain — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 01:44:05 +0000

Chris

presumably as you are not in favour of subsidies you think we should continue with fossil fuels? Even if you don’t believe in climate change you must realise that fossil fuels are becoming more and more expensive and will soon be more expensive than wind even without the subsidies. As you don’t believe in subsidies clearly you don’t support nuclear and are happy to leave us or future generations in an energy crises.

I don’t believe each wind turbine generating enough enough for over 1000 homes is ‘worthless’ and contrary to your post – they do work, just ask to look at the meters at a wind farm close to you, they do actually generate electricity.

It is the right of the individual and the global community (and in fact the responsibility) to think a little ahead into the future and not just about cheap energy for our lifetime.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:00:32 +0000

Absolute garbage. The only green aspect of wind energy is the subsidies. Take out the subsidies, and not one single wind turbine will be built. Easy money for the energy companies, nothing more.
How dare you say that “green” electricity is cheap. 12% of my fuel bill goes towards subsidising you lot so by definition, my electricity is 12% more expensive because of it.
Stop using “Capacity” as a measure, we all know how useless wind turbines are and as for the “minority” you will find the only supporters of wind energy are those who do not have to put up with them.
Someone answer me this question:
How many wind turbines do you have to build and operate at ACTUAL OPERATING OUTPUT (not “capacity”) to close down ONE fossil fuel or nuclear power station?

What gets me more than anything is people like you are raking in the cash, and hiding behind the global warming banner as justification for ruining peoples lives, communities and local wildlife and habitats. All for something which DOESN’T WORK.

Removing the right of the individual in persuit of an ideal – Fascism, pure and simple.

By: Steve Morris

Steve Morris — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:56:16 +0000

The ‘pay-back’ times quoted are very misleading as they relate solely to the manufacture of the turbine and do not take into account the mining and processing of the raw materials, the transportation and erection of the turbines, maintenance and repair.

By: lee portwain

lee portwain — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:55:01 +0000

I now understand much more about wind energy. Good article.