More on wind

[room101]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/04/wind_farms_hide_terrorists_guzzle_pork_sez_ofgem_mod/

[dhaslam]

"saying it channels excessive profits to owners and does little to stimulate new build",   that is certainly a different view of economics.   

[Paulh_Boats]

They should give the RO payment to me and my solar panels. 

[Bargeman]

Hello,

Should I be worried that the MOD are unable to design a radar system that cannot distinguish between a static wind turbine that is located in a known/predictable location and a low flying aircraft ? Surely they should be able to upgrade their systems to 'filter out' noise from turbine blades.

This issue was raised at a conference I attended several years ago. The MOD representative said it was simply a matter of getting the funding to upgrade the installed radar equipment.

As far as ROCs are concerned, it is simple economics to see that low cost producers such as onshore wind farms will receive 'economic rent' from a ROC price that is above the level required to motivate investment in those technologies that are relatively cheap to deploy. The ROC programme is obsessive in its pursuit of a market driven solution. The alternative feed-in tarriff used in continental Europe is a cheaper way of incentivising/subsidising renewable technologies.
 
regards

[renewablejohn]

I wish the investment money was invested in technology that works 24 hours a day rather than just when the wind blows. Getting anybody to invest in woodchip generation in the present credit crunch climate is proving virtually impossible.

[Ivan]

If wind turbines put a stop to RAF planes flying low at 600mph......that's not a bad thing!

The MoD, and particularly the RAF seem to believe that we are all massively indebted to them for protecting us. Surely, in recent years, their activities have put the general public in much greater danger?

From an environmental point of view, the sooner they stop wasting vast quantities of fuel the better (see http://www.envirosagainstwar.org/know/read.php?itemid=593 ). With afterburners on, a jet fighter can burn 4gallons of fuel....a second!

[AndySV1K]

If wind turbines put a stop to RAF planes flying low at 600mph......that's not a bad thing!

I doubt it as wind farms get plotted onto aircharts and pilots should plan their routes on these so will know they are then and should have no trouble avoiding them.

Actually it could increase the generation if they buzz the turbines close enough! 

Andy.

[Ivan]

I was contacted once by an RAF engineer - who wanted to check if our turbines could stand a 300mph wind. I asked if he was thinking of installing on Saturn, then found out that he wanted to generate some energy from blast wind of engine testbed!