The status in 2010, that doesn’t seem that long ago, shows two nuclear, two coal and one gas fired power station, a suite of hydro electric power stations and barely any wind turbine power stations. The red line shows approximate peak demand in Scotland of 6 GW and with 8.4 GW despatchable power, Scotland’s electricity needs were safe and secure…
So many eggs in such a weak basket. I wonder if they realize the basket will have to be replaced after a very short life span ?
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/scotland/wind-turbines-lifespan-far-shorter-than-believed-study-suggests-1.62945#poll
Peter, there will be worse coming as experience grows with the much younger offshore wind fleet. It hardly needs to be said that salt water is not kind to mechanical devices.
“It hardly needs to be said that salt water is not kind to mechanical devices.”
Especially as it is getting more acidic as we speak!!!! /sarc
Some good reading here on why these useless bird shredders are a poor long term investment.
http://toryaardvark.com/2011/12/13/why-wind-turbines-explode/
Let em gag they voted for it.
What an unbelievably sad story about the wrecking of one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, the likely destruction of the energy economy, all to chase the utopian dreams of the socialist morons who replaced the race of giants that used to inhabit one of the greatest small nations on earth.
While I agree that the lifespan of wind turbines is probably far less than 25 years. I think the opponents of wind farms discredit themselves by citing very old Californian examples of premature turbine failure/decommissioning. The technology is much improved from then.
Not all that much. Keep in mind that any improvements are recent where most windmills are reaching the 10 year mark.
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/08/26/bearings-the-achilles-heel-of-wind-turbines/
No, no, you are missing act two of the corrupt politicians, envirowhackos, rent seekers, fable.
Tens of billions of taxpayers funds must now be committed for research to perfect the holy grail
“superbatteries” (aka known as electricity bombs) that will render windmills the most efficient
sources of carbon free clean power and potential stored energy since horse treadmills.
Windfarms harming many protested birds on the Endagred list and stillthe eco-freaks and Obama want the damn things their so cuaght up in their rediculous ideology of eco-poppycock
All eggs in one basket – YES
Acid seas – yep, don’t go swimming!
They voted for it – well not really. Most folks live in cities and are ignorant
Wrecking landscape – its localised, but suddenly we have forests of turbines around Aberdeen
Yep – No one cares or seems to even know what proper science is these days 🙁 Or maybe its just me?
Birds – I’ve not heard many dead bird stories in Scotland
Working life – there was one offshore installation in Sweden decommissioned after 9 years. If they don’t last 20 years it will become an economic disaster
The problem with that approach, Paul, is that I get the government they deserve.
In Ontario, we pay a premium for swindle energy. Not only that.
If the wind blows, then we shut down reliable forms of generation or sell it to neighbors at a loss. We also pay the swindlers NOT to produce electricity (pretty good deal, that!)
Yeah well the bearing issue is a losing circular argument…from an engineering standpoint.
1) the bearings support the weight of the rotor…..without any power transmission.
2)lessening the weight of the rotor is impractical…..they are already fiberglass composite…..
3) making the bearings larger decreases efficiency.
Until there is a breakthrough in metallurgy, usually once a centrury or so, the bearings will fail. Jet engines and before that steel cannons are examples of technology that had to wait for new alloys.
At this point recall that the Nazi’s jet engines had an expected life of less than 20 hours before replacement. The War of Northern Aggression was fought with bronze muzzle loading cannon…….because until Krupp figured out how to make large chunks of steel the only application for steel was rifle barrels and sabres. American railway wheels and rails were a bad joke. Indeed Krupp was founded on the excelance of their wheels and rails…..not their cannon…..despite Krupp being dubbed the “KannonKonig”.
The vaunted .220 Swift was a failure because they had a tendency “to grow with every shot”……this why the 22-250 gained such a following….it was the alloys in the barrels not the cartridge.
In Ontario the majority of voters love being swindled, lied to, paying highest energy costs on this continent, legislated to the nth degree……. no amount of corruption is too much to re-elect their beloved Liberals.