Sorry silverfox but that doesn't work either - all sorts of negative implications putting turbines in peat and blanket bog.
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So I take that living in Caithness almost automatically puts me against Wind farms. Sorry...no can do. They are an absoulute neccessity. Fuel prices are rocketing, fuel stocks are depleting, we need energy. Do you really want a reality where you cannot boil a kettle, heat up your straighteners, watch your widescreen plasma tv, etc...no of course you don't. In that case stop whinging about them and get used to it. They are coming whether we campaign or not. Personally I think they are beautiful and as the Caithness landscape is so flat they make a pleasant change.
I can see a problem with that in terms of peat slide, connection availability, impact to wildlife, access etc.
For Caithness to do her bit in terms of meeting the EU renewable targets, we need to see an average of 36MW of wind capacity being installed each year until 2020. I think that is achievable, given a radical change in attitude on behalf of local government. This can only be achieved by a change in public attitudes towards energy security and the real threat from Global Warming on life and the economy, so that they are not putting their electability at risk by making bold decisions towards windfarm planning applications.
We already are experiencing some of the worst impacts on wildlife in Caithness due to changes to feeding habits of sandeels, which has caused breeding problems to puffins and other birds.
Other changes are obvious, longer midge season, mackerel fishing throughout the year, less snow etc.
It would certainly be a tourist attraction, there is a wind farm on bodmin moor in cornwall and about 15 years ago it was surprising how many people stopped and watched them.
I also surprised at how many meg we have to achieve.
Thought I would look up a Thesaurus for "secure". Here is the result.
I have highlighted all the synonyms which apply to wind generation for an energy policy.
http://thesaurus.infoplease.com/secure
Adjective
1. secure (vs. insecure), unafraid, untroubled
usage: free from fear or doubt; easy in mind; "secure himself, he went out of his way to help others"
2. secure (vs. insecure), assured, bonded, guaranteed, secured, warranted, certified, established, firm, fail-safe, in safe custody(predicate), promised, safe, safe-deposit, safety-deposit, sure, invulnerable, protected#1, secure, safe
usage: free from danger or risk; "secure from harm"; "his fortune was secure"; "made a secure place for himself in his field"
3. protected (vs. unprotected), secure, bastioned, fortified, battlemented, burglarproof, covert, moated, sheltered, shielded, snug, stormproof, weatherproof, invulnerable, secure
usage: kept safe or defended from danger or injury or loss; "the most protected spot I could find"
4. secure (vs. insecure), steady, tight, tightened, fixed
usage: not likely to fail or give way; "the lock was secure"; "a secure foundation"; "a secure hold on her wrist"
5. impregnable, inviolable, secure, strong, unassailable, unattackable, invulnerable (vs. vulnerable)
usage: able to withstand attack; "an impregnable fortress"; "fortifications that made the frontier inviolable"
6. dependable, good, safe, secure, sound (vs. unsound)
usage: financially sound; "a good investment"; "a secure investment"
So here are the synonyms which don't apply to wind generation as an energy policy
http://thesaurus.infoplease.com/secure
Adjective
1. secure (vs. insecure), unafraid, untroubled
usage: free from fear or doubt; easy in mind; "secure himself, he went out of his way to help others"
2. secure (vs. insecure), assured, bonded, guaranteed, secured, warranted, certified, established, firm, fail-safe, in safe custody(predicate), promised, safe, safe-deposit, safety-deposit, sure, invulnerable, protected#1, secure, safe
usage: free from danger or risk; "secure from harm"; "his fortune was secure"; "made a secure place for himself in his field"
3. protected (vs. unprotected), secure, bastioned, fortified, battlemented, burglarproof, covert, moated, sheltered, shielded, snug, stormproof, weatherproof, invulnerable, secure
usage: kept safe or defended from danger or injury or loss; "the most protected spot I could find"
4. secure (vs. insecure), steady, tight, tightened, fixed
usage: not likely to fail or give way; "the lock was secure"; "a secure foundation"; "a secure hold on her wrist"
5. impregnable, inviolable, secure, strong, unassailable, unattackable, invulnerable (vs. vulnerable)
usage: able to withstand attack; "an impregnable fortress"; "fortifications that made the frontier inviolable"
6. dependable, good, safe, secure, sound (vs. unsound)
usage: financially sound; "a good investment"; "a secure investment"
House of Lords Select Committee on the Economics of Renewable Energy
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/renewables.doc
http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/lords_press_notices/pn250408ea.cfm
Gordon brown wants 10,000 new turbines.
http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/19842
E.ON says that to build the numbers of turbines Gordon B wants, you have to build conventional power stations with 92% of the 10,000 turbine's capacity just to keep in reserve.
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/EA311%20-%20Supplementary%20evidence%20from%20Eon.doc
Check out other respondees.
http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/lords_economic_affairs/eaffwrevid.cfm
Sir Donald Miller is well worth a look.
Derek Birkett
OFGEM
Andrew Bain
Colin Gibson
More from E.ON
http://www.eon-uk.com/generation/carboncostandconsequences.aspx
http://www.eon-uk.com/downloads/Manifesto_Brochure_-_final_30_05_08.pdf
This seems to give a good explanation.
They are the words of Stuart Young, are you familiar with his views? I don't agree all with what he has to say but I do respect his views as some do have a lot of merit.Quote:
To harness the capacity of a solitary wind turbine, then two other wind turbines are required, each in a different geographical area. This is because the wind either does not blow enough all the time, or it blows too hard some of the time, and the turbine has to be shut down. As the wind will generally always be blowing somewhere, and provided there are sufficient turbines distributed nationally to capture all wind conditions, a degree of security of supply can be anticipated in normal conditions.
http://www.publications.parliament.u...59/259we02.htm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ywindythesecond http://forum.caithness.org/images/buttons/viewpost.gif
But how is it secure?
Reggy said:-
This seems to give a good explanation.
Quote:
To harness the capacity of a solitary wind turbine, then two other wind turbines are required, each in a different geographical area. This is because the wind either does not blow enough all the time, or it blows too hard some of the time, and the turbine has to be shut down. As the wind will generally always be blowing somewhere, and provided there are sufficient turbines distributed nationally to capture all wind conditions, a degree of security of supply can be anticipated in normal conditions.
They are the words of Stuart Young, are you familiar with his views? I don't agree all with what he has to say but I do respect his views as some do have a lot of merit.
http://www.publications.parliament.u...59/259we02.htm
"a degree of security of supply can be anticipated in normal conditions. "
A degree of security of supply in normal conditions is not security of supply. EON, in two of the links on my last post tells us that the EU target for renewables can only be relied on for 8% of its connected capacity at peak winter demand. How secure is 8%? Where will the missing 92% come from?
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I'm glad you acknowledge that. So 8% is a welcome addition to our security of supplies at peak winter demand. What about the other times of the year, in normal conditions other than Xmas day around 6pm?
I believe the security of supply goes down to 8% at very high percentage intrusions into the energy market. A bit to go yet.