Spittal Potts

[secrets in symmetry]

It's good to hear that the Pottingers are going full steam ahead with their plans for a windfarm at Spittal Hill. This is the sort of entrepreneurial endeavour our County needs during the current economic barren spell.

[Rheghead]

Agreed. Seemingly the decision letter last time gave the green light for a scaled down development.

[secrets in symmetry]

Yes, I believe so.

What can be better than being entrepreneurial, green, and socially minded?

[Rheghead]

Yes, I believe so.

What can be better than being entrepreneurial, green, and socially minded?

It will be hard to refuse planning permission with such a recommendation.

[joxville]

I don't know the background to the story but the above posts come as across as you both gloating.

[Oddquine]

I don't know the background to the story but the above posts come as across as you both gloating.

Nah....Rheghead is gloating.....SIS is stirring!

[joxville]

I've just had a quick look on Google. Apparently the company behind it is Statkraft, which I believe is a Norwegian company. So the cynic in me sees this as having sod all to do with being green, it's just yet another company out to make money on the back of the green movement. Or are they going to be altruistic and give all profits to the community and local charities? Aye, right!

Oh, I forgot, it 'could' boost the local economy and provide jobs. Has anyone looked at other ventures to see how much the local communities have really benefitted?

[secrets in symmetry]

I don't know the background to the story but the above posts come as across as you both gloating.

There's no gloating from me. I'm pleased that the County is showing signs of economic and entrepreneurial life, and at the same time we (well, the Pottingers) are planning yet more green electricity generation. There are those who don't understand wind energy, there are those that spread lies about wind energy, and there are those that are (sadly) beyond worrying about. I'm happy because we're doing the right thing.

[joxville]

And there are also those like me, who understand we need it, even if we don't fully comprehend the science behind it. But the farms should only be built for the right reasons, not because it suits an agenda or is purely to make money, as this venture comes across to me. But what do I or anyone in a similar position matter, we are just the 'little people' that need educated by you, or maybe we are beyond help.

[secrets in symmetry]

Yes, there are indeed those like you, with whom it's possible to have a sensible discussion.

[Rheghead]

I don't know the background to the story but the above posts come as across as you both gloating.

No gloating from me. Just putting in some neutral value commentary.

[Kenn]

I thought this had been refused planning so have they opened a new can o' worms?

[secrets in symmetry]

As Rheghead has explained many times, the money/profit issue isn't ideal, but it gets the job done rather well.

[Oddquine]

No gloating from me. Just putting in some neutral value commentary.

ROFLMQ, Rheghead.....you don't do neutral value commentary. Been reading you since I joined here well after you did....and you do windmills/farms as the saviour of the earth to a frankly irrational level.

Might be worth asking you, yet again, what you, personally are doing to reduce your carbon footprint....I have asked before, more than once, with no response from you...but I still think that cutting the individuals' consumption of carbon producing habits will do a lot more to reduce carbon usage than throwing up windmills for profit to those throwing up the windmills will.

Do you have your house insulated to the nth degree? Do you run a car...and do you use it when you could as easily walk to your destination? Do you take foreign holidays? Do you, as I do, wear seven layers of clothes, including two fleeces to enable me to cut down on my heating levels..or do you sit aeound in a T-shirt? Do you have stuff always left on standby? Do you only buy locally produced goods and services...and in-season local produce? Do you hang out the laundry or use tumble driers? There are at least 100 ways to reduce personal carbon consumption.How many of them do you use?

Or was roadbowler correct when she said Why are you so keen to change the subject of your own personal attempts to stem global warming?? Yes, you are correct, i know nothing about you. This is why i'm asking you what you do! Directly.... In support of your concerns of stemming global warming? So, far, you support windfarms in one of the finest unspoilt counties in scotland to perpetuate spiraling energy consumption therefore to justify your own greed for energy.

You think this time you might respond...or are you happy to promote the impression that you will happily kill the Caithness tourist industry, such as it is, with a proliferation of windfarms just so you don't need to change your lifestyle?

I did the carbon footprint stuff from here http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx which gives me a 0% carbon footprint total....another link gives me 4.05 tonnes (about 2 trees a month) And yours is?

[secrets in symmetry]

No gloating from me. Just putting in some neutral value commentary.

That's also my rationale.

Spittal Hill is an ideal site for a windfarm - it's far better than most.

[ducati]

With the reducing cost of the infrastructure i.e. buying turbines, batterys and solar panels, it is getting close to possible to go off grid for the upfront cost of an annual electricity bill for a household.

This would seem to me to be a much much better, cheaper, cleaner, greener way of doing things. A small scale generation plant for each house and we wouldn't need most of the large scale generation we have now.

But which (foreign) corporate giant would make money, get grants, avoid tax, jib the consumer, fund the quango (regulator)?

That's no good then.

[Tubthumper]

Regarding going off-grid: Seems to me that would be an eminently sensible road to follow for remote homes, however each home having a separate turbine in built-up areas? That might take a bit of getting used to.

[secrets in symmetry]

Rooftop turbines are useless in most urban areas. Since they are small, they don't generate a lot of electricity even when the wind is blowing strongly, there is less wind close to the roof, and many urban dwellings are sheltered by other urban buildings. Solar panels are ok in urban areas. I'm not sure how much space heat pumps take up, but I assume space for them is a problem in cities and towns.

My hunch is that batteries will play a large part in energy storage, but that's not much more than an educated guess.

[ducati]

Rooftop turbines are useless in most urban areas. Since they are small, they don't generate a lot of electricity even when the wind is blowing strongly, there is less wind close to the roof, and many urban dwellings are sheltered by other urban buildings. Solar panels are ok in urban areas. I'm not sure how much space heat pumps take up, but I assume space for them is a problem in cities and towns.

My hunch is that batteries will play a large part in energy storage, but that's not much more than an educated guess.

I know a number of off grid people (mine isn't really up and running yet) small turbines 100 to 300w so they are very small, (the type you see on small pleasure boats) and a bunch of 80w panels and they are having to dream up ways of wasting the extra electricity they are generating. If you have room for a small garden shed you can do it.

[ducati]

Regarding going off-grid: Seems to me that would be an eminently sensible road to follow for remote homes, however each home having a separate turbine in built-up areas? That might take a bit of getting used to.

About the size of satalite dish?