Originally posted by DA Morgan:
... just not to the US.
Onshore wind farms will provide about 5% of Britain's electricity by 2010, according to the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA).
In a new report, it says turbines are being installed faster than predicted.
If this is correct, onshore wind farms will take the government halfway to its target of generating 10% of electricity from renewable sources by 2010.
Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4847054.stm
Yes it sounds good Dan, but there is rather a large hiccup looming.
The Company that is installing these Wind Farms, has been told that they will have to pay some
millions of ? pounds to have them connected to the National Grid. It seems that the Electronic machinery to keep them in sync with the nations generators, has suddenly become very expensive.
So far, the Goverment who endorses the use of windpower has stood aside.
The Wind farm Co announced today that they cannot afford and will not proceed with further installations unless they have financial help.
I believe the National Grid are always spending money updating/repairing grid towers/lines, are very unlikely to help, prefering the status quo.
For the Goverment to step in would require an 'Act of Parliament'
So it looks like individual villages and housing blocks will be the only ones to benefit for some time to come (until they get the maintenance bills)
Question.
Are your Wind farms connected to your local Grid?
***
Personally, I am all in favour of disconnecting
from the National Grid. We could easily go to a 12 volt DC system (As no line distance drop involved, nor am I aware of any modern appliance that would require a higher voltage)
Using individual 6ft diameter blades, on each residence should be adequate. (The biggest load would be heating).
As luck would have it, that would require special individual Local Council planning consent. Something extremely difficult to aquire in a built up area. A planning objection slant, has been a small wind turbine puts a dangerous stress upon existing buildings, plus neighbour sleep noise running thru the brickwork.
Doubt if anything will happen until the oil price rise hits X5 per barrel