Make A Wind Turbine

As someone who actively promote Renewable Home Energy
Solutions, that includes the micro-generation of
electricity from wind power in the mix, you may be
surprised that I don’t endorse the use of industrial wind
power generation.

Visit: http://www.renewablehomeenergysolutions.com
 
 
I will go into the reasons I believe that commercial wind
power cannot be regarded as green energy.

The reason for this is that electricity cannot be stored
directly on an industrial scale therefore because there are
no large electricity storage capacity the commercial wind
generators operate in a just-in-time system framework i.e.
the electricity generated by these turbines is pushed onto
the power grid as soon as it is generated. When commercial wind generators are linked into
the electricity power grid they have to be monitored
constantly, second by second, to ensure a constant supply
of electricity throughout the grid.

As the generation and demand have to be
balanced on the grid constantly throttling gas and oil
turbines up and down to counter losses and gains from wind
turbines generates more CO2 per kWh generated than if
operated normally.

Wind power is expensive, unreliable and won’t save on
natural gas. A
price that greatly distorts the markets as the real cost of
wind power is hidden.

At the same time that Europe experienced a 15% increase in
energy cost, the United Kingdom experienced a 29.7 % rise
in gas and electricity prices. Ofgem, (Office of Gas and
Electricity Markets) the government regulator for the
electricity and downstream natural gas markets in the
United Kingdom, believes that wind subsidies was a prime
factor for the difference and questions the logic when,
taking all the public investment into account, wind
generates a mere 1.3% of the United Kingdom’s energy needs.

According to the United Kingdom’s government statistics, in
2006, the average load factor for wind turbines across the
United Kingdom was just 27.4% with the worst performing
turbine having a load factor of only 7%. Therefore a
typical 2MW turbine only produced 0.54MW on average. This
does not compare well with the 90% load factor for thermal
plants.

The poor return on investment is obscured by the subsidy
system which allows turbine operators and supporters to
claim that they make a profit even when wind turbines
operate at very low load factors. The mortality of within the
already declining bird population include raptors and
eagles.

There is also considerable public protest over the noise
and health effects such as provoked by these installation.
Chronic sound trauma due to the low frequency noise
generated by the blades and infra sound transmitted through
the ground.

Apart from the above, nobody talks about the construction
costs or even the maintenance cost of these wind farms.

This loose grouping, termed the
Climate-Industrial Complex do not promote any discussion or
free thoughts on the matter but vilify any person not on
message. They would make the Spanish Inquisition proud in
their labeling any and all dissenters as heretics.

As an afterthought, maybe just maybe, in light of the
financial irregularities with minister’s expenses in the
United Kingdom, we should follow the money and investigate
the relationship between the “partners” of the
Climate-Industrial Complex and look at the politician’s
personal investments within this industry.

The freedom of information act definitely has its uses.
Also as most of these companies are listed on the stock
exchange finding out one can follow the paper trail to
follow the money.

However, I do believe that wind power has a place within
Renewable Home Energy Solutions either as a complementary
mix to solar energy or as stand alone provided one stores
excess energy in an array of batteries.

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