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#70507 10/10/06 03:38 PM
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 233
K
Kenbo Offline OP
Member
Who would have thought it. Just anounced today.

"After a five year-battle for planning approval, developers have started work on Europe's biggest onshore wind farm - a 140-turbine creation at the heart of Scotland's drive to become the "Saudi Arabia" of renewable energy."
Full story here

The biggest objector to this project initaly was not the locals (what locals the area is desolate) but the Brittish Airports Authority.

"BAA has opposed the plan for the past two years amid concerns that the 140 giant turbines could make planes coming in to land at Glasgow airport on a key approach “disappear” from radar screens."
"An additional primary radar system costing about £5m will be built at Kincardine in Fife to track aircraft directly above Whitelee. Data from Kincardine will be fed into a new radar display system at Glasgow where it will be merged with the data from the existing radar to provide an acceptable service for air traffic control.
Rest of this story here

So it just goes to show you can not just "plant" a wind farm anywhere you like [Linked Image]

Kenny


der Großvater
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,923
Likes: 32
G
Member
Sometime take a look at the CapeWind project. That was stopped by the rich people in Cape Cod. Folks like the Kennedy's like to talk about the evil oil companies on TV and how we need to seek renewable, environmentally responsible alternative energy but not where they can see it!


Greg Fretwell
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,064
D
Member
With as windy as Aruba was, I would of thought this would of been an ideal spot for such a farm.

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,391
I
Moderator
Capewind is not dead but they sure are trying to kill it.
http://www.capewind.org/

The same problems with cell towers, the folks on the Cape want better cell service but refuse to allow towers.

One of Cape cods 'charm' is light houses.

A citizen approached his town govt with a proposal to build a fake light house on his property for the purpose of cell antennas.

They shot him down....they did not want to open the door to other light houses popping up....give me a break.

There are a number of wind turbines on the Cape now but all are single privately owned ones.


Bob Badger
Construction & Maintenance Electrician
Massachusetts
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 233
K
Kenbo Offline OP
Member
Invisible masts can be done the UK have been doing it for years before the public even realised

Invisible phone masts

Kenny


der Großvater
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,391
I
Moderator
Yeah hidden towers are not new.

I see this version ion my area

[Linked Image from thegreenhead.com]

Here are a couple others

[Linked Image from thegreenhead.com]

[Linked Image from thegreenhead.com]

A nice extra source of income for a church.


Bob Badger
Construction & Maintenance Electrician
Massachusetts
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 100
J
JJM Offline
Member
For all those folks that want "green" power like wind, I say we give it to them, exclusively. Maybe once they don't have A/C, hot water, lights, computers, TV and so forth, maybe then they'll realize this stuff is impractical and does not work.

If ever there was an energy source less efficient (besides solar, with its NEGATIVE output) it's wind energy. Just look at the amount of real estate you need to produce 1 MW of power with wind power versus the real estate needed for a natural gas generating power plant or sub-station to produce that same 1 MW. It's a no brainer.

Wind power is just plain silly. Besides, I thought all these nature nuts would be opposed to carving up acres and acres of "nature" to make room for these things, which then end-up chopping up birds on the endangered species list.

In time, the greenies will find these wind farms are causing some kind of global calamity. Remember how they were all pushing for "clean" nuclear power in the late 1960's and early 1970's, and now those same people decades later looking to shut them all down. I say those folks too should have their homes and businesses wired up exclusively to the nuclear plants they're seeking to close (not that I'm a fan of nuclear power).

Joe

Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 233
K
Kenbo Offline OP
Member
Uk parlament has declared the 10% of power generated in the UK by 2010 will be from "Green" sources. The Scottish parlament has has declared that 20% of power generated in Scotland will be from "Green" sources by 2010. (that is what we get for having two levels of goverment)

What people tend to forget is it not only the construction of these new power plants. You also need the infostucture to support them.

So we build all these wind farms in the remote areas but we have to get the power to where it is needed. By the national grid. But the existing power lines are not upto carrying the increased load so we have to upgrade the overhead lines. So this means taller towers which people object to having in there gardens. Public inquiry on power line upgrade

Now what realy makes me smile is when you look at all the sales pitch about putting up wind farms and there is not an overhead tower in sight. Becouse the first 5 miles of cable is underground then it is put on to towers after that [Linked Image]

Kenny


der Großvater
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,064
D
Member
Quote
If ever there was an energy source less efficient (besides solar, with its NEGATIVE output) it's wind energy.

This may be the case now, but maybe it is because we aren't harvesting it correctly. ie technology is lacking.

We should be taxing the hell out of gasoline and fuel oils, and invest that money into these technologies, we need to be forced off foriegn oil.

Why we buy a product, from someone who uses that money, to try and kill us all, is beyond me.

I am not starting a political debate here, just more of a thought.

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,923
Likes: 32
G
Member
Taxing the thing that works to make the thing that doesn't work look good?

Hmmm


Greg Fretwell

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