UK wind record

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 09 Nov 2013, 02:08

Horizontal axis wind turbines, the propeller type one's that are used most often, require a laminar air flow to work most efficiently and trees interrupt this smooth flow by producing eddies in their lee. Buildings do the same but to a greater extent which is why small house mounted horizontal axis wind turbines have never taken off (sorry about the pun - not intended). If you can get above the turbulent air caused by an obstruction you increase efficiency again but at a cost.

If the wind direction changes an horizontal axis turbine has to move to face the new direction and so loses power while changing and also using power to change direction.

A vertical axis turbine is not critical on wind direction and so is more efficient where the wind direction might change more often.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 13 Nov 2013, 13:57

Meanwhile, in Denmark:
http://energinet.dk/Flash/Forside/UK/index.html

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 29 Nov 2013, 19:21

New wind generation record set today:

RenewableUK media release. Fri 29th November 2013

New UK Wind Energy Record - Highest Amount of Green Electricity Ever Generated By Wind - More Than 6 Gigawatts

National Grid has confirmed that a record-breaking amount of clean electricity was generated by wind power in the UK today – achieving more than 6 gigawatts (over 6,000 megawatts) for the first time.

From 2.30 till 3pm, wind power produced an average of 6,004 megawatts (MW), which accounted for 13.5% of the UK’s total electricity demand at that time – enough to power more than 3,410,000 British homes. National Grid measures electricity generation in half-hour periods.

The previous record, set on 15th September this year, was 5,739MW. That particular record for a half-hour period was shattered several times today (see Notes below), with wind regularly generating more than 13% of the UK’s total electricity demand, demonstrating a high consistency of supply.

RenewableUK’s Director of External Affairs, Jennifer Webber said: “Wind energy is consistently setting new records and providing an ever-increasing amount of clean electricity for British homes and businesses. We’re generating from a home-grown source which gives us a secure supply of power at cost we can control, rather than leaving ourselves exposed to the global fluctuation in fossil fuel prices which have driven bills up. Wind gives us a way to make a smooth transition from old-fashioned fuels to a new low-carbon economy.
We’re also generating tens of thousands of green-collar jobs for people now working in the fast-growing British wind energy industry”.

On my favourite steam-punk national grid monitor the wind generation went off scale. The 6GW dial has been replaced by an 8GW dial but the graph has not been re-calibrated yet. http://gridwatch.templar.co.uk/index.php

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 29 Nov 2013, 21:50

Well over a hundred gigaWatt hours generated by wind today. I'll leave you to work out how much CO2 emissions in not burnt gas that saved.

Oh you don't care, not believing in global warming.

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 30 Nov 2013, 07:51

biffvernon wrote:

Well over a hundred gigaWatt hours generated by wind today. I'll leave you to work out how much CO2 emissions in not burnt gas that saved.

Oh you don't care, not believing in global warming.

Same sort of flawed logic as "buy now and save £100", when not buying at all was the only way to save £100. Reducing demand is the way to save.

Sometimes I think you are quite reasonable, but then sometimes you throw incorrect accusations about such as not believing in global warming. I do wish you would get to know people and their views before coming out with such biased and inaccurate statements.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 30 Nov 2013, 09:08

Of course reducing demand is the way to save!

Yesterday there was a substantial reduction in demand for gas as a result of our installed wind generating capacity. CO2 emissions were reduced.

Can't think wherefrom I got the impression, WB, that you didn't think that anthropogenic global warming is humanity's greatest existential crisis. I must have got it wrong.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 30 Nov 2013, 14:03

woodburner wrote: Why should not thinking it is the greatest crisis mean you deny global warming exists? Another piece of flawed logic.

Like Lewis Carroll, I took care with my words.

The long words in "anthropogenic global warming is humanity's greatest existential crisis" were necessary. It's not just any global warming but anthropogenic global warming and it's not just any crisis but an existential crisis.

Unless you deny that anthropogenic global warming is humanity's greatest existential crisis you will agree with me that any reduction in our CO2 emission, such as that resulting from wind generation displacing gas generation, is a Good Thing.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 02 Dec 2013, 14:31

And, importantly, we'd like to put off the mass extinction. In fact we'd like to leave the planet in a state in which mass extinction was not inevitably caused by our own actions.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 15 Dec 2013, 21:56

Today has been one of those days when the UK has generated more electricity from wind than from gas. http://gridwatch.templar.co.uk/index.php

Tarrel · Post by **Tarrel** » 15 Dec 2013, 23:44

biffvernon wrote:Today has been one of those days when the UK has generated more electricity from wind than from gas. http://gridwatch.templar.co.uk/index.php

Not surprised. Our town centre Christmas tree is now leaning at about a 45 degree angle!

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 16 Dec 2013, 09:42

woodburner wrote:

The problems are that we (globally) don't have enough wind turbines and other renewable generating capacity and we don't have a law (international) that says fossil carbon must not be burnt.

However, by advertising the ability of wind, even with they tiny capacity so far installed, to make a real impact, it might encourage people to deal with the above two points.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 16 Dec 2013, 15:54

Actually 10% (ish) of today's electricity requirements, isn't bad is it

?

Post by **adam2** » 16 Dec 2013, 16:15

10% is definatly worth having.
Less gas burnt, more in store for later, and less risk of running out of gas if we have a long cold winter.

And remember that the real figure is higher than reported, lots of smaller wind power units are not metered in real time, but simply show up as a reduction in demand.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 16 Dec 2013, 16:58

Also, all this wind power capacity has been built in the last very-few years: think what we (well, the Nat Grid and the energy companies mostly) could do if we kept up the effort.

They've just given the go-ahead for a new pumped-storage plant in Scotland and all: useful if WTs can't ramp-up fast enough after the final whistle of that 6-Nations thriller (or tries to think what other stuff gets watched by lots of Scots).

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 16 Dec 2013, 18:12

We in Newbury want to put in some Archimedes screw water turbines between our river and canal but we are getting complaints from local fishermen that we will kill fish and stop them moving up river. They're very spurious arguments because the local weirs stop the fish moving up stream and the Archimedes screw is fish friendly. Doesn't stop some very short sighted people complaining though.