As Britain Freezes, Wind Farms Take Power From Grid to Prevent Icing

breitbart ^ | Jan. 2, 2015 | Donna Rachel Edmunds

[PROCON]

As Britain shivers under a blanket of snow and ice, it has emerged that offshore windfarms have been idling to prevent icing up – and drawing electricity off the national grid to do so. Critics have pointed out the “folly” of having windfarms idle in a cold snap, but industry experts insist that all forms of power generation involve some electrical input.

The issue has been raised by Brian Christley, a resident of Abergele, Wales, who wrote to the Daily Telegraph to say: “Over the weekend just gone, the coldest of the year so far, all 100-plus off-shore wind turbines along the North Wales coast were idling very slowly, all using grid power for de-icing and to power their hydraulic systems that keep the blades facing in the same direction.

“Thanks to Ed Davey, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, we will be subsidising these follies for the next 30 years. And then, if we continue to vote for technically naive green politicians, for further periods after that.”

[Blue Collar Christian]

Yes. If these programs worked, capitalists would run them, but they don’t, so you and I pay an inefficient government to run them.

It’s Double Jeopardy.

[loungitude]

I am no fan of green jive.
However, if the windmills provide a net positive output such that they produce more energy than they consume, in their production, erection, and maintenance, well OK. Now we can talk. How do these monsters affect their neighbors? That is another discussion.

[RetiredTexasVet]

Just proves that old adage: “You can’t successfully argue with stupid”!

[RayChuang88]

This is why a long-term solution is to develop advanced, safer forms of nuclear power such as the liquid fluoride thorium reactor (LFTR).

Unlike uranium-fueled reactors, LFTR's use commonly-found thorium-232 dissolved in molten fluoride salts as the nuclear fuel (since the fuel is in liquid form there's no such thing as a meltdown), and the reactor doesn't need to be pressurized, either. As such, LFTR technology--once perfected--could result in so much electricity generated we could phase out coal-fired power plants, electrify all railroad lines and do salt water desalinization on a gigantic scale, which could open up a lot of land for agriculture to solve the world's food production problems.

[justa-hairyape]

They are talking about turning them and spinning them in low wind conditions when they should just be off. That is to keep then clear of ice and pointed in the right direction, so when the wind speed increases they can turn them on. So they are off or idle and costing electricity. That is a net loss and if wind remains low the whole day, a net loss for the entire day.

[NonValueAdded]

A spokesperson was not heard to whine, "well, we were counting on Globull Warming™ to eliminate this cold weather issue, so it's not our fault."

[familyop]

There are some free designs for home built turbine alternators that don’t freeze up—small ones with rotors between 10 and 20 feet. They’re for areas with frequent high winds, though.

[skinkinthegrass]

that's what's I had heard..or use a nuclear pebble reactor.

[minnesota_bound]

#8 With all that chum in the water it should be a good fishing spot.

[spokeshave]

Windmills....How do these monsters affect their neighbors?

Quite a lot....the moving shadows of the blades can cause epileptic fits....

Worse is the noise of the blades whizzing round....

but worst of all is the low frequency pressure variations that have been detected several miles from the windmill....Here it is:

Duke Energy's Shirley Wind Turbines Declared a "Human Health Hazard"

At the October 14, 2014 Brown County Board of Health meeting, a motion was unanimously approved declaring the Shirley Wind turbines a "Human Health Hazard". The text of the unanimously approved motion reads:

"To declare the Industrial Wind Turbines at Shirley Wind Project in the Town of Glenmore, Brown County, WI. A Human Health Hazard for all people (residents, workers, visitors, and sensitive passersby) who are exposed to Infrasound/Low Frequency Noise and other emissions potentially harmful to human health."

Worst of the worst is this:

Villagers Su Bairen, 69, and Yan Man Jia Hong, 74, stand on the edge of the six-mile-wide toxic lake in Baotou, China that has devastated their farmland and ruined the health of the people in their community

This toxic lake poisons Chinese farmers, their children and their land. It is what's left behind after making the magnets for Britain's latest wind turbines... and, as a special Live investigation reveals, is merely one of a multitude of environmental sins committed in the name of our new green Jerusalem

[moose07]

Everything contains a Green tax.
Fuel,Gas, waste disposal, breathing.
£43 Billion a year: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/earthnews/10942185/UK-green-taxes-hit-record-high-of-43-billion.html
The New Nuclear reactors are being considered(!) as potential recipients for some(!) of this cash.

Ah,but,but, global warming......

[spokeshave]

The symbol of Green renewable energy, our saviour from the non existent problem of Global Warming, abandoned wind farms are starting to litter the planet as globally governments cut the subsidies taxes that consumers pay for the privilege of having a very expensive power source that does not work every day for various reasons like it’s too cold or the wind speed is too high.

The US experience with wind farms has left over 14,000 wind turbines abandoned and slowly decaying, in most instances the turbines are just left as symbols of a dying Climate Religion, nowhere have the Green Environmentalists appeared to clear up their mess or even complain about the abandoned wind farms.

[aquila48]

Bookmark

[aquila48]

One of my cherished fantasy is a world where greens and liberals (I know I repeat myself) have a country all to themselves where they would be forced to live with their insane ideas - and no they couldn’t leave.

[JSteff]

yes but gulls, crabs, lobsters, and orcas will all eat better

[MarMema]

I like these

[okie01]

However, if the windmills provide a net positive output such that they produce more energy than they consume, in their production, erection, and maintenance, well OK.

That's not enough. They must also produce that "net positive output" at a cost that is competitive with other generating systems.

And they do not.

The proof of that there pudding is found in the fact that, as soon as the federal subsidy runs out on a particular project, the windmills are abandoned.

[Fraxinus]

The proof of that there pudding is found in the fact that, as soon as the federal subsidy runs out on a particular project, the windmills are abandoned.

I have seen so many renewable power enthusiasts disdain (when they even acknowledge it) that the value of power is directly related to it being available when and where wanted. Solar power works best in deserts, but relatively few people live there. Wind has an irreducible variability problem, thus is seldom produced when wanted.

[raybbr]

Yeah, but the local fishermen have a free source of chum.

[loungitude]

Agreed. Same point, different angle. I am no fan of these schemes that are deceptively marketed as a means of milking money from those who produce.