Wind farm effectiveness

[amblincork]

The following is a letter in todays Irish Independent questioning the effectiveness of wind power.
Is it a reasonable criticism ?
Noting that June 15 was dubbed Global Wind Energy Day by the wind industry, with the catchy slogan "Wind Power Works", I decided to have a look at Eirgrid's excellent website to see how the hundreds of wind turbines installed across Ireland were working on the day in question.

Ireland now has over 1,000MW of wind power installed.

On June 15, all those wind turbines scattered across our beautiful landscape were generating a meagre 40MW. Ireland needs about 4,000MW of electricity to meet daily demand.

So, on Global Wind Energy Day, wind power in Ireland was meeting just 1pc of national demand.

Surprised, I checked back on figures to the beginning of June. No joy there either. Over this two-week period, the average daily wind power output was a paltry 180MW, just 18pc of installed capacity.

Clearly the above slogan should be amended to read "Wind Power Not Working -- Unless the Wind is Blowing at the Right Speed".

In 'The Vanishing Face of Gaia -- A Final Warning', James Lovelock, father of the Green movement and one of the world's most distinguished earth scientists, states: "Europe's massive use of wind as a supplement to base load electricity will probably be remembered as one of the great follies of the 21st century."

Could someone please give a copy of this book to Minister Eamon Ryan before the lights go out.

WD Doyle
Barrow Street, Dublin 4

[fiannafailure]

Could someone please give a copy of this book to Minister Eamon Ryan before the lights go out.

He has one, provided by a friend of mine,
and I noticed sparkey hovering around your tail end, be careful he bites sometimes

[Geckko]

The following is a letter in todays Irish Independent questioning the effectiveness of wind power.
Is it a reasonable criticism ?
Noting that June 15 was dubbed Global Wind Energy Day by the wind industry, with the catchy slogan "Wind Power Works", I decided to have a look at Eirgrid's excellent website to see how the hundreds of wind turbines installed across Ireland were working on the day in question.

Ireland now has over 1,000MW of wind power installed.

On June 15, all those wind turbines scattered across our beautiful landscape were generating a meagre 40MW. Ireland needs about 4,000MW of electricity to meet daily demand.

So, on Global Wind Energy Day, wind power in Ireland was meeting just 1pc of national demand.

Surprised, I checked back on figures to the beginning of June. No joy there either. Over this two-week period, the average daily wind power output was a paltry 180MW, just 18pc of installed capacity.

Clearly the above slogan should be amended to read "Wind Power Not Working -- Unless the Wind is Blowing at the Right Speed".

In 'The Vanishing Face of Gaia -- A Final Warning', James Lovelock, father of the Green movement and one of the world's most distinguished earth scientists, states: "Europe's massive use of wind as a supplement to base load electricity will probably be remembered as one of the great follies of the 21st century."

Could someone please give a copy of this book to Minister Eamon Ryan before the lights go out.

WD Doyle
Barrow Street, Dublin 4

Perfectly valid.

The facts have been provided and the implications quantified on this very forum.

[fiannafailure]

Perfectly valid.

The facts have been provided and the implications quantified on this very forum.

Are you REALLY that thick and vain, while I amuse myself with you geckko, I am working on the real proposal with all the facts and references required, for the consultation phase of S of I, in the autumn, better swot up for them

[Geckko]

Are you REALLY that thick and vain, while I amuse myself with you geckko, I am working on the real proposal with all the facts and references required, for the consultation phase of S of I, in the autumn, better swot up for them

And I am sure Miss McCarthy (class P2) will be mightiliy impressed.

In the real world, you are an ignoramous, with a serious case of cognative disonnance.

[fiannafailure]

And I am sure Miss McCarthy (class P2) will be mightiliy impressed.

In the real world, you are an ignoramous, with a serious case of cognative disonnance.

yeah but miss McCarthy says my spelling is better than yours and I have a better view of her profile and my study is bigger than yours

[cactusflower]

The following is a letter in todays Irish Independent questioning the effectiveness of wind power.
Is it a reasonable criticism ?
Noting that June 15 was dubbed Global Wind Energy Day by the wind industry, with the catchy slogan "Wind Power Works", I decided to have a look at Eirgrid's excellent website to see how the hundreds of wind turbines installed across Ireland were working on the day in question.

Ireland now has over 1,000MW of wind power installed.

On June 15, all those wind turbines scattered across our beautiful landscape were generating a meagre 40MW. Ireland needs about 4,000MW of electricity to meet daily demand.

So, on Global Wind Energy Day, wind power in Ireland was meeting just 1pc of national demand.

Surprised, I checked back on figures to the beginning of June. No joy there either. Over this two-week period, the average daily wind power output was a paltry 180MW, just 18pc of installed capacity.

Clearly the above slogan should be amended to read "Wind Power Not Working -- Unless the Wind is Blowing at the Right Speed".

In 'The Vanishing Face of Gaia -- A Final Warning', James Lovelock, father of the Green movement and one of the world's most distinguished earth scientists, states: "Europe's massive use of wind as a supplement to base load electricity will probably be remembered as one of the great follies of the 21st century."
Could someone please give a copy of this book to Minister Eamon Ryan before the lights go out.

WD Doyle
Barrow Street, Dublin 4

Or perhaps it will be Lovelock's advocacy of nuclear power.

The lack of any good information from unbiased sources is perhaps the biggest problem. The nuclear lobby rubbishes wind and vice versa. The letter is absurd. It doesn't look at potential, or averages, or the way that countries that use a lot more wind energy than Ireland handle it, it just makes a puerile jibe.

Are there any serious studies / data out there than aren't funded by one or other lobby?

[fiannafailure]

Well S of I are funded by individuals pocket money, does that count.

[amblincork]

Or perhaps it will be Lovelock's advocacy of nuclear power.

The lack of any good information from unbiased sources is perhaps the biggest problem. The nuclear lobby rubbishes wind and vice versa. The letter is absurd. It doesn't look at potential, or averages, or the way that countries that use a lot more wind energy than Ireland handle it, it just makes a puerile jibe.
Are there any serious studies / data out there than aren't funded by one or other lobby?

The lack of any good information from unbiased sources is perhaps the biggest problem. The nuclear lobby rubbishes wind and vice versa. The letter is absurd. It doesn't look at potential, or averages, or the way that countries that use a lot more wind energy than Ireland handle it, it just makes a puerile jibe.
Are there any serious studies / data out there than aren't funded by one or other lobby?[/QUOTE]

I take the point you are making about unbiased sources ; it is one that should have been taken on board by the Dail Committee on renewables but I am not sure that it did.
the letter writer did give a two week average but presumably this is too short or others could pick out far more favorable ones.

Surprised, I checked back on figures to the beginning of June. No joy there either. Over this two-week period, the average daily wind power output was a paltry 180MW, just 18pc of installed capacity.

Still the letter writer does provoke questions and given the enormous amount of money to be invested in Renewables, it is disturbing how few questions are being asked.

One of the questions I would like answered is how a company with such a high cost base as the ESB or one of its offshoots is to be given such very large capital sums to play with ?

[Dios]

Ireland now has over 1,000MW of wind power installed.

On June 15, all those wind turbines scattered across our beautiful landscape were generating a meagre 40MW. Ireland needs about 4,000MW of electricity to meet daily demand.

As already explained in the other thread, this time of year (JUNE) they sometimes buy in energy rather than sell the windpower, as it turns out cheaper on the basis of demand. Go back to March and you'll find regular 600MW contributions, over 50%, my ill informed Mr Doyle. Needless to say the usual suspects are all over it.