tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156940350159100953.post808687246971107227..comments2024-01-14T22:07:22.183-08:00Comments on Sustainable Energy - without the hot air: Do UK wind farms decline "very dramatically" with age?David MacKay FRShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08023079754784119955noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156940350159100953.post-12619881904557317522014-09-30T08:42:03.823-07:002014-09-30T08:42:03.823-07:00I finally got a letter in the press last week, in ...I finally got a letter in the press last week, in fact I got 2 in 8 days! This one appeared in the Rossshire Journal AND the Northern Times 4 days ago:<br /><br />Sir,<br /> RenewableUK had a press release on the first of this month boasting about how wind power records were broken in August (though on 1st August the total UK wind output fell to about 1% of supposed capacity). To this I say “so what”, as they built more and more turbines it’s inevitable that records will continue to be broken.<br /> However they have egg on their faces just now as we are near the end of a 3-week very low wind period and on about 13 of those days UK wind output fell to around that 1% level again. But no record was broken as records of recent years show low wind periods of up to 4 weeks, at times during very cold winter spells. Yet again it has been demonstrated that the idea that the wind is normally blowing somewhere in the UK is problematic and incorrect.<br /> I wonder if Mr Salmond, who enthusiastically promoted these things, had time to look from his notes whilst in his campaign helicopter and ponder all those turbine blades which weren’t doing much spinning.<br /> Hopefully the Windustry can perform better in the coming winter months when many “proper” power stations, which were operating during the last cold winter, are currently in mothballs or closed for repair.<br />Helen Highwaternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156940350159100953.post-11085228793523647032013-12-12T07:35:09.659-08:002013-12-12T07:35:09.659-08:00(Hi chas - small world).
Yes, cheers for this wor...(Hi chas - small world).<br /><br />Yes, cheers for this work David. I too read that report and thought that it seemed unlikely to be correct, but it wasn't at all clear where the errors lay. Stats is tricky that way. There are not enough competent statisticans in the world to go round debunking all the biased (and often well-publicised because if it) reports. Or maybe there are but they are usually busy doing proper work.<br /><br /><a href="http://tamino.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow">Tamino's 'open mind' blog</a> does a great job of this sort of work too, for anyone who's not come across it. Wookeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10966811805612160984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156940350159100953.post-21272107448370285752013-12-12T07:09:42.997-08:002013-12-12T07:09:42.997-08:00I'm very disappointed with ref. I thought bett...I'm very disappointed with ref. I thought better of them. <br />Roddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14104358721079710535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156940350159100953.post-11964953888661037832013-12-11T07:24:57.312-08:002013-12-11T07:24:57.312-08:00When I saw the original report of the REF study I ...When I saw the original report of the REF study I found it hard to believe. After all, wind farms are paid by results. It made no sense that they should not get the same quality of maintenance as other capital-intensive generating plants. Thank you for getting to the heart of it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16041633446946378121noreply@blogger.com