Wind Energy

Auditor #9 wrote:

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

$10,000 is a totally insane price for that thing. These renewable energy companies seem to be operating with a rip-off mentality.

That's bubbly investment-cycle stuff isn't it ? A frenzy starts from a something milder and then an industry rises on top of investment and then it's self-fuelled bubble for a while - STEP RIGHT UP. It's getting to the point where medium-sized towns will be able to buy small nuclear reactors. Want to chip in and move to Cloughjordan ?

I wonder will system demand for electricity fall with the recesssion ? I could start a thread on it. Here's system demand so far for today



The wind has looked good against it over the past three or four few days - up around 600 MW which is a good fraction of the daily demand averaged over day and night. Every small bit of electricity helps surely. As one fella from Iceland on TV was saying about the hot springs in Iceland generating 10% of power, Iceland gets energy one year in ten FOR FREE. It's worth remembering that the capacity factor of turbines is around 40% so if we had the equivalent system demand in turbines then we'd have four out of ten years worth of electricity produced at home - no imports of fossils.


Eirgrid

I've already started a thread on the effect of the recession on the environment, it remains neglected.

I've seen that graph thing before, is there any way we could stick it on the portal?

evercloserunion wrote:

I've already started a thread on the effect of the recession on the environment, it remains neglected.

I've seen that graph thing before, is there any way we could stick it on the portal?

The recession will save the environment, won't it? Or will it ?

I think I tried putting that graph up before but gave up - I don't think it's one of the same type as the others - the Iseq and oil ones. Pity. There is a link to the Eirgrid site down on the bottom right of the portal behind a picture of a turbine against a blue sky.

You'll have to excuse that panel it's not very ordered at the moment.

Auditor #9 wrote:

evercloserunion wrote:

I've already started a thread on the effect of the recession on the environment, it remains neglected.

I've seen that graph thing before, is there any way we could stick it on the portal?

The recession will save the environment, won't it? Or will it ?

I think I tried putting that graph up before but gave up - I don't think it's one of the same type as the others - the Iseq and oil ones. Pity. There is a link to the Eirgrid site down on the bottom right of the portal behind a picture of a turbine against a blue sky.

You'll have to excuse that panel it's not very ordered at the moment.

After British manufacturing was wiped out in the Thatcher era, apparently the salmon returned to the Thames for the first time in a hundred years.

This yellow bit in the middle could liberate Europe from oil ...



It could be the cause of new manufacturing centres and associated jobs all around the rim ..



And it could have man-made reefs along with research centres as well as providing Europe with 13000 TWh of electricity ...

Quote :

Europe Could Replace Oil with Offshore Wind Farms

The Netherlands' Society for Nature and Environment recently commissioned a plan for a super ring of wind farms in the North Sea that could generate 13,400 terawatt hours of electricity.

The company responsible for the design, OMA, sees the wind farm serving all seven countries that surround the sea, leading to energy independence for Europe. The amount of energy that the proposed wind farm would create would allow Europe to forego oil imports from Russia and the Gulf states by 2050.

Other highlights of the plan include a ban on fishing within the wind farm site, which means the farm would create a protective barrier for the area's marine life. Also, the project would include a new international institute for renewable energy that would oversee the project and hopefully offer expertise to the rest of the world.

The society said that large, long-term investments in renewable energy are needed over many short-term incentives and I agree. When scientists and designers come up with an idea that could effectively replace large imports of oil, it's worth betting on. I truly hope that this idea makes it past the drawing board. The world needs a great example of true energy independence.

http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/2500/

Valentine's Day has come early

PDF

Quote :

ESB plans wind farm developments for Tipperary and Limerick
25 January 2009 By Niamh Connolly Political Reporter

ESB plans to build three wind farms in north Tipperary and Limerick this year as part of a plan to contribute 600 megawatts (MW) of wind energy to the electricity grid by 2012.

The power firm has also acquired three wind projects totalling 50MW in Leitrim, Sligo and Tipperary from DP Energy Ireland, a Cork firm. John Campion, director of sustainable energy at ESB, said the move to renewables was ‘‘not an aspiration, but a necessity for all of us’’, both from a security of supply and carbon emissions point of view.

The state company already has six operational wind farms and is directing €11 billion towards renewables as part of an overall €22 billion investment plan.

However, Campion warned that the transmission lines required for groups of wind farms were being delayed because they were facing objections in the planning process.

Most wind farms are built by private operators, but the ESB is contracted to construct the transmission lines for the projects after they have been approved by the Commission for Energy Regulation and EirGrid, the grid operator. ‘‘The planning process has to be gone through and planning for overhead lines can be difficult," said Campion.

‘‘We’re actively trying to find solutions to avoid building lines where possible, and we’re working with communities to get them in the most unobtrusive places." Two 400-kilovolt transmission lines planned for Cavan and Meath have faced public protests, while An Bord Pleanála has rejected plans for a 110-kilovolt line in Connemara.
>>>>> Sunday Business Post

Did you hear this Auditor #9? I wonder if this guy would post a couple of posts on this site?

EDDIE CURRENT

This week John talks at length to Dr. Eddie O'Connor, boss of Mainstream Renewable Power. Eddie was founder and Chief Executive of Airtricity Holdings Ltd. from 1997 to January 2008. Airtricity moved to a leading global position in renewable energy between 2000 and 2008. Scientific American magazine named him as world energy policy leader in 2003.

In October 2007, Airtricity announced that it was selling its North American business unit (Airtricity North America) to E.on for approximately $1.4bn (€995m). The remainder of the company was sold to Scottish and Southern Energy in January 2008. Flush with success (and cash), Eddie took just one month to set up Mainstream Renewable Power.

To listen to the entire, unedited interview, click here.

1st Floor, Cedarhurst Building,
Arkle Road,
Sandyford,
Dublin 18,
Ireland
Tel: 01 294 2399
Email: Info@mainstreamrp.com

www.mainstreamrp.com


Listen hear: http://dynamic.rte.ie/quickaxs/209-eddieoconnor-2009-01-23.smil

I haven't heard it before cactus - I'll give that a listen later on. He's a right hero so for bring Airtricity up out of this country and turning it into such a big enterprise. I'm sure there's more that could follow him ...

Auditor #9 wrote:

I haven't heard it before cactus - I'll give that a listen later on. He's a right hero so for bring Airtricity up out of this country and turning it into such a big enterprise. I'm sure there's more that could follow him ...

He was very cagey in what he would say about Ireland today.

cactus flower wrote:

Auditor #9 wrote:

I haven't heard it before cactus - I'll give that a listen later on. He's a right hero so for bring Airtricity up out of this country and turning it into such a big enterprise. I'm sure there's more that could follow him ...

He was very cagey in what he would say about Ireland today.

Oh?? Go on ...

£200 million up North for a wind battery .....

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/salt-caverns-in-antrim-coast-to-store-wind-power-14209165.html


http://content.zdnet.com/2346-9595_22-59866.html

Quote :

Up to £200m is to be pumped into an ambitious scheme that will see wind power injected into salt caverns deep beneath the Antrim coast.

The unique geology of the Larne area will allow energy generated by wind farms to be stored underground and released at times of peak demand as part of a world-leading project announced this morning, according to renewables company Gaelectric.

It promised that up to £200m will be invested in the plant over three years, providing an estimated 200 jobs across the construction and engineering services sectors.

Until now, critics of wind power — including Environment Minister Sammy Wilson — have warned that it is unsuitable for wholesale supply to the grid due to the problems of intermittent supply.

Some crowds are even trying to do a turbine that directly pumps compressed air underground instead of electricity... wouldn't it escape from the underground mine ??
http://techrepublic.com.com/2346-10880_11-208647-7.html