Storm Barbara

Probabably be the wrong type of wind. Brian

Certainly won't be getting much from solar.

It's so gloomy here I think I'll stick fairy lights in my eyeballs to offset SAD.

Owain

Don't they have to feather the blades and prevent rotation in very high winds ?

Maybe they can make enough electricity to power the blade heaters ?

I wouldn't bet on it. They can't be used if it's *too* windy!

Early days yet, they'll improve them so they can handle more wind.

Anyway, I have loads of them on the hills near me, and almost every time I've gone running up there, they're all spinning.

It seems gusty wind is often the issue. If its constant they can be adjusted to suit but variable direction or gusts are a death to a wind turbine, at least the ones I know about. It takes a lot longer for pitch and direction of the blades to be adjusted than it does for the wind to change so after a certain point they just put them into the safest config and stop them.

I often wonder if a huge array of smaller more responsive devices might work better, after all across the span of on of those giants the air currents could be vastly different, putting a strain on the mountings. Brian

Does anyone recall the vertical rotating type, kind of like a centrifugal blower in reverse. The good thing about it was that wind from any direction worked though i understand its not as efficieint as thos based on blades and aerofoils, and still has issues with gusts.

I remember those kites we used to have when young where they looked like planes but the wings spun as the wind went over them. Brian

well no. the smaller ones would be vastly more expensive.

Anyway the issue is the old Irishism: If you want to generate reliable electricity don't start with wind turbines.

Yep. I am sure that all these options have been thoroughly explored by engineers trying to make the best possible turbines. Unfortunately even the best possible turbines are total crapp.

I thught they looked like hummingbirds.

There is one of those installed here

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.5374947,-2.0168682,3a,37.5y,346.53h,85.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sHn3oSPYiTB9M-2x8scruwA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

However its the only one I have seen and it doesn't go around very frequently. Its not really in a good place AFAICS.

Under wind or grid power?

There's a group of 4 beside the M25 here: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.355344,-0.4928335,3a,75y,279.08h,90.43t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-Dq1Yy_ZdJe7lZkb1r-oVg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Perhaps they harness the turbulence from passing traffic (when it isn't static!) :)

here is an alternative alternative, kite turbine

Why would they spin from grid power? Are they trying to make Scotland windier?