Wind output reaches new low..

[The Natural Philosopher]

Yes, they have an 'installed capacity' of about 26GW, which relates to an average grid demand of about 72GW

It produces, *on average*, about 5GW. so a typical load average of about

20%, reflecting the fact that its onshore wind by and large. An appallingly crap figure.

By my estimation *at best* it displaces 2.5GW of fossil fuel.

So a couple of medium (1.25GW) nuclear power stations only.

When Sizewell C comes online, (1.6GW) it will, together with Sizewell B, (1.2GW) represent about 3 times the total installed UK wind power in terms of average power generated, and probably save 6 times as much fossil fuel.

Two nuclear reactors could easily have done Germany's fossil fuel usage far more good than all the wind, and at a fraction of the cost.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Why? Its not me who lies.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Beter, but still not great. when an anticyclone sits over Europe, its contnent wide.

(We of

Largely we are using those to import cheap French nuclear power.

Probably via Holland now, as well.

[The Natural Philosopher]

For electrical generation, broadly 'no change'. It got a lot worse when they switched off a couple of nukes, and marginally improved when more wind was added.

is your friend here.

80% of their grid approximately.,

The problem is that they do not have to account for the EXTRA CO2 emitted by their manufacture, installation maintenance and above all balancing.

Every watt of wind power is treated as if it were a watt that generated

*no CO2 emissions anywhere else* as a result of it being there.

When I heard some loony lefty saying '80,000 jobs created by wind power' I just wondered whether they were all going to be driving/sailing to maintain these things everywhere out at sea and in remote places. Bet they don't cost the fuel used to do THAT.

[The Natural Philosopher]

fire up low efficiency cheap generators that chew fuel, of course.

[Matty F]

But carbon reduction is not important, so why should anyone try to reduce it (which they will not succeed in doing even if they try).

[Skipweasel]

Can't hear him over the music.

[Dave Liquorice]

Hum, so the concrete block (say 20m dia and 3m thick) that each windmill sits on didn't require the release of carbon in it's manufacture?

uses rectangular olympic swimming pool size blocks...

[Mike Tomlinson]

In article , Tim W writes

Germany's a big country with plenty of free land for building wind farms. We're a small, overcrowded island about to become even more crowded with the influx of migrants fleeing uprisings in Arab states.

[Mike Tomlinson]

In article , The Natural Philosopher writes

Danish embassy on line 1 for you...

[The Natural Philosopher]

In which case, why do we bother with wind at all?

[The Natural Philosopher]

well f*ck em.

The Dutch have the right idea.

[Lyndsay]

Thought it was quiet! ;-) Lyn

[dennis]

Of course it does.

Building it, maintaining it, decommissioning it. They don't grow you know.

Other totally off topic things about electricity is the fact that vegans can't use it as things like WD40 (FISH oil) are used, but the same is true for cars, buses, trains, etc. and they ignore that. Funny how they can be so vocal while using animal products.

[tony sayer]

I was hoping Tim would answer that one;!..

[John Rumm]

Turn it down, then things really do get better!

[John Rumm]

Depends on where you draw your boundaries. Building the thing and putting place the grid architecture to connect (often out of the way places) obviously produces some. As will maintaining the thing.

To incorporate its output into the grid one must also have some proportion of spinning reserve, and that does produce carbon.

[Mark Bluemel]

B*lls. See (for example)

[ARWadsworth]

Well

[The Other Mike]

...the proportion approaching 100% give or take a bit