Wind turbines - can be DIY made?

Of course, one mans insignificant is another mans unlimited nausea.

Our dog goes mad with low frequencies and barks his bloody head off.

Yeah, and I don't want any of those in MY back yard either.

I'll be willing to bet you that on a person for person basis the scots burn twice as much as the english.

Cost benefit is one answer. There are better renewables than wind power

Kidding yourself that inappropriate technology will really make a difference is another one.

It would be far better to spend the money on reducing traffic congestion and improving insulation.

That's roughly what I was seeing when I looked at my bills with a view to switching. A couple of weeks ago. My overall usage and mix was unlikely to get down to 10p a unit, and was more likely to be 10-12p.

Its not 'never', it's just that the cost benefit analysis shows that of all the 'green' things one can do, this is probably the most expensive waste of time imaginable.

Of course.

There mnay be the odd loony greenbrained enginner who is convinced that he has teh recipe for Saving The Palnet, but such peole make relatievly poor businessmen, and their companies won;t last.

the whole thing is being driven by EEC central policy directives that 'we must have x% renewable by Y timescale' Irrespective of whether it makes any economic sense or actually does any use at all, faced with those directives people build stuff to satisfy those targets.

Its like recycling 'we must recycle X% of our waste" even though the carbon cost and the social cost far exceeds any possible gains in so doing.

Um, just how efficient do you think the national grid is?

cheers, clive

The message from The Natural Philosopher contains these words:

About 7-8% in the UK, IIRC.

Mine's a tad closer - we get the evacuation instructions every year ;)

As long as they're out of sight, I'm not bothered and no one (within reason) can complain about the aesthetics - but to place them where they do impact on the contryscape (whether you like them or not) is something I don't agree with...

Put it another way. Buy a wind turbine, save a small amount of energy. Spend the same amount of cash on insulating next door's house, and you'll save a lot more energy. But nobody would do that...

About 97% IIRC.

I'd have said 2 or 3%, but I won't disagree.

Now look at the losses in a typical local inverter..

More like 20%.

Now look at the cost of a small turbine per MW versus a large one.

Now look at the wind profile on a house roof compared with e.g. off the west coast of scotland.

Now throw your house mounted generator in the bin, and plant two trees instead.

What if your own house and next door are both fully insulated already?

Which amply proves that small scale turbines are like buying indulgences..a way to make people feel virtuous that changes nothing.

Insulate the cellar and live in that.

And the majority of recently proposed land based turbines are this size as well. Hub heights of the order of 80m (260') blade lenghts of 40m (130') overall height 120m (390').

EDF, monthly direct debit instalments, 8.28p/kWh for first 195, then

I have to say I am very impressed with the French electricity. It's not only cheaper but more reliable. When I was with ScottishPower there were frequent power wobbles.

Someone from SP tried to tell me it was the same electricity because it comes down the same cable, but I told him that didn't mean anything because BBC and ITV both comes down the same aerial and they aren't the same. Anyway, I got a new meter at the same time so that must filter out the wrong sort of electricity.

Owain

I'd put up a wind generator if i could afford it simply to p1ss off the neighbours.

whilst they are =A31500 (installed) now, the price will drop to =A3700 in a couple of years. Then, they will become a much more viable proposition.

harry