Windfarms are POINTLESS!

[Solly]

Windfarms truly are economically pointless. They are unable to respond to power demand, and only blow at the times of the year when power spot prices are low (windy conditions in winter are mild and hence the system is less tight, windy conditions in summer are cooler and hence the system is less tight).

[LordShiva]

This thread is POINTLESS!

[DRoseDARs]

This is why more credible supporters of alternative energy sources (instead of fossil fuels or nuclear power) also try to push the idea of upgrading our energy distribution networks (the powerlines et al). A sunny day in on area could help offset a calm windless day in another, with existing power plants (like the belcher plants of oil and coal) picking up any slack.

[Solly]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
This is why more credible supporters of alternative energy sources (instead of fossil fuels or nuclear power) also try to push the idea of upgrading our energy distribution networks (the powerlines et al). A sunny day in on area could help offset a calm windless day in another, with existing power plants (like the belcher plants of oil and coal) picking up any slack.

Do you realise what sort of investment it would necessitate in order to keep the line losses below 10-20%?

[SlowwHand]

Depends on their location. The wind blows here year-round.

[Tuberski]

Cause Oklahoma sucks?

ACK!

[DRoseDARs]

Well, the longer the energy industry and the federal government hem and hah and whine about the costs, the more expensive it's going to get...

Only naive idealists have ever believed that pure solar or pure wind power could ever meet the needs of large population centers any time even remotely soon. Fixing the power dist. networks by just replacing aging lines with modern lines (not futuristic super-conductive lines made of unobtanium) would go a long way to offsetting power needs. That region wide power failure in the Northeast US/Canada might not have been so wide-spread had the lines been replaced like people had been shouting for for years.

Progress isn't cheap. Talk is.

[Solly]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Depends on their location. The wind blows here year-round.

They still aren't responsive to demand.

[SlowwHand]

The supply is there no matter the demand. You can't store it, but it's still there.

And yes, Tubes.

[DRoseDARs]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Depends on their location. The wind blows here year-round.

It's been suggested that 100 square miles (10 miles x 10 miles to envision alternatively) of southern Nevada desert covered in solar panels could easily meet the power needs of the entire US. I don't know if I believe that, and it would be damned expensive, but it isn't inconceivable (Nevada may not be a nuclear wasteland, but much of it is a plain old wasteland ... Dis has probably seen the bumperstickers ). Solar panels mandated on every new building built in the United States, wind farms in rural areas, and similar measures could easily be implemented if people would stop whining about it all.

[SlowwHand]

I'm a big proponent of wind, and solar. I think we've been morons not to develop it before now.

[Kontiki]

Is it Aspergers, Doddler? I'm just curious what the cause is of this anti-environmentalist fixation you appear to have.

[Solly]

Originally posted by Kontiki
Is it Aspergers, Doddler? I'm just curious what the cause is of this anti-environmentalist fixation you appear to have.

I'm a moderate environmentalist. I don't however favour white elephant projects that are't economically feasible or environmentally sound.

[Kontiki]

There's a difference between not favoring something and being seemingly obsessed with it.

[Aeson]

We could sharpen the tips of the blades more. Of course it might reduce the efficiency of the turbines, in which case, what would be the point?