tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515829.post4605467986168346916..comments2024-03-29T00:38:38.893-07:00Comments on Irons in the Fire: Speaking of closing coal plants and 'green' energy,Firehandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04562365951182027709noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515829.post-6402417755543897632012-09-24T08:17:41.797-07:002012-09-24T08:17:41.797-07:00I was past a new bunch of turbines this morning, t...I was past a new bunch of turbines this morning, they were only commissioned a couple of months back.<br /><br />The wind wasn't quite gale force, and one of the half dozen or so, shut down as I watched. There's hardly ever a batch of turbines without at least one stopped.<br /><br />We've got gales and about 4 inches of rain forecast tonight. <br /><br />You got me thinking, if the wind is strong, and the turbines are all nearing full capacity, there will need to be equivalent capacity warmed up and ready to go, when all of the turbines decide that the wind is too strong and shut down.<br /><br />for the capacity, the figures I've seen were closer to 12% of capacity for Britain and Ireland, and into single figures for continental Europe (Britain and Ireland get about 90% of Europe's "windpower resource".<br /><br />With the heavy rainfall forecast, if we'd had a dry summer (it was very wet) the peat on the hills would have dried out.<br /><br />Disturbance caused by the roads, crane platforms, foundations (wind turbines need huge monolithic concrete block foundations - lots of lovely CO2 from making the cement for them) etc, allows water into the base of the peat, and may have overloaded the lower layers too.<br /><br />We had some very spectacular peat flows in Ireland, where half a mountainside, and big rafts with trees still standing on them, went flowing off down a river, taking out bridges, suffocating the fish and blocking up water supply intakes.<br /><br />google Derrybrien, or stacks mountain county Kerry, for some picturesLuton Iannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515829.post-81052647186492677132012-09-24T06:00:16.687-07:002012-09-24T06:00:16.687-07:00Bird cuisinart is pretty good but I like avian cui...Bird cuisinart is pretty good but I like avian cuisinart better.Titan Mk6Bnoreply@blogger.com