[Gllug] [OT] Technobabble

[Rich Walker]

Nix <nix at esperi.org.uk> writes:


> - Wind: doesn't scale, quite costly, can't generate power on
> demand. Plus getting planning permission is hellish because everybody


A slightly unusual article in one of the IEE mags a while ago reported
the results of a statistical analysis of 100 (I think) years of UK wind
records.

The results: if you build wind turbines *everywhere*, you can cover a
significant fraction of base load. It turns out that we've never had a
non-windy day in the UK, just localised calm spots.


> NIMBYs against them almost as hard as they do against the local nuke
> plant and the military force rejection of a *very* large proportion
> because they interfere with radar something chronic. Wind-out-at-sea
> eliminates the NIMBY problem but the other ones are still there, you
> annoy seabirds, and storms can smash them.

Then there's things like wind lenses, which allow you to build a big
stationary outer turbine with a small very fast turbine in the centre.
Changes the characteristics considerably.

cheers, Rich.


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