Friday 11 April 2014

Renewable energy

Tory plan to limit onshore windfarms will raise energy bills, engineers warn

'Royal Academy of Engineering report shows replacing onshore turbines with offshore wind would add extra cost to bills'

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/apr/10/tory-plan-limit-onshore-windfarms-increase-energy-bills-engineers

Global solar dominance in sight as science trumps fossil fuels

'Solar power will slowly squeeze the revenues of petro-rentier regimes in Russia, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. They will have to find a new business model, or fade into decline'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/10755598/Global-solar-dominance-in-sight-as-science-trumps-fossil-fuels.html

How to make money with renewable energy

'Solar panels and air source heat pumps are a fantastic way of reducing energy bill costs. Read how to save and potentially make money by harnessing renewable energy'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/lifestyle/quote-compare/9331612/installing-solar-panels.html

3 comments:

  1. Apparently in 2010 carbon dioxide emissions from the UK amounted to about 500 million tonnes or approx. 1.7% of the global fossil fuel combustion total. Whatever the UK does in terms of renewable energy will have a negligible effect on the world wide situations. It is in my view sheer stupidity to deface and destroy our beautiful landscapes and also seascapes with wind turbines in a misguided belief we can save the world by going down this route. Sadly this scarring of our landscape is happening on an ever increasing scale in parts of Scotland and Wales in particular. It would make more sense if people thought more about how they can save energy by the way they live, and consider more seriously how to produce energy from sources other than wind such as nuclear fuel.
    Many people will say wind turbines our beautiful. Personally I can't see any beauty in them at all, and I just cannot understand people who say wind farms are beautiful when you can see how they have already scarred and defaced what were once beautiful views in parts of Scotland, especially in the southern uplands. It is tantamount to daubing graffiti on the walls of a beautiful historic building. I feel really sorry for those people who say they love wind turbines, and yet seem oblivious to the beauty of our landscape. Strong words from me.
    Please someone make a response.
    Richard

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  2. Thanks Richard. Strong words... but some would say, passionate. Like many things, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and not everyone will see things in a particular way. The argument on factual matters however is a completely different thing. A full cost/benefit analysis on any new project should be available as part of the planning process, so the general public can fully understand the impact of such renewables on the Government purse and how it may/may not contribute overall to future energy needs.

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  3. Thanks Geoff.Good to hear your comments. I just wish more people would enter into the debate, whichever side they are on. What really does surprise me is the "silence" from all those people who are definitely opposed to the Nocton wind farm. I can understand PNF not wanting to say too much at this stage, but as someone who supports PNF I can't see any harm in putting forward individual, personal views.
    As you imply Geoff costs are a factor, but personally (coming back to the landscape factor) I would rather pay more for energy if it meant future wind farms would be built out at sea rather than in the countryside. "Out at sea" would be the lesser of two evils in my view.
    Again speaking personally I have recently joined the Scottish Wild Land Group, and if it came to the crunch I would rather look at a fenland wind farm than one in the Scottish Highlands (thinking for example of the ones planned or already approved overlooking Loch Ness). That is not say I am not vehemently opposed to the proposed wind farm planned for Nocton Fen.
    Waiting now for some response...
    Richard

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