Bambleweeny57 wrote:
On Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:46:30 +0100, J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:


I see where you're going, and will have to admit that _for a cold start_
(no capacity of any sort), you _might_ have a point (though see below).

However, we're not starting from a zero point - we already _have_ the
"backup" capacity. Granted, lots of it is coming to the end of its life,
especially nuclear (with the standards as currently enforced, anyway)
Yes, we already have backup capacity but its already "spoken for" by a
combination of variations in load and redundant capacity to cover for
maintenance and failure. Shaving a few points off that backup capacity
just increases the scope for large scale, systematic failure.


You can have any mix of power you like... as long as you're prepared to
accept & pay for the results.
[]
Indeed. (All power is free - you just have to pay someone to get at it -
such as dig it up.) But I still suspect that - for the amount where it
is likely to be generating for a significant proportion of the time,
which for the UK is likely to be a small amount of the total consumption
- it _is_ worth building at least _some_ windmills (and that "some"
equates to "more than we have so far"). At present levels of
consumption, I'd be surprised if it ever represents a significant
percentage of the whole, but I don't think that's a reason to not build
_any_.
If it never represents a significant percentage of the whole it's only
ever going to be a distraction from the real issue of how we cater for
our energy need for the next 50 years.

(And, strangely, the perfectly valid point that backup capacity
has to be available is _helped_ by the smallness of the proportion: you
_won't_ have _lots_ of capacity sitting idle, since the wind isn't going
to provide a _lot_ of the capacity anyway, unlike say in Denmark.)

Denmark uses about 20% wind generation capacity in "in country" power.
However, it is connected to the continental European grid so it has
access to a massive source/sink to counter the variability of wind.


for which it pays through the nose, and generates MORE carbon as a result.
BW