Matty F wrote:
On Mar 31, 5:17 am, tony sayer wrote:
Then there are transmission losses. The power from wind generators can
be used locally, while everybody wants nuclear power stations and coal
burning stations to be as far away as possible, hence high power
transmission losses and expensive lines.
And when the wind don't blow what yer gonna do then?..
Use water from the hydro lakes. Hydroelectric power accounts for 57%
of the total electricity generation in New Zealand. But there's not
enough rain in a year to run the hydro generators at maximum for a
year. The power output from hydro can be quickly altered if the wind
stops or blows, although that's unlikely over a country the size of
the UK.
OK so the capacity that the windpower sets have is fully backed by
Hydro?. Else you must have something else to meet the full load?..

Or is it consistently windier in NZ than here?..

57% hydroelectricity, 18% natural gas, 10% coal, 7% geothermal, 5%
wind, 2% oil.
There is a new tidal scheme about to be built. That could generate a
huge amount of energy if stupid people don't stop it. There's more
geothermal and hydro potential.

Whereas 2 or three good nukes could be tucked almost anywhere, and
remove all the coal and oil gas and wind meeds..sigh.

Still NZ is a weird place.