Happy Gigawatt Day
Some time last week while no-one was watching and without any fanfare, we generated our 1,000,000'th kilowatt-hour of clean, green electricity.. so to put this right we would like to wish everyone a very....
Is UK nuclear dead?
UPDATE (08/02/2013) - Caroline Lucas, writing in the Guardian makes the case for the UK not needing nuclear to meet reduced CO2 emissions and keep the lights on.
George Monbiot seems to think it is. In his latest article he points to:
- Cumbria rejecting plans to create a nuclear dump site to hold radioactive waste
- Centrica announcing it does not intend to bid for new nuclear plant contracts
He then points to Germany and Japan where the scrapping of existing and new plant is expected to result in many millions of tonnes of additional greenhouse gases being released new coal and gas power stations.
In the UK the second dash-for-gas seems to be well under way, although where all this gas will come from is anyone's guess - fracking certainly isn't the answer. Rewnewables of all types are now subject to slashed incentives, vague planning policy and NIMBY backbenchers.
So will we see a return to dirty coal fired electricity generation here in the UK as well?
2012 report card
After a very busy year in which our first two turbines were commissioned, December turned out to be a stellar month with windspeeds well above average over much of the holiday period.
DG001 - Commissioned January 2012
Now running smoothly after some initial teething troubles with local grid instability resulting in frequent shutdowns. A faulty anemometer was replaced in the summer during the scheduled service and more recently some electronic upgrades have been made to the controller. We are now nearing the end of the first full 12 months of production with high expectations for the next year!
DG002 - Commissioned November 2012
Summer 2012 wet weather made construction and installation a nightmare with on-site conditions resembling a swamp at times. As a result the build took much longer than predicted with final commissioning delayed until the Autumn. Our luck did not improve when the failure of a nearby substation caused a power surge which damaged some components in the turbine controller. These were replaced and extra fuse protection has now been installed (also at DG001) to prevent any re-occurrence. Service technicians recently undertook the 500hr "shakedown" and pronounced a clean bill of health.
Some minor damage to the turbine door lock was discovered and a CCTV system has now been installed as a precaution.
DG003/DG004 - Scheduled for installation Summer-Autumn 2013
Pre-installation project development continues with connection and power purchase agreements at both sites.
Planning
Planning appeals at both Apex and Talbot Farm are now well under way with final submissions having been made to the Planning Inspectorate. A further appeal at Brayton Park (for a modification to an existing permission) will be submitted very shortly with every expectation that it will be allowed as per the original appeal.
Media bullsh**t on green energy deal
The Telegraph today boldly proclaims:
"WIND FARMS TO INCREASE ENERGY BILLS BY £178 A YEAR"
Err, hang on a minute....
The Government has agreed to invest £7.6 billion pounds a year towards meeting our 2020 targets.. by investing in new nuclear, renewables and carbon capture and storage. The Telegraph article goes on to say:
"Bills will go up over the next two decades by an estimated £178 a year under all the Government’s green and fuel poverty policies, with the contribution to nuclear and renewables making up £95 by 2020."
So of the £178 headline figure claimed to be solely because of wind farms...actually only £95 is from renewables at all - and even that figure includes expensive new nuclear power stations.
Many followers of the nuclear debate will already know that much of the UK's ageing nuclear infrastructure is at or beyond its life expectancy and companies such as EDF have been asking for huge subsidies to roll out new stations.
In fact DECC (the Department of Energy & Climate Change) say that 20% of the UKs entire current generation capacity of 82 gigawatts requires replacement this decade. DECC also point out that 250,000 new jobs will be created and that an over-dependence on gas would lead to higher annual energy bills - perhaps as much as £250.
So really, just how much of the £95 figure will go to nuclear verses all other forms of renewables, of which wind is just a single component? In September the Telegraph reported that new nuclear would add £70 to annual energy bills.
Even a dumbed-down 16 year old with GCSE maths can calculate that 95 - 70 = 25.
So the likely increase in annual bills (by 2020) resulting from all forms of non-nuclear renewable energy is £25.
Greenpeace attack "Toxic Tories"
Greenpeace yesterday revealed undercover investigations and interviews with Conservative ministers who are actively planning to water down the legally binding Climate Change Act and undermine energy secretary Ed Davey. In a scandal labelled as "energygate" Greenpeace claims:
Our investigation shows how leading Tories have launched an attack on the Climate Change Act, saying they have the blessing of George Osborne. We also reveal that David Cameron’s campaign manager for the Corby by-election was secretly behind the campaign of a rival candidate who ran against the Conservatives on an anti-clean energy platform.
John Sauven, Greenpeace executive director, claimed that their investigation revealed how..
Britain's energy future is at risk of being hijacked by a militant faction of climate-sceptic and anti-wind MPs on the radical right of the parliamentary Conservative party.
Shadow Energy and Climate Change Minister Caroline Flint condemned Tory energy minister John Hayes for undermining energy investor confidence for the second time in a month:
Onshore wind power is the cheapest and most developed form of clean energy, with the potential to create thousands of badly-needed new jobs in Britain
But government splits are undermining this key growth industry and putting Britain's energy security at risk.
David Cameron promised to lead the 'greenest government ever' but his failure to control his own ministers and MPs is scaring away investors and job-creators in the clean energy industry.
Visit the Greenpeace site and watch their video here.
Landmark Farm given the go-ahead
Mendip District Council has given the proposals for a 500kW turbine at Landmark Farm the all-clear.
In granting full planning permission for the turbine, to be located just outside Wanstrow village in Somerset, planning officers concluded that the environmental benefits of the proposals far outweighed any possible impacts.
Distributed Generation MD, John Zamick said
"We are delighted to have been given permission to proceed with this scheme having only received only one letter of objection. We look forward to injecting some much needed funding back into the local community"
Landmark Farm will be the fourth turbine owned and operated by the company.
Snaphot of a climate in crisis
Summer 2012 environmental headlines from The Independent... enjoy.
The forecast for 2080: heatwaves, 11,000 deaths – and dengue fever
Tories' dash for gas risks climate target
Sudden spikes in global food prices to 'become the norm'
Price of essentials rises by 10 per cent
Arctic ice melting to a record low, scientists warn
Recent extreme heatwaves 'a result of global warming'
Heatwaves are proof of global warming, says Nasa scientist
Palm trees and forests? A new future for the Antarctic
The big thaw: Greenland ice cover is melting away
Independent think tank says wind is good
This week independent think tank IPPR (Institute for Public Policy Research) have published a new peer reviewed guide to wind power concluding that, guess what...
"unequivocally that wind power can significantly reduce carbon emissions, is reliable, poses no threat to energy security, and is technically capable of providing a significant proportion of the UK’s electricity supply with minimal impact on the existing operation of the grid. Claims to the contrary are not supported by the evidence."
The report also publishes many fascinating facts that dispel much of the nimby propaganda pushed out every time a controversial planning application is under consideration. For example, really how much do renewables add to typical household energy bills? According to the report an estimated £30 per year (from 2004 to 2010) - in contrast increases in the cost of wholesale gas added a whopping £290!
Wychavon says "no" to wind turbines
The planning committee at Wychavon District Council last week decided to tear up their officer's recommendation and refuse permission for the Apex wind turbine. This despite the fact that, according to Worcester County Council, their district is the most polluting of all in the county and 50% worse than the second highest district of Bromsgrove, emitting over 1.4 million tonnes of CO2 in 2005.
Given the single medium sized turbine applied for is right next to the industrial, commercial and leisure developments alongside the M5 at Warndon it would appear that local councillors do not want wind turbines anywhere in their region.
Effectively this decision signals Wychavon is closed for business when it comes to wind energy.
Vestas pulls out of Kent factory plans
Vestas have decided not to build a new factory in Sheerness that promised to create thousands of new jobs because....
... of the schizophrenic planning system and fears over meddling George Osbourne ditching the "Greenest Government ever" promise. Poor Ed Davey has been left running round trying to patch things up as usual.
A sad day indeed.