Giant wind turbines for Southampton?

[TopGun]

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/1901958.giant_wind_turbine_would_be_sign_of_green_city/

 

Looks like the plan is back on again according to today's Echo. I know the Tory Council appeared to blow it out two weeks ago but looks like they may have changed their minds.

 

When it says one secret location is at the northern boundary of Southampton it's hard to think further than the top of the Avenue/start of M3. Be a great place to have one.

 

I fully expect all the naysayers to get to work on this thread! :cool:

[benjii]

Would look out of place imo:

 

 

 

Actually, I do like wind turbines. I find them strangely evocative. Not sure what of but I like them. I hope we have one.

[saint boggy]

Would look out of place imo:

 

 

 

Actually, I do like wind turbines. I find them strangely evocative. Not sure what of but I like them. I hope we have one.

i know exactly what ya mean.........i find them very calming to watch.......tis about time this country put some serious investment into renewable energy, and this is the way forward........i for one wouldn't mind looking out my window and seeing them.........

the politicians ignore the cries of the masses when it comes to digging a furkin great trench thru beautiful countryside in order to build by-passes/motorways etc all in the name of progress, so it's about time they stood up to the people when it comes to alleviating the huge negative impact of our energy production pollutants......

(cue Saint George and his endless ramblings.....)

[swannymere]

The obvious place to put them is down the central reservation of motorways, can't upset anyone there.

[TopGun]

The obvious place to put them is down the central reservation of motorways, can't upset anyone there.

 

That is what they do in Denmark but I'm sure many would still object.

[mack rill]

Stick it on the main board.......So much hot air on there the Knut will take off;)

[Mole]

Stick them on Twyford Down.

[Ponty]

Stick them on Twyford Down.

 

Twyford Down is an area of natural beauty. There's nothing beautiful about Southampton so they might as well stick them there tbh.

[Julian H. Cope]

Twyford Down is an area of natural beauty. There's nothing beautiful about Southampton so they might as well stick them there tbh.

 

Careful now.Galliano might just write a song about that.

[Weston Super Saint]

The obvious place to put them is down the central reservation of motorways, can't upset anyone there.

 

Apart form the workmen that have to fix them....

 

Or the motorists who get delayed because the 'Elf and Safety insist on closing the motorway to stop all the workmen who have to fix them from being killed....

[Mole]

Apart form the workmen that have to fix them....

 

Or the motorists who get delayed because the 'Elf and Safety insist on closing the motorway to stop all the workmen who have to fix them from being killed....

 

Not to mention the multiple pile-ups caused by drivers gawping at them.

[swannymere]

Not to mention the multiple pile-ups caused by drivers gawping at them.

 

Then they'll serve a dual function, eradicating the world of idiots and providing energy. I'm fairly sure you would'nt have to shut a motorway down for scheduled maintenance.

[hamster]

Beautiful things IMO.

 

Anyone seen the one at Itchen Valley Country Park? Perfect in every way, I'd love one that size in my garden. I reckon that we are so backward in this country sometimes. Nut sure 'bout the top of the avenue though, far too may selfish idiots banging into each other there already, making me late for work.

[saint boggy]

Stick them on Twyford Down.

 

Twyford Down is an area of natural beauty. There's nothing beautiful about Southampton so they might as well stick them there tbh.

i have a feeling that Stanley was being 'ironic'.........:smt102

[Ponty]

i have a feeling that Stanley was being 'ironic'.........:smt102

I think you're giving him too much credit tbh Boggy

[Toomer]

There are two on the new industrial park at Millbrook on the old Calor Gas site.

[Weston Super Saint]

Then they'll serve a dual function, eradicating the world of idiots and providing energy. I'm fairly sure you would'nt have to shut a motorway down for scheduled maintenance.

 

You've obviously not had much to do with the Elf and safety :shock:

[Crouchie's Lawyer]

I think they are a brilliant idea. TBH if one of these things can generate enough electricity for 1500 homes then surely we should be building hundreds of them. IMO, based on average consumption, they should work out how much it costs for a homes electricity per year.

 

For example, I spend approx £30 per month in electricity which is £360 per year. If my consumption is based as the average, then the other 1499 homes would generate an additional £539k p.a. If a company was set up who would be able to a) install these things and b) provide electricity from the energy they created as a utility, surely there has to be money in it for them?

 

They could guarantee that prices would only increase in line with inflation, which would mean that providing their labour costs increased at the same rate, they would be making money. This would appeal to people who are fed up of receiving letters from British gas and the like saying costs have gone up, year after year, and this will only get worse. It is a lot greener too so will appeal to these people.

 

God I should go to dragons den with this idea!

[Scummer]

I think they are a brilliant idea. TBH if one of these things can generate enough electricity for 1500 homes then surely we should be building hundreds of them. IMO, based on average consumption, they should work out how much it costs for a homes electricity per year.

 

For example, I spend approx £30 per month in electricity which is £360 per year. If my consumption is based as the average, then the other 1499 homes would generate an additional £539k p.a. If a company was set up who would be able to a) install these things and b) provide electricity from the energy they created as a utility, surely there has to be money in it for them?

 

They could guarantee that prices would only increase in line with inflation, which would mean that providing their labour costs increased at the same rate, they would be making money. This would appeal to people who are fed up of receiving letters from British gas and the like saying costs have gone up, year after year, and this will only get worse. It is a lot greener too so will appeal to these people.

 

God I should go to dragons den with this idea!

 

Yeah, but how much do the turbines cost to build, install, and operate?

[Crouchie's Lawyer]

Yeah, but how much do the turbines cost to build, install, and operate?

 

I would imagine they would cost quite a bit to build and install, however, to operate? Surely it would only be maintenance as an ongoing cost?

 

Im sure the government would subside the cost of this too, or dare I say it, the company should be a public formed one?!

[Weston Super Saint]

I would imagine they would cost quite a bit to build and install, however, to operate? Surely it would only be maintenance as an ongoing cost?

 

Im sure the government would subside the cost of this too, or dare I say it, the company should be a public formed one?!

 

If they cost a lot to build, I would imagine replacement parts won't be cheap....

 

Then there's the specialised labour to replace them.

 

The government won't subsidise 'green' or 'renewable' energy projects because it makes huge sums of money from taxing fossil fuels....

[Jillyanne]

If they cost a lot to build, I would imagine replacement parts won't be cheap....

 

Then there's the specialised labour to replace them.

 

The government won't subsidise 'green' or 'renewable' energy projects because it makes huge sums of money from taxing fossil fuels....

 

Well the company that make them are based on the IOW so not a lot of import costs would be involved!

[TopGun]

Yeah, but how much do the turbines cost to build, install, and operate?

 

A Vestas 2MW turbine that is 90m tall and has 35m blades (total 125m) costs about £1.5m to purchase and install. That excludes all the planning issues. Maintenance is very little over the expected 25 year life of the turbine.

 

A 2MW turbine has the capacity to generate enough for 4,000 home but realistically at 25% operational capacity because of wind intermittence will supply equivalent average consistent energy to 1,000 homes which need to remain on the grid because of calm days.

 

At the moment turbine operators have to sell power via the grid to suppliers. A next logical step is to miss out middle men and supply via a localised grid to local houses which could be supplied at a cheaper rate. And the cities are the places to do this IMO.

Edited 18 November, 2008 by TopGun

[Crouchie's Lawyer]

A Vestas 2MW turbine that is 90m tall and has 35m blades (total 125m) costs about £1.5m to purchase and install. That excludes all the planning issues. Maintenance is very little over the expected 25 year life of the turbine.

 

A 2MW turbine has the capacity to generate enough for 4,000 home but realistically at 25% operational capacity because of wind intermittence will supply equivalent average consistent energy to 1,000 homes which need to remain on the grid because of calm days.

 

At the moment turbine operators have to sell power via the grid to suppliers. A next logical step is to miss out middle men and supply via a localised grid to local houses which could be supplied at a cheaper rate. And the cities are the places to do this IMO.

 

Which is what I was getting at above. Where did you get these figures from TopGun?

 

Makes sense if they get £500k revenue p.a and last 25 years, they more than easily cover themselves cost wise.

 

Would think that company on the IOW stand to make a nice amount of money in the future!

[TopGun]

Which is what I was getting at above. Where did you get these figures from TopGun?

 

Makes sense if they get £500k revenue p.a and last 25 years, they more than easily cover themselves cost wise.

 

Would think that company on the IOW stand to make a nice amount of money in the future!

 

I'm working on a wind farm project in Scotland so know the figures.

[Ponty]

I'm working on a wind farm project in Scotland so know the figures.

 

Supplying the wind?

 

Seriously, are they noisy?

[TopGun]

Supplying the wind?

 

Seriously, are they noisy?

 

Early models were noisy and pretty crap, generating not more more than 100KW. They were noisy because they had less evolved mechanical parts.

 

A lot of objectors refer to noise out of ignorance because they see youtube vids etc of old turbines. Not one planning application in the last five years in the UK has been rejected on noise grounds despite many objectors citing noise.

 

You can stand under one these days and have a conversation without raising your voice, it's just the wind swoop of the blades these days. When they are flat out you still can't hear the turbines at much distance because of the normal noise of a windy day which quickly dissipates and spreads the sound of the wind in the blades. A motorway for example is much, much louder at the same distance.

Edited 18 November, 2008 by TopGun

[Ponty]

As I would have thought. People just dont account for forward leaps in technology.