This is nothing neew, all windfarms are required to pay out a "Community Dividend" as far as I am aware.
Is the price of electricity not determined by the wholesale market price like petrol, diesel and gas?
If so, then while I agree customers are paying for it in their bills, if the Community dividend was not a requirement then the money would be extra profit for the power companies an we would still be paying the same price anyway.
Wind turbine manufacturers continue to report growth - and even have a growing backlog of orders in the pipeline.
Wind turbine manufacturer Nordex recorded a 31.6% increase in new orders in 2011, bringing the total to €1.1 billion - and a volume of firmly financed order backlog which has risen from €411m in the previous year to €700m at the beginning of 2012,
Wind turbine order intake in the fourth quarter (Q4) reached €400 million, up 30.7% on the same period in 2010 - Europe accounted for 77% of the new wind turbine order intake, and the US accounted for 21%.
Oh... maybe it doesn't, given the amount it can shovel into community subsidies, but it still must be nice to be having that 'climate levy' poured into the pot without even having to put a hand out.
Nuon Renewables and Vattenfall have joined forces on onshore wind in the UK, creating one of the UK’s largest onshore wind farm developers. This onshore wind business will take the name Vattenfall, and operate from offices in Penzance, Swansea, Hexham, and Edinburgh.
The combined development portfolio of the two companies has 14 onshore wind projects in England, Wales, and Scotland, totalling more than 624 MW, and puts the new business into the group of largest players in onshore wind power development in the UK.
Nuon Renewables was acquired by Vattenfall in 2009 when the Swedish utility bought Dutch utility Nuon, and (in the UK) has worked independent of the parent company
Vattenfall’s new Head of Onshore Wind Development in the UK will be Piers Guy, former Head of Development at Nuon Renewables, who said, "This larger Vattenfall onshore wind business in the UK is now very substantial and with the support of the UK and devolved Governments could invest nearly £1billion by 2020 and make a telling contribution to meeting green energy targets and creating jobs."
Plans for the 16 turbine Heriot wind farm -Ridgewind Limited wants to erect the turbines on land near Gilston Farm - have shown that the developer has to submit two plans to different councils.
It falls between the A7 and A68 near Heriot in the Scottish Borders, so the site straddles the Scottish Borders and Midlothian council areas.
So, a full application for seven turbines has been submitted to Scottish Borders Council, and a similar application for nine turbines has gone to Midlothian.
Glasgow-based offshore wind experts are bidding to break into the fast-growing market for French renewable energy.
Scottish Power parent company Iberdrola, which manages its offshore wind projects from a new centre in Scotland, is part of a consortium bidding to provide nearly 1 gigawatt of wind capacity in French waters.
The projects involve areas off the Brittany and Atlantic coast.
The French government plans to install up to 3 gigawatts of power.
Each gigawatt is reckoned to have the capacity to power up to 1.2 million homes.
One of the wind farms would be located in the Saint-Brieuc Bay off Britanny, while the other would be off the Saint-Nazaire coast in Loire Atlantique.
Scottish engineers and project managers have teamed up with renewable energy specialist Eole Res, turbine manufacturer Areva, engineering and construction company Technip and developer Neoen Marine.
Iberdrola's base in Glasgow is overseeing or bidding for work in Germany, England and Scotland, with a total capacity of 10 gigawatts. The French bid would push that up to 11 gigawatts.
This is nothing neew, all windfarms are required to pay out a "Community Dividend" as far as I am aware.
Good old Argyll and Bute Council provides the recommended amounts (other councils have prepared their own), but that presumably means it can vary from 1 p upwards by agreement
More bad news for China this morning as regards renewables.
Anyone following the subject will know that China has already been accused by America of dumping solar PV kit on the market, and flooding it with kit at below cost, and making it unprofitable - so kicking the legs from America's own market.
This morning, the problems for China continued, with news that:
Chinese wind turbine manufacturers are facing tough times with factors such as safety, quality, reliability, and after-sale service possibly tilting the scales in favour of Western companies, says analyst Frost & Sullivan.
This probably doesn't come as any great surprise or revelation to those in similar businesses, and is in line with the sort of testing I used to be involved in.
It's not so much that their products are rubbish, or that there is a return to the sort of 'Made in China' contempt of decades gone by. Rather, the standards relating to "safety, quality, reliability, and after-sale service" have become much higher in the West, and China is playing catch-up.
The matter of counterfeit and forged items is separate issue, and such items can indeed be junk out of the box, made only to 'look' like the original, but sell for the same price although it costs a fraction to make - after which the seller absconds with (substantial) cash.
Is the price of electricity not determined by the wholesale market price like petrol, diesel and gas?
No, nott really, as we have seen in recent years, the price is fixed.
Oh, sorry... I meant to say...
The priced is fixed by many things, not least (we are informed) the purchase of fuels based on future costs, as gas, for example, is bought way in advance of when it will be needed or used - and this brings problems of setting the price as the quantity could be well out.
And we saw the effect of this only yesterday, as 'unexpected' price cuts were announced:
Quoted Text
British Gas has cut its electricity prices by 5% with immediate effect, while SSE will reduce gas tariffs by 4.5% on 26 March.
The moves come a day after EDF Energy announced plans to cut its domestic gas tariff by an average of 5% owing to low energy use during the mild winter.
The price cuts will add pressure on the rest of the major suppliers to cut their tariffs as wholesale prices dip.
However, this also makes me say that it is obvious to anyone that has eyes to see that the energy suppliers operate a cartel, as all these price changes for at least the past four years have happened in concert, and with little difference between any of the (major) suppliers to differentiate them.
And a look around the interwebs will show you analyses written by people with a lot more financial insight and clout than me saying just the same thing, in the same, or very similar words.
So again, I challenge the suggestion that the price of energy (let's not stick on electricity, since the same companies do gas as well) is set by the market - it's not.
The energy suppliers work like OPEC, and place the price of energy just where they want it - and we either pay it, or don't. And "don't" is not a practical option for most.
I have to confess I was little puzzled last week, when I read the following:
Quoted Text
Wind farms across the UK have seen their electricity output double as a result of the recent weather, industry body Scottish Renewables has claimed.
As gusts reached more than 100mph, turbines were operating at 60%, rather than the usual 30%, on Tuesday and Wednesday, the organisation said.
Despite the increase, thousands of homes across Scotland were left without power and transport was disrupted.
There are a number of errors within the quote, and I was surprised to see it came from Scottish Renewables, usually reliable for info - in fact it delivers the ongoing reports for such power generation, so I just have to put it down to sloppy use of language.
The first point is that wind farms did NOT see their output double - it may have increased momentarily to twice the usual output at any given, but I that is quite different from doubling their output.
It is also quite wrong to say that "turbines were operating at 60%, rather than the usual 30%".
The 30% figure is a figure calculated for the whole of the UK over a typical year. During that year, turbines will operate at anything from 0% to 100% of their rated output - they don't operate at exactly 30% throughout the year. It would be nice if they did - no deactivation during 100 mph storms, but they don't.
Lastly - at least as far as the quote goes - what exactly was the point of saying "Despite the increase, thousands of homes across Scotland were left without power and transport was disrupted"?
The homes without power were supplied via the grid, and their connections were disrupted, so turbines giving increased output had nothing to do with their power loss. And why mention transport being disrupted - turbines certainly didn't do that.
A very amateurish statement.
I cold go on and start having a go at the John Muir Trust again - instead, since they have published a misleading and hostile report on wind power, I might just ask what on earth the statement from Helen McDade, head of policy at the landscape conservation charity the John Muir Trust, had to do with the article.
It reads like a compliment to wind power, and seems strangely at odds with the report the JMT spun up last year, which read more like something intended to rubbish wind power, and ask why anyone bothered having it, as it was so useless.
Very odd - one statement written by someone who left their brain cell at home, and another who seems to have forgotten the generally hostile agenda of their group.
With (what is in my opinion) somewhat more sensible wording than the last announcement I mentioned a few posts back, RenewableUK has said that wind power supplied an average of 5.3% of the UK’s demand for electricity for December and early January, reaching a record share of 12.2% on December 28, 2011.
It was noted that the increasingly large amounts of electricity being generated from wind means that feeding yet larger volumes of power into the system represents an engineering challenge to the National Grid, and that the challenge had been met over Christmas.
Also noted was the launch lLast year of a new wind power forecasting system by the National Grid, allowing its engineers to more accurately predict output from the UK’s growing fleet of wind farms.
Interesting...
Is the collective term for wind farms a fleet?
That came from the press release.
(I would have used 'collective', which I think is used when referring to agricultural farms.)
Hefty cuts at a well known name as Vestas announces a cut of 2,335 jobs around the world in an effort to streamline its business and cut costs, plus a warning of an additional 1,600 jobs that could go in the US if the production tax credit (PTC) there is not extended beyond 2012.
The 2,335 job cuts involves the closing down of a wind turbine tower factory in Denmark and cuts in administrative posts. Over half (1,500) of the layoffs are in Denmark. This still leaves Vestas with 20,400 employees globally after the cuts, of which 5,300 will be in Denmark. The company aims to merge production units and centralise administrative functions, hoping to cut fixed costs by €150 million.
Its executive Management will be reduced from 14 to 6 people, to reduce decision-making times and to increase efficiencies.
The news is reported to have caused anger in Vestas' home country, Denmark.
But, it's tough being at the top because the only way you can then go is down. Vestas is said to be the only global player in the wind power industry.
I highlighted the plight of the unfortunate Allt Duine wind farm plan a few posts back - probably doomed not because it lies on a spot where there is a great number of objections (in fact, it would seem to have one of the lowest numbers of actual direct objections according to the the news below), but because it can be seen from, but is not in, the Cairngorms National Park.
Ironically, on the day the councillors visited the park, it seems that the weather was such that that even if the wind farm had been there, they still would not have been able to see it for cloud and mist.
Quoted Text
Councillors have voted to object to contentious plans for a wind farm on the edge of the Cairngorm National Park.
The elected members took a trip on the country's highest railway line to assess the visual impact of the turbines on the Monadhliath Mountains at Kincraig.
The proposal for 31 turbines on the edge of the Cairngorms has attracted fierce opposition from environmental campaigners. Councillors object to controversial wind farm plans
Highland councillors used the Cairngorms funicular railway on Tuesday to get an idea for how the wind farm on the Monadhliath Mountains at Kincraig may look.
The planning committee met in the afternoon to discuss the contentious plans later in the day.
Councillors went against the recommendation of planners and voted to object to the planning application. The proposal will now go before the Scottish Government.
This one will be interesting to watch, as with few actual objections, a noisy agenda driven group that doesn't want the farm, and councillors agreeing with them, it makes an interesting combination for the Scottish Govermnent to consider in the referral.
Could it be time to start drawing breath for a Hooray!!!?
Scotland's self-appointed Second Minister, Donald Trump, is now threatening to pull out of the the golf resort development he forced into Aberdeen - unless Scottish ministers rule in favour of his objection to an offshore wind farm which the poor golfers might see when they look out to see from the multi-million £££ golf resort.
I hope someone is looking closely at the fine print of the contract, and what happens when one party pulls out.
It would be nice to see this creep despatched home with his tail between his legs - and a big bill.
I reckon he's s sour because the wind farm's turbine are said to be taller than Trump Tower
However, nothing is certain, and it is also reported he still carries some clout as:
Quoted Text
Plans for a golf clubhouse at the Menie Estate site at Balmedie, Aberdeenshire were approved by councillors on Tuesday despite nearly 800 objections.
And he can't be forgiven for this rubbish that poured forth from Trump - he does things for his own benefit only, not Scotland's, and it's an insult that he should parachute himself here, and claim to speak for Scotland
You may have seen a recent documentary that has aired a few time now, regarding the application of military-style 'stealth' technology to wind turbines - and radars which may 'see' them.
There are a number of potentially productive wind farm sites around the country which cannot be tapped due to their presence in the line-of-sight of civil or military radars used to monitor the skies and provide information to air traffic controllers. The moving turbine blades can introduce various foms of flicker-noise into the signal, and cause various reflections which interfere with genuine aircraft tracks.
Needless to say, the consequences of errors arising from these, and other interferences, mean that there is no way conventional turbines could be installed in such places.
Following the successful evaluation of the sort of technology shown in the documentary - and other tricks we are not privy to - a contract has been awarded for two TPS-77 radar installations in Northumberland and Yorkshire, which could remove Ministry of Defence (MoD) objections to 750 MW of planned wind farms.
Not too surprising that this contract has gone to Serco.
Through a joint funding venture involving contributions from the industry, two more wind farm friendly radars are due to be deployed in Northumberland and Yorkshire. Together with an existing project at RAF Trimingham, over 4 GW of wind farm development could be unlocked according to an industry spokesperson.
This is being heralded as the beginning of the end for something which has previously been regarded as a major long-term obstacle for wind energy in a number of areas.
The American market and demand for wind turbines is obviously somewhat larger than the UK, or even Europe, but it looks as the Americans would like their market to be s little bigger, and the manufacturers would prefer to satisfy it themselves, rather than the competition.
News this morning of America's first commercial large wind turbine blade test facility opened in May last year, that its aim is to help the US industry remain competitive with its overseas counterparts.
I think some anti-wind farm types like to refer to wind turbines as 'windmills' as a way of having a poke at them.
However, that might not work in Aberdeen, where a wind turbine is now directly powering a oat cereal mill, just like the windmills of old
Quoted Text
The owners of the Mornflake oat cereal mill in Banff say they have gone back to their roots by investing £3.5m in the project.
The turbine sits 100m from the site and the electricity generated is used to power the wheels which grind the grain.
The firm believes it is the first in the world to be directly powered by the wind.
'No loss'
It generates four-times more electricity than it uses and the rest, from the 2.3 megawatt turbine, is sold to the National Grid.
James Lea, a director of the company, said he believed the factory was unique.
The family owned business was started in 1675 and has been passed through 15 generations.
Mr Lea told BBC Scotland: "We think it's the first in the world.
"A lot of industry, or even mills, may well purchase renewable power from the National Grid but that really means the power is generated up to hundreds of miles away and it's really a piece of paper to say they are buying it.
"What makes us different is that the mill is directly linked to the power generation so there is no loss of power on the way."
A slightly different story arising from wind energy, and apparent praise for the number of wind farms that are acknowledging their locations by having Gaelic names.
Quoted Text
Allt Duine is among several planned and existing wind farms with names that recognise their locations' original Gaelic place names.
Dotted around Argyll and the Highlands and Islands are farms called Bad a' Cheò, Druim Bà and Lochluichart.
In English, the names mean Place of the Mist, Cow Ridge and Loch of the Encampment.
A wind farm called Beinn an Tuirc in Kintyre means hill, or mountain, of the boar. The name relates to an ancient Gaelic epic tale.
It tells of a man called Diarmaid who after killing a boar on the mountain was poisoned by a spike of its fur when he measured it using his bare feet.
Even more significant is the formal recognition of Gaelic, properly, as "as an official language of Scotland, commanding equal respect to the English language". Don't argue with me on this point, since unlike the first time I mentioned Gaelic (way back in the BBC Alba thread) this time I am quoting someone who is both responsible for the language in Scotland, and has legal backing:
Quoted Text
Bòrd na Gàidhlig chief executive John Angus MacKay said it was important original names were recognised.
He said: "The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 confirmed Gaelic as an official language of Scotland, commanding equal respect to the English language, we are therefore very pleased that Gaelic names are being used in naming some of the wind farms that are appearing across Scotland.
"As well as returning to original place names the move proves Gaelic's place in the modern world.
"We congratulate these companies on their use of the language and would encourage others to do the same."
I knew I was right, but didn't know where to look for backing.
I might add that there is a very important detail in the wording quoted above, and that is that Gaelic is not describe as the official language of Scotland, but as an official language.
On the subject of wind farms, it also notes:
'Wind farm', a relatively new concept which can't be immediately or entirely clear to an English learner, sits comfortably in the modern Gaelic lexicon as 'tuath gaoithe'.
So now we know what to look for - but I have no idea what it sounds like. Pronunciation in Gaelic needs proper education. Guesswork just doesn't work.
EWA (European Wind Association) has published an offshore wind installation summary.
Figure stabilised over 2010 and 2011 at 883 MW and 886 MW respectively, with 2011's 886 MW comprising 256 offshore wind turbines in nine farms worth €2.4 billion. When completed, the 2011 projects will add a total of 2.375 GW to Europe's capacity.
Europe now has 1,371 offshore wind turbines in 53 wind farms in 10 countries, totalling more than 3.8 GW.
Britain saw the largest share of new offshore wind installations, with 87% of the total being installed in British waters.
(It's a pity Scotland and England are not separate members of Europe, since it would be nice to see the two individual figures.)
EWEA suggests that Europe could have 40 GW of offshore wind installed by 2020.
Looks like one of the longest running wind wind farm sagas(already mentioned above) has finally come to an end after a massive eight years of proposals, appeals, amendments, and referral.
And the final answer was... No.
(The lawyers will using £100 notes to wipe away their tears, now that this is over )
Quoted Text
GreenPower wanted to build eight turbines at Broadmeadows Farm in the Yarrow Valley in the Borders.
Scottish Borders Council had unanimously rejected the scheme last year over concerns about the impact it would have on the landscape.
The developers appealed against that decision but it has now been confirmed by the reporter to Scottish ministers.
When the proposals, for an area close to the Southern Upland Way, were first submitted in 2004 they were for 13 turbines.
They were scaled back but still met with rejection when put before SBC last June.
That verdict was taken to appeal but has now been upheld by the Scottish government.
The final submission for the wind farm that will offend the eyes of golfers in Aberdeen was filed today.
From the news report, it looks as if Trump had been dipping into his back pocket, as some 'No Wind Farm' protesters were on hand, with some nicely printed and produced placards - no cut up cardboard boxes and magic markers when you have Trump behind you
Have to wait until some time later this year for the answer though.
Quoted Text
Aberdeenshire Council have completed their submission to Marine Scotland on a controversial wind farm development off the North east coast.
The European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre is a £150m venture by Vattenfall, Technip and Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group.
The infrastructure services committee was not for or against the plans.
Details of issues raised surrounding the bid will be sent to Marine Scotland as part of the consultation process.
US tycoon Donald Trump has said he will abandon his plans for a hotel and houses at his golf resort on the Menie Estate if the project is approved.
A "no to turbines" protest was held outside the meeting.
A planning application for the wind farm off Aberdeen Bay, 2km (1.2 miles) from the golf course, was submitted to Marine Scotland - which manages Scotland's seas - in August last year.
Although not related to current business (ie wind power, which it sold off), it's intriguing to see the tangled web that lies behind some companies and what they have to do to keep everybody happy.
Quoted Text
The founder of offshore wind company SeaEnergy is to step down, following a change in the firm's strategic focus.
In a statement, SeaEnergy said Steve Remp would stand down as executive chairman after 34 years with the firm.
SeaEnergy said it would focus on its service businesses, after a history of disputes with Montenegrin officials in exploration ventures off Montenegro.
Mr Remp will receive compensation of £503,000 and be given non-core group oil and gas interests in Montenegro.
The Aberdeen-based company said following the disposal of its offshore wind unit, SeaEnergy Renewables, to Spanish oil giant Repsol in June 2011, the company had been focusing on developing new ventures in the energy sector.
News of what might be the biggest onshore wind turbine to be installed in the UK so far.
The first REpower 3.4M104 onshore wind turbine has been sold in the UK for phase one of a repowering project at Blyth Harbour. Once installed, the 3.4 MW turbine could be the UK’s most powerful onshore wind turbine.
One of the first wind farms installed in England, the site is owned by Hainsford Energy, who installed the original farm in 1992. That consisted of nine wind turbines which each had a capacity of 300 kW, giving a total of 2.7 MW. The new 3.4 MW machine can produce more power than the existing nine turbines put together.
Big wind in Methil - 7 MW wind turbine bound for Fife yard.
Quoted Text
A £100m wind turbine investment in Fife is expected to create more than 500 new jobs.
South Korean-based multinational Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) is to bring its first European offshore wind project to the area. The move was announced at the Scottish Offshore Wind and Supply Chain Conference in Aberdeen.
Along with the decision to develop its offshore wind technology at the Energy Park in Fife, SHI has signed a multimillion pound deal with East Kilbride-based David Brown Gear Systems to supply gearbox systems for its next generation offshore wind turbine.
Wind turbine project to bring 500 jobs
The news has been welcomed by First Minister Alex Salmond, who is delivering a keynote speech at the conference.
He said: "I am extremely pleased to welcome this inward investment by Samsung Heavy Industries which further reinforces Scotland's place in the development of the next generation of offshore wind turbines.
"Their choice of Scotland as their first base in Europe for renewable technology development is testament to the fact this country is fast becoming the European centre for research and development in new offshore wind technologies.
"For Methil to be chosen as the test site for Samsung Heavy Industries’ new 7MW wind turbine is another example of this country’s ability to secure investment from global multinationals.
You might be forgiven for thinking that we knew all about wind turbines by now, but that seems not to be the case, as Gamesa and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) begin collaborating on next generation wind turbines - however this is specifically aimed at meeting the needs of the US.
Researchers will examine how bigger rotors, as well as blade aerodynamics and some other features, can be altered to maximise annual energy production. Wind turbine tests will measure and validate the outcome of the research, looking at power performance, power quality and acoustics to minimise noise levels. They will also work to design and test new lightning protection and other wind turbine conditioning systems, examining their performances in a range of temperatures at high altitude to ensure that they will function in any US environment.
New converter technologies will be used to test ways to increase energy output while enhancing component reliability. Extensive tests also will be conducted on other wind turbine key components, examining motion, temperatures, stresses and vibration levels, where the findings could lead to improvements that enhance the reliability of future US installations. They will also work to develop new control strategies that improve energy capture while decreasing loads. Testing will include measurement of aerodynamic loads, the response of blade profiles and pitch actuation. Output will be measured throughout to determine how changes affect power output and its fluctuations, and what the effects are on structural loads and the wind turbine drive train response.
I wonder what they have been looking at prior to this, if all the items they have listed are worth pointing out now?
A company manufacturing wind turbine blades has revealed that the manufacture of a blade takes four days from start to finish.
Blade manufacturing takes four days, starting with a 24-hour moulding cycle to produce the blade shell halves and bond them together. On the second day, secondary bonding, trimming and drilling is accomplished. The assembled blades are primed and painted on the third day and finished for shipping on the fourth. Automated equipment is used to cut and drill the root end. Painting is also done with automated spraying equipment.
The blades are 37 metres (121 ft) long for use on 1.5 MW turbines, and are fairly 'ordinary' ie don't use clever stuff like carbon fibre.
Last night I posted an observation in the 'Renewables' thread, noting that departing minister Chris Huhne was widely regarded as the driving force behind much renewable energy policy, and that others were not so committed.
Tonight, we have news of more than 100 Conservative MPs writing to the prime minister urging him to cut subsidies for wind turbines, and seeking changes to planning rules to make it easier for local people to object to their construction.
I'm sure this has nothing to do with the stated objectives - which are pretty stupid anyway - and more to do with the now standard strategy of 'testing' any new leader in an influential position.
Subsidies are already scheduled to be cut - the recent whining about solar FiT merely ignored all the other reductions, ans as for making it easier for local people to object to wind turbines... I'm sure there is an earlier post in this very thread that shows something like half or more of such applications are subject to objection, and that process can go on repeatedly even when the objection is initially rejected.
This is really the lowest order of political shenanigans - and clearly driven by lobbyist from the anti-wind camp, such is the insanity of the claims being made against finding for wind turbines, which seems to consist of yet another trawling up of the age-old cliches that have been proven false as wind farms have developed and matured, especially in more recent years, both here and abroad.
Don't forget not to go political on this, which would obviously be easy - I mentioned a certain political party above because it's an unavoidable fact relevant to the original story.
But the wisdom or otherwise of the call depends on the viability of wind power and subsidies - not the colour of the politics.
No chance then, of a photo opportunity for those chubby cheeks of Alex Salmond to pop up on a Scottish wind power story, but in the 1984 episode of Alba 1980s on BBC Alba, there's a short on the beginning of wind power in the Orkneys.
A turbine producing 250 kW was being described as a success after being trialled for a year.
So good, the Department of Energy was funding a new one - 12 times the size, but not expected to be seen for two years.
Imagine if building one wind turbine took anything like that today
Only available until Friday, February 19, 2012. Item is at 20:48 into the prog.
Unrelated of course, but still interesting, during the same years, a Wellington bomber was found lying at the bottom of Loch Ness, having been there for 42 years.
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