Studies show turbines’ inefficiencies
WITH reference to the letter from David Hankey (Mail, Jan 12) about wind farms, I have some sympathy for Canon Davis.
We have all been bombarded with dubious statistics (understandably from the manufacturers, but also from the Government) about how much carbon dioxide can be saved and how many houses can be powered by each new wind farm.
Many of these statistics are based on the wind blowing at optimum speed 100 per cent of the time rather than the actual average figure of less than 30 per cent (it can be zero at times).
We now learn from a recent study in Holland by the physicist Dr C le Pair that, if there is a significant amount of wind-generated electricity, there is more carbon dioxide produced due to the surges causing inefficiencies on the back up power stations, than if the energy was produced by a modern gas-fired station.
This was first identified in 2008 in a paper by the Centre for Policy Studies which noted the effect and that Denmark, with its high percentage of wind power, had not succeeded in closing down conventional power stations and its carbon dioxide outputs had increased.
A highly-respected Canadian engineer has published similar conclusions.
So if these turbines sometimes produce no electricity, and when they do it is very expensive and they actually increase carbon dioxide emissions, what is their purpose?
It is enough to puzzle a priest.
M Ward,
Main Street,
Foxton,
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Weather for Harborough
Friday 18 May 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 8 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 8 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North
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