Re: The Lewis Windfarm (again) | Forum

Hob Apr 22, 2008 20:20:48

Replying to Littlestone

Littlestone wrote:

this family were effectively running their electricity meter backwards.

Fantastic!

Shame the suppliers couldn't see the potential advantages of customers who put back into the grid. Maybe there's hope in that direction.

I'm glad iffy windfarms are being rejected. All I read about the recently rejected application for the windfarm up by Duddo stone circle, indicated that the company responsible was not only 'just in it for the money' (They are a business, so whaddya expect?), but that they had a track record of rather crap windfarms on the continent, so that they'd turned to the UK as somewhere they might get away with the same tricks.

Personally, I like the idea of wave/tidal power.

FourWinds Apr 23, 2008 05:44:14

Replying to Hob

Hob wrote:

Personally, I like the idea of wave/tidal power.

The problem is that whatever 'natural' route is taken for power you are sucking energy from the ecosystem. That can't be good! There's the recent example I read about somewhere in Switzerland where a geo-thermal plant cooled the rock around it down so much that it caused earth tremours. They had to shut it down.

If you suck loads of energy from the oceans or the wind what is the greater effect on things like the gulf stream? Kill the gulf stream and The British Isles will be like Scandinavia.

Littlestone Apr 23, 2008 06:41:23

Replying to Hob

The article's here if anyone's interested - http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/apr/19/householdbills.consumeraffairs2?

The family of four have produced 92% of their electricity usage from the roof of a century-old terraced house in south-east London. The, "...system works by producing power - up to 3 kilowatts - during the day and exporting much of it to the grid because we are out at work and school most days. It's fun to watch our old-fashioned meter spinning backwards when the sun is shining."