Speaking as a hippy, I advocate greener forms of energy production.
We should put wind turbines in the back gardens of everyone who thinks they are a blot on the landscape.
I'd quite like some solar panels, but can't afford it.
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:19, 3 replies, latest was 13 years ago)

wind power is pointless, ugly and shit

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:20, Reply)

A BIT LIKE YOU!

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:20, Reply)

Wind power is the second best renewable energy we have
after hydroelectric, but there's only so many valeys we can fill up with water.
(PsychoChomp, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:29, Reply)

I had a long trip from MK to Norwich then to Nottingham last week,
I was suprised to see how many houses are starting to get solar panels on their roofs.
I wonder how much it would cost/produce for a whole city to have them put on.
(PsychoChomp, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:20, Reply)

A mate of mine has been running a company installing them in Devon
Now the government has taken away the subsidies though so financially they are less attractive
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:21, Reply)

A BIT LIKE YOU!

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:21, Reply)

They removed 50% of the electricity price when selling back to the grid, I believe

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:22, Reply)

there was a grant to get them installled and yes you can sell any excess back to the leccy companies
still takes years and years to break even though
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:23, Reply)

I saw a few adverts that mentioned about 7-10 years.
Still a good investment I think
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:23, Reply)

That's a very good investment on a large scale
a very shit investment for an individual.
(PsychoChomp, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:24, Reply)

Depends on how long they last really
If you were guaranteed 20-25 years then they would be very good
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:25, Reply)

exactly
those who do it, do it for green reasons not finacial ones
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:26, Reply)

I bet this confuses the hell out of you, eh?

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:27, Reply)

It really does

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:31, Reply)

Weren't they forced to reinstate that?

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:22, Reply)

genuinely don't know

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:23, Reply)

I don't see why builders aren't compelled to include them as standard on all new buildings.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:24, Reply)

THIS^

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:25, Reply)

I think it's because as a blanket "every roof" rule it would be a waste of money.
If it was purely the south facing ones which aren't in shadow by trees etc, then it would be worth it.
(PsychoChomp, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:26, Reply)

This is why my house doesn't have them
Roof faces East-West. Shame really as it has a large sq footage
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:27, Reply)

Details.
I come up with the ideas, you guys make it work. Yeah?
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:27, Reply)

I wonder what the generation rate is like when it isn't sunny
Not something you could 100% rely on in Britain
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:29, Reply)

Clouds don't prevent all UV light from getting through though, do they?

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:30, Reply)

clouds have little effect on PV as far as I remember.
But rain does.
(PsychoChomp, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:31, Reply)

because the long term energy consumption from construction
and demand for scarce materials invovled in said construction, outweighs any actual benefit it almost all cases, mostly by huge amounts.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:34, Reply)

I want solutions from you scientists, not further problems.
Make it work please.
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:37, Reply)

I'm got a sideline in luminescence downshifting of natural sunlight to improve growth of algae
for nutrition, CO2 mitigation and potential biofuel production.

does that help your inner hippy?
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 14:14, Reply)

Needs a catchier name.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 14:19, Reply)

CUNTBUSTER.
it's not relevant, I just like the word.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 14:27, Reply)

I'm entertained by the uproar against wind turbines
by the same people who will fight tooth and nail to keep an old windmill
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:20, Reply)

I like wind turbines to be honest.
I think they're attractive, much nicer than say Pylons.
(PsychoChomp, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:23, Reply)

So do I
There are a few on the A19 near Hartlepool that are FUCKING MASSIVE
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:24, Reply)

I don't understand people getting stroppy about them
but they're at best ineffective as a solution. If you covered every square inch of land in the UK with a turbine you wouldn't come close to covering the UK energy demand.

They have a place in that having some is better than nothing, but the only reason both the UK and Scottish governments are so obsessed is that they never bothered to properly investigate alternatives and they are now fucked as it's too late to meet their own green targets any other way. In the case of Scotland, the target can't be met at all, as there isn't enough turbine manufacturing capacity in the world to cover the stupid targets that Salmond set.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:31, Reply)

It would be worth it to annoy the NIMBYs like Nakers though.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:34, Reply)

Won't work
You can't drill more than 15 feet underground in London without it costing £150m and impeding the movement of every single wheeled object within twenty miles.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:32, Reply)

Last I looked wind turbines weren't underground

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:40, Reply)

No wonder they are failing to generate sufficient energy for our needs.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Thu 18 Oct 2012, 13:41, Reply)