The Case against Windfarms

The Case Against Windfarms is an authoritive, referenced document written by Dr John Etherington ( © Dr JR Etherington).

The views expressed are those of the author, who is a professional environmental scientist, formerly Reader in Ecology at the University of Wales. It is freely offered for reproduction or other use providing it is acknowledged. Our website contains the complete document, which consists of 18 Sections, 2 Appendices and References/Notes. The full list is shown on the Home Page, and also at Case Sections

The website also contains a web page devoted each separate section, of which this is one. These pages start with a copy of the relevant section of the full report, followed by links to a series of articles, news items, research papers and reports which are relevant to that topic. Note that these items have been compiled by Country Guardian and are not part of Dr Etherington's paper

3 . The scale of development required by government 'targets' and overall saving of carbon dioxide emission Targets

In January 2000 government announced its aim for renewables to supply 10% of UK electricity in 2010, "subject to the costs being acceptable to the consumer" (Energy White Paper 2003). The target figure is 39 TWh/y which is 10% of predicted generation based on current forecasts of total energy production of 371–390 TWh/y for 2010 (http://www.dti.gov.uk/renewables/renew_2.1.1.htm ).

About 75% will have to be wind power so this will need 29.3 TWh/y or an average running wind power generation of 3,339 MW. Assuming a load factor or 25% this would require at least 13,356 MW installed capacity of wind power (a 30% load factor would require 11,130 MW) See section 7. Technical aspects… for the explanation of load factor. An installed capacity of wind power of 13,356 MW would equate to 8,904 turbines of 1.5 MW, each c.100 m (327 ft) in height or 6678 turbines of 2.0 MW each, c. 120 m (394 ft).

It is also fairly certain, on the basis of existing planning applications, that a large number of much smaller turbines will also be proposed (for example Green Amps' current attack on the Cotswolds with 60 or more 0.3 MW refurbished Carter turbines).

What 'they' say

"There are now some 1,120 turbines in 90 locations. Generating 10 per cent of UK electricity from renewables by 2010 could mean an increase by around another one and half times the current number." DTI Myths

“Pigs might fly!”

Saving of CO2 emission - country wide target

Government's own figure for saving of the UK's CO2 emission by renewable power generation , mainly wind, is just 9.2 million tonnes per year by 2010 (DEFRA 2004 and DTI Myths).  This is less than the emission from a medium sized coal fired power station and more to the point is less than four ten-thousandths (0.0004) of global total CO2 emission (OECD 2005) and stands no chance of altering atmospheric CO2 concentration, still less deflecting climate change as suggested in DTI Myths.

 

 

 

Relevant articles, news items, papers, reports

WIND POWER JUST A GESTURE The inventor of the 'Gaia theory' and inspiration for the green movement, Dr James Lovelock, tells Andrea Kuhn why windfarms do not address the problems of global warming

Western Morning News, 03 February 2004

WIND POWER IN DENMARK, 2008 . ©

By Dr V.C. Mason (December 2008)

CO2 EMISSIONS REDUCTION: Time for a Reliability Check?

May 2005 Malcolm Keay, Oxford Energy Comment

SCALE MODEL OF A 400ft WIND TURBINE