Wind turbines again

leo g_13

watching that the CBC's Nature of Things. Interesting. Denmark, right now is producing 25% of all of its electrical needs with wind. They even have some of their mills in the ocean! They plan on having 50% by, I believe, 2025!

One of their engineers said that if Canada and the U.S.A. would build wind farms through our interior/prairie regions, we would have enough electrical capacity for ALL of north america!!! As he said, "we have no arguments from the wind, just from government." Beautiful!

Leo G

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Wayco Wayne_2

Oil men in control

The oil people have great sway in the higher positions of the Federal Government. They know better than anyone the time table for how much oil is left. Why conserve when they can milk it for all it's worth. If I were King we would have been pushing Alternative energy sources a long time ago. I wonder about the accuracy of his statement though. All of our energy from wind farms??? I dunno. WW

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Constantin

The trouble of matching demand and supply

I imagine that there are some windless days here and there, even in Denmark. Over the course of the year, you may be able to cover most of your electrical needs. But most scenarios still require some sort of backup power that can be depended on.

Given the cost of switching our generation and distribution infrastructure to renewables (i.e. setting up windmills, then stringing power lines to them), I'd like our "King" to focus more on getting the housing stock into better shape than it is. We've discussed that topic amply, and I agree with many that scratch their heads when people in leaky, uninsulated homes come knocking for a condensing boiler.

The actual mechanism to encourage conservation may be best left to the markets, but this is the area where I'd focus on, because every study I've seen has shown that it's a lot cheaper, typically, to conserve than to keep on generating, distributing more power, fuel, whatever.

Bob W._3

We need to be doing both. Tough job in a "free market" economy. I am hoping the rise in energy prices will finally put the spurs to the entire issue.

jackchips_2

Constantin,

how much conservation is needed to offset population growth?

How much of that growth is responsible for the increase in demand?

Population up, more cars, more houses, more demand for goods and more demand for conservation. Where does it end?

Jack

Tony Conner_2

Denmark....

... is about the size of a postage stamp, with a tiny population. I'm not aware that there's a big industrial base there, either.

I'm assuming that the engineer they interviewed worked for the windmill industry. I'd be interested in knowing just what he's basing his calculations on, regarding building windfarms on the prairies to "supply all of our energy needs". I seriously doubt that. The line losses to get the power to either coast would be astronomical. Many Europeans don't have a good grasp of North American geography, and just how far apart things can be. This is in addition the the huge industrial load. You're left with the scenario of what happens with the big round-the-clock operations like steel mills, auto plants, refineries, etc when the wind drops? Do they just shut down, and send everybody home, until the wind picks up in Saskatoon?

Given the current level of the techology, windmill power is "pie in the sky" stuff. Or, I guess, "pie in the wind".

Tony Conner_2

You Do...

...realize, of course, that Denmark is about the size of a postage stamp compared with North America, with a tiny population and not much of an industrial base, right? And the engineer they were interviewing - he wasn't perhaps somehow employed in the windmill industry, was he? I'd also be intersted in seeing just what assumptions he's basing his figures on.

Given the current state of the technology, and the power requirements of an industrialized society, windmills are pretty much just "pie in the sky" stuff. Or perhaps, "pie in the wind"?

Constantin

Very little conservation is needed to keep pace,

as the US population and economy are growing slowly, and in the EU many populations are declining.

If you look at the savings that homes can experience due to common-sense conservation practices, you don't need much to offset the 2-3% that the US population or the 4% that the economy is growing per annum.

According to Manual-J, our house will consume ¼ of the fuel it needed prior to its renovation. So, even if you only look to insulate homes that weren't insulated before, you could accumulate a substantial savings.

The coming DoE efficiency standards allegedly will increase residential AC efficiency by 30%, have a economic payback in a a reasonable period of time, etc. and were formulated at a time when the assumption was that energy prices in real terms were going to fall 10%.

Lastly, take a look at the studies published by building science corporation re: their Building America homes. New homes can consume a lot less energy than comparable homes yet cost no extra to be built. Thick outer walls with dense-pack cellulose, for example, are cost-effective and efficient.

[Deleted User]

just remember that the CBC is the moputhpiece of the government

and promotes what that disconnected entity wants you to believe.

To hear them both "It's all the fault of them damned imperialist Yankees and of the profiteering US oil interests."

Jeff Lawrence_24

Our King?

We don't have a king in this country, Constantin.

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Nick_16

Well,

sometimes I wonder about that. We are not supposted to have a king in this country but....when these Republicans get on a power struggle....you know how it is. Not meant to offend anyone, just stating my oppin.

Constantin

Jeff,

As a registered voter, I am well aware that the US has no King. Hence my use of quotation marks when replying to Wayco Waynes post that mentioned "If I were King".