Comments on: Top Myths About Wind Energy https://ecoevolution.ie/2009/10/13/top-myths-about-wind-energy/ highly professional engineering company specialising in renewable energy solutions Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:00:20 +0000 hourly 1 By: Frank https://ecoevolution.ie/2009/10/13/top-myths-about-wind-energy/#comment-10 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:00:20 +0000 http://ecoevolution.ie/blog/?p=18#comment-10 In reply to Cathal O’Boyle.

Hi Cathal,
Thank you very much for your comment and your good wishes.

As you say the statistics are UK based and that has been shown in the source of the article; http://www.bwea.com/energy/myths.html

With regard to the first myth the BWEA states that it will not require tens of thousands of wind turbines and this is probably true especially when you take into account the fact that wind turbine capacity is increasing year on year. Besides a wind turbine takes up less than 1% of the area in a wind farm, and if you include the road network it probably increase to about 3%. The largest wind farm in the south-east is a 42MW farm at Ballywater on Bert Allen’s coastal farm. The land is still grazed by livestock as it was before the windfarm was constructed.

Although Ireland has a good wind resource it is nowhere near the UK which has by far the best wind resource in Europe. Within a context of European wind speed league tables, Scotland can lay claim to having the highest average wind speeds. See the following links: http://www.talentfactory.dk/en/tour/wres/euromap.htm
http://www.windatlas.dk/Europe/landmap.html

As you say Cathal, wind is part of the solution, but only part of it and it will be a combination of different technologies that will supply our future energy needs. Also I feel that smart grids will pay a very large part in the equation. And with smart grids, distributed micro and small-scale generation will also play its part.

]]> By: Cathal O'Boyle https://ecoevolution.ie/2009/10/13/top-myths-about-wind-energy/#comment-9 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:51:08 +0000 http://ecoevolution.ie/blog/?p=18#comment-9 Interesting comment but I do have to take issue with your first myth. There is no doubt that country sized area will have to be given over to wind farms for it to contribute substantial portions of energy requirements. If you don’t believe me look at Prof McKay ‘Sustainibility – without the hot air’ book.
It is also an ongoing problem with renewable energy Statistics and findings that they are UK based. We have abetter wind resource than the UK and a much lower popultation density so thier findings are always going to to be worse than the Irish market.
The problem with Myth busting is there is always another myth. Wind poer is a great part of the solution and I wish you continued success.

regards

Cathal

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