Comments on: “CO2 (equivalent) saving from short-rotation willow coppice (SRC) is ZERO” – official http://www.claverton-energy.com/co2-equivalent-saving-from-short-rotation-willow-coppice-src-is-zero-official.html Elite Energy, Environment & Tranporation Experts Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:20:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Albert Rogers http://www.claverton-energy.com/co2-equivalent-saving-from-short-rotation-willow-coppice-src-is-zero-official.html/comment-page-1#comment-929 Albert Rogers Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:26:16 +0000 http://www.claverton-energy.com/?p=1413#comment-929 I reckon that wind turbines cannot be any more environmentally "friendly" per kilowatt-hour than hydroelectric generation. Dams obstruct fish, and wind turbines kill bats and big birds. Because the maximum power capacity of a 600-foot high turbine is 5 or 6 megawatts, and that's only available when the wind is one Beaufort scale step less than a gale. You're lucky if its annual available production is 1.25 megawatt-years, and luckier still if you have a demand when it's available. By contrast, there's enough uranium and thorium available to run nuclear power for a thousand years, if you build your reactors to renew their fuel like the USA's Integral Fast Reactor. But the best plan is to be like the French, or pre-Thatcher Britain, and run the reactors under public, national ownership. I reckon that wind turbines cannot be any more environmentally “friendly” per kilowatt-hour than hydroelectric generation. Dams obstruct fish, and wind turbines kill bats and big birds.

Because the maximum power capacity of a 600-foot high turbine is 5 or 6 megawatts, and that’s only available when the wind is one Beaufort scale step less than a gale. You’re lucky if its annual available production is 1.25 megawatt-years, and luckier still if you have a demand when it’s available.

By contrast, there’s enough uranium and thorium available to run nuclear power for a thousand years, if you build your reactors to renew their fuel like the USA’s Integral Fast Reactor.
But the best plan is to be like the French, or pre-Thatcher Britain, and run the reactors under public, national ownership.

]]> By: Bruno Prior http://www.claverton-energy.com/co2-equivalent-saving-from-short-rotation-willow-coppice-src-is-zero-official.html/comment-page-1#comment-66 Bruno Prior Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:54:10 +0000 http://www.claverton-energy.com/?p=1413#comment-66 Dave McG, If you go to the island of Mykonos, you will see that the wind age also preceded the coal, oil and gas ages. As did the water age, and the biomass age. I take it you do not view that as a reason not to go back to wind and water, even though it is apparently a reason to view biomass as old-hat (fashion being so important in these things)? Nice rhetoric, pity about the underlying argument. Dave McG,

If you go to the island of Mykonos, you will see that the wind age also preceded the coal, oil and gas ages. As did the water age, and the biomass age. I take it you do not view that as a reason not to go back to wind and water, even though it is apparently a reason to view biomass as old-hat (fashion being so important in these things)?

Nice rhetoric, pity about the underlying argument.

]]> By: Bruno Prior http://www.claverton-energy.com/co2-equivalent-saving-from-short-rotation-willow-coppice-src-is-zero-official.html/comment-page-1#comment-62 Bruno Prior Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:08:56 +0000 http://www.claverton-energy.com/?p=1413#comment-62 By the way, there doesn't seem to be anything about this on the DEFRA, DECC, ADAS or GNN websites. What's the reference? By the way, there doesn’t seem to be anything about this on the DEFRA, DECC, ADAS or GNN websites. What’s the reference?

]]> By: Bruno Prior http://www.claverton-energy.com/co2-equivalent-saving-from-short-rotation-willow-coppice-src-is-zero-official.html/comment-page-1#comment-61 Bruno Prior Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:04:00 +0000 http://www.claverton-energy.com/?p=1413#comment-61 Actually, this is all about pure, unadulterated bullshit. It is such a load of pants that it isn't worth wasting the breath to argue with. The assumption that Oliver highlights is only one of many. Why do people feel they have to generalize? We can prove anything with the right set of assumptions. It's some sort of disease that has infected every public body, every body dependent on government contracts, and every body interested in publicity (particularly including the media and academia). That covers most of the "working" (specifically, employed but not usefully productive) population. Actually, this is all about pure, unadulterated bullshit. It is such a load of pants that it isn’t worth wasting the breath to argue with. The assumption that Oliver highlights is only one of many. Why do people feel they have to generalize? We can prove anything with the right set of assumptions. It’s some sort of disease that has infected every public body, every body dependent on government contracts, and every body interested in publicity (particularly including the media and academia). That covers most of the “working” (specifically, employed but not usefully productive) population.

]]> By: Davejmcg http://www.claverton-energy.com/co2-equivalent-saving-from-short-rotation-willow-coppice-src-is-zero-official.html/comment-page-1#comment-60 Davejmcg Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:26:49 +0000 http://www.claverton-energy.com/?p=1413#comment-60 Whilst people get very excited by biomass consider some caclutaions our TD director Stuart graham did last week. Wood vs. wind Bamboo @ 4.4kWh/dry kg. Fastest growing plant 13000 kg/acre/5 years =11544 kWh/acre/year =31.6 kWh/day Scots Pine @ 5.5kWh/dry kg 7000 kg/acre/5 years =7700 kWh/acre/year =21 kWh/day 11.2MW wind farm 23000 MWh/30.5Acre/year =754MWh/Acre/yr =2065 kWh/day Consider the energy ages, wood, coal, oil and now we advocate going back to wood? Use biomass and biowastes by all means to meet local needs and exploit local resources but do not expect bio-mass to be the primary or even a significant element of our forward energy needs. Whilst people get very excited by biomass consider some caclutaions our TD director Stuart graham did last week.

Wood vs. wind

Bamboo @ 4.4kWh/dry kg. Fastest growing plant
13000 kg/acre/5 years
=11544 kWh/acre/year
=31.6 kWh/day

Scots Pine @ 5.5kWh/dry kg
7000 kg/acre/5 years
=7700 kWh/acre/year
=21 kWh/day

11.2MW wind farm
23000 MWh/30.5Acre/year
=754MWh/Acre/yr
=2065 kWh/day

Consider the energy ages, wood, coal, oil and now we advocate going back to wood?

Use biomass and biowastes by all means to meet local needs and exploit local resources but do not expect bio-mass to be the primary or even a significant element of our forward energy needs.

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