How Many Others Are There?
July 13, 2014
By Paul Homewood
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2014/07/10/words-fail-me/
Following the news that a £48k wind turbine at the Welsh Govt offices was only generating about £5 worth of electricity a month, I have FOI’s my local council, asking for a list of turbines they have installed.
I have requested the capital cost, electricity generated in the last year, and annual running costs. I have also limited it to ones installed since 2009, and at a cost of £10k+.
If anybody feels like doing the same with their councils, I would like to consolidate the lot.
NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT 
My starter for ten:
http://www.dover-express.co.uk/Dover-District-Council-s-wind-turbine-fails/story-18011308-detail/story.html
There are several of that design at the National Sailing Academy in Portland, Dorset. I wonder if there is a design flaw that is common to all of them.
They seem to have a lot of support material for what looks like a relatively tiny generator, though they do rotate very fast and make a lot of noise, but maybe that is the design flaw.
Er, I’ll go ten and raise you:
http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/local/council-blew-cash-on-wind-turbines-that-don-t-work-1-6062264
Paul,
It’ll be fine, they are replacing them with Solar!
Be fair, it will have payed for itself in 800 years time.
Even worse was Fife Council who put up some inane electronic road signs with a wind turbine, a solar panel and (presumably) a battery and charge unit. Bad enough, but then they put one on a twisty road in a wooded area – no wind, no sunlight (also no view of it until almost upon it). It languished there for years – battery long dead – now removed (presumably for scrap).
“When installed on the roof of the new North Warwickshire and Hinckley college campus on Lower Bond Street in September 2011, education chiefs lauded it as part of their commitment to embed sustainability across all college activities and a weapon in the fight to cut carbon emissions by 35% within four years.
But since its set up the vertical axis blades of the turbine have only been spinning for 8% of the time and only been working for 38% – during the remaining 62% of the time, because of its settings, conditions have been ‘unsuitable’ – ie the wind at 5m/s, a fresh breeze – has been deemed too strong and it switches off.
This means the device has used 497 kHw more than it has made – enough to run a fridge for a year, a microwave daily for half-an-hour for two years and a tumble drier daily for six months.”
http://www.hinckleytimes.net/news/local-news/hinckley-colleges-green-turbine-uses-7329479
“Ten years ago, small scale wind turbines in towns and cities were becoming popular as perceived sources of green energy by generating electricity at the point of use. However, research by specialist environmental engineers at the University of Southampton revealed these micro-wind devices were very inefficient and some actually consumed more power than they generated. Publication of their findings in 2009 attracted considerable media coverage and major DIY chain B&Q withdrew from selling domestic wind turbines altogether.”
http://www.southampton.ac.uk/engineering/research/impact/micro_wind_turbines.page
“Several Prince Edward Island rinks that were convinced to make the expensive conversion to wind power, but never saw the promised savings, are now trying to get rid of the trouble-plagued turbines and win compensation for their troubles.”
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/01/16/p-e-i-arenas-say-their-new-wind-turbines-an-expensive-burden-want-them-removed/
“The wind turbine at the district council offices at Whitfield [Kent], fitted in 2007, is to be scrapped … It was considered that the repair costs and ongoing maintenance issues meant that it was no longer viable and sustainable to keep the turbine”
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/deal/news/councils-wind-turbine-too-expensive-1867/
£100,000 Huddersfield Civic Centre wind turbines to be removed – and new ones put up in a ‘windier location’
http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/100000-huddersfield-civic-centre-wind-4971270
School in Wotton forced to take down turbine after being given noise abatement notice
http://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/9909564.School_forced_to_take_down_turbine_after_being_given_noise_abatement_notice/?ref=rss
Exeter City Council will probably never recoup £5,000 spent on Civic Centre turbines
http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Exeter-City-Council-probably-recoup-pound-5-000/story-12806732-detail/story.html
“Inverclyde Academy was hailed as the first school in the UK to have one of the 50-kilowatt wind turbines when the building opened to pupils in December 2008.The turbine is meant to provide 15 to 25 per cent of the school’s annual energy requirement. But the turbine hasn’t generated any power for more than a year.”
http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/news/greenock/articles/2011/09/16/417426-wind-turbine-is-embarrassment/
Portland school turns off wind turbine to halt seabird slaughter
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/8252862.Portland_school_turns_off_wind_turbine_to_halt_seabird_slaughter/
A WIND turbine has been removed from Climping’s village school because it generated too little power.
http://www.bognor.co.uk/news/education/school-s-turbine-runs-out-of-wind-1-5093958
Like shooting fish in a barrel, but I have work to do. For more wind turbine #fail, see here:
https://www.facebook.com/TurbineWatch312