Western Morning News
09:00 -
03 December
2003
Noel Edmonds got a strongly
critical response from the wind energy lobby when he questioned the need for
huge turbines in the Devon
countryside. Here he bites back
Now come on you wind power
advocates, quit the personal insults, silly jibes about celebrities in
helicopters and a rather naughty suggestion that I've got an ulterior motive - I
don't need the publicity or in many respects the hassle, OK?
Let's try and find some common
ground shall we?
1. We must have new sources of efficient and reliable energy
- so called "green" energy. The key words are efficient and reliable otherwise
we will continue to be dependent upon our conventional power stations and energy
supplied from outside the UK. I guess we all
agree on that one?
2. Wind power is not 100 per cent efficient and reliable
but no energy source is. So, again, presumably we have agreement that it should
be carefully considered?
3. Some people reckon wind turbines are ugly, others
think they are beautiful. Well, we all know that you can get any result you want
from an opinion poll if you know which questions to ask. So, because this is not
a beauty contest shall we just say - "eye of the beholder", OK?
Right, now
we've agreed on those points, the ones you always focus upon when asked for
facts, let's take the final big step to becoming best chums. Believe me I want
to generate support for the way you generate power. I'm prepared for a quick
U-turn and I'm poised to go down on bended knee and worship every wind turbine I
pass. However before I do, could you just give me a few answers to some
questions that are nagging away?
Is it true that the entire
manufacturing and construction process, up to the point where the blades first
turn, consumes more energy than the wind turbine produces in its lifetime?
Is
it true that you always under quote the figures for the average household power
consumption and over quote the wind turbine output?
Is it true that the oft
quoted average performance figure of 25-30 per cent of installed capacity is
actually nearer 15 per cent?
Is it true that because every 1 MW of wind power
has to be backed up by 1 MW of conventional power, we may in the future need to
build more nuclear power stations?
Is it true that sometimes you have to
"kick start" wind turbines with electricity from the National Grid?
Is it
true that you can't group wind turbines together in so-called wind farms because
if the wind changes direction the ones at the front damage those at the
back?
Is it true that the entire wind power industry is non-sustainable
without Government grants and tax breaks?
Is it true that electricity from
wind turbines is twice as expensive as power from other sources?
Oh, and just
one final question, then I'm all yours.
Can you confirm that your wind
turbine does what it says on the tin? You must have lots of statistics gathered
over the years which will prove once and for all that wind turbines are indeed
an efficient and reliable source of energy.
I call this the battle of
theory versus reality. You windy people always quote the maximum power figure
and therefore the maximum number of homes the wind turbines support. Presumably
you have the odd duff performer, that doesn't hit the manufacturers claims but I
imagine that must be rare and that if you say they are efficient and reliable I
can believe you.
You see I'm now getting so
excited about the potential of wind power that I am thinking of buying a few
turbines myself.
Before I write the cheque I just want to know that the
performance figures quoted by the manufacturers are really accurate.