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Wind turbines do not work

By Graeme Weber - posted Tuesday, 21 July 2015


Almost no output as a high pressure system dominated over Eastern Australia. This occurred for a period of over 24 hours. No backup battery system could be recharged during this period. So the logical conclusion is renewable generation needs to have a constant backup of (load following) base load electricity. In Australia this is electrical power from coal generators emitting CO2. A similar high pressure system dominated Eastern Australia on the 13-14th June 2015.

We now have to ask, if coal generators are needed for total backup of Wind generators, why do we have Wind Turbines built in the first place, and the staggering fact that a total of 294MW (almost 28.3% of SA capacity at that time) – South Australian Wind Study Report (EAMO Report 2014) of wind energy coming off stream in one 5 minute period which occurred in NEM in 2014. We have to again consider what percentage of this backup coal fired power is needed and wasted, choofing out (unrecorded) CO2, and at what cost, just to satisfy the environmental lobby.

If the backup generators on the other hand were zero emitting nuclear generators then we could play the environmentalists games, at considerable cost, to our society and manufacturers by having two generating systems side by side. Germany the wunderkind is now facing considerable energy problems.

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A recent article (29th June 2015) in World Nuclear Association (Weekly Digest) notes that Germany will close the E.ON's Grafenrheinfeld PWR 1275Mw nuclear reactor. Tenne T the grid providers state that grid security will be compromised and that 12 years ago the transmission system had to cope with two or three special incidents per year, now it is two to three each day! It should also be noted that when German renewables are not working they can import electrical power from surrounding countries. Australia is not in such a fortunate position.

Also early this year in January the German wholesale prices had dropped to 3c/Kwhr. Because of 80 GWe of heavily subsidised solar and wind generators were producing considerable electricity. At this price nuclear and gas generators are not price competitive so are being replaced by brown coal generators. Germany the great clean society has rising CO2 emissions! The subsidised feed-in tariffs for renewable energy costs the German economy €21.5 billion which was onsold for €1.6 billion.

I would like to quote from an article in Biodiverivist 'We don't need Nuclear Energy because Renewables can do it all' which reads:

'A growing number of leading environmentalists have come to the realisation that nuclear energy and renewable energy are not competitors. Nuclear is for base load power whilst wind and solar are used to reduce fuel bills of gas turbine or diesel peaking or load following power plants. They are low carbon allies in the effort to find replacement for fossil fuels. We should be investing heavily to improve both forms of energy. Neither can do it alone. Neither is a magic bullet.'

I ask you to consider:

  • The RET is a political aim by Labor and Greens – renewables don't work!
  • A LET (Low Emissions Target) will help the world.
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Yet we in Australia are the only OECD country with legislation forbidding the building of nuclear facilities!

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About the Author

Graeme Weber is a retired geologist. He stood as an Independent Conservative Candidate in the electorate of Higgins, Victoria. His point of difference to the Liberal Party is that concerted action on climate change is urgently required, and to help the introduction of nuclear energy into Australia's energy mix.

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

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