Big increase in Scottish renewables output

Big increase in Scottish renewables output

www.bbc.co.uk

Scotland's renewable energy output increased by 45% in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period last year.

UK government figures showed Scotland generated 4,590 gigawatt hours (GWh) of renewable energy in the first three months of 2012.

This was an increase of 1,435 GWh on the first quarter of 2011.

Scotland is aiming to generate the equivalent of 100% of its electricity needs from renewables by 2020.

(visit the link for the full news article)


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As this reads it sounds like a great achievement for Scotland. It may be a small country but still if it can get all of its energy needs from renewable it should be a good milestone to reach from any one perspective. The article does go on to mention that the nation does have great natural energy potential, such as wind. I do hope other nations will look at this as an example of what can be done to replace fossil fuel for energy needs.

www.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

After tonights thunderstorm, which I experienced here in Fort William, which my family 90 miles away experienced at the same time, I'd definitely agree we have the weather for a potential 100% output

Makes me happy to be Scottish, not proud, pride is for achievements only, but very happy

Who's gonna go traditional ATS and say that going against the energy companies will equal a false-flag event in Scotland?


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reply to post by domasio


Domasio
Thanks for your post. It is good to hear from some one in Scotland. I like to think most any country has the potential for one hundred percent renewable energy. For some will just harder then others. I know you have a lot of hills and rain all of which can hopefully be harnessed in one way or another. I hope others will follow the same path.

Indeed, well done Scotland!

This also shows that they can benefit from being in the Union, as this is in part down to increased funding from the UK Government..

Don't let the SNP know I said that though....

Again, good show Scotland

Originally posted by RedGolem
The article does go on to mention that the nation does have great natural energy potential, such as wind.

Yes. If there's one form of renewable energy that Scotland does have great potential for, it's wind. It's a darn shame they can't figure out a way to derive energy from the cold, also. If they could, they could probably meet most of Europe's energy needs as well, not just their own!

Seriously though, this is a great achievement.

reply to post by RedGolem

As this reads it sounds like a great achievement for Scotland.

I'm a skeptical individual.

www.imeche.org...

Electricity is actually projected to be the smallest component of Scotland’s energy demand (heat and transport energy being greater). This leads firstly to the conclusion that the focus of the nation’s energy policy on electricity is misplaced. Secondly, that even if Scotland’s electricity supply could be developed to source totally from renewables in a robust, secure and reliable manner, this would barely achieve the overall 2020 20% target.

The problem is not a single issue, here.

Do you have a gas water heater, stove, or furnace? Much of the world does. Gas is still a very popular and cost-effective means of heating (and new technologies have granted access to unprecedented amounts of natural gas supply ensuring it as a proven resource for the next two centuries). It is also the cleanest of all fossil fuels.

But if you want to get rid of it - you have to replace that chemical power with electrical power. This is going to drive demand for electrical power several times greater than what it is, currently. Which is going to completely skew the power generation requirement and rapidly make renewable energy unsustainable (unless you plan on covering the planet in biofuel crops, and layers of wind farms within solar farms).

However, it is important to recognise that if a larger contribution is to be achieved through renewables, there must be a readjustment to provide more of the proportion from on-demand, predictable resources like biomass and energy-from-waste. In this regard it is vital that the differences between ‘installed generation capacity’, measured in MW or GW, and the actual amount of electricity supplied from the installations in MWh or GWh is clearly understood.

*stomps foot* This is important.

Even if it were possible to resolve the technology and infrastructure issues in the short timeframe available to 2020, there are still major concerns in the engineering community regarding Scotland’s ability to provide the human resources needed to design, project-manage, install and commission the volume of equipment that will be required to meet such ambitious targets.

This is another huge concern for any country embarking on using "renewable" and "sustainable" energy sources. The sheer volume of equipment necessary to generate the power is mind-boggling. Hundreds of square miles of wind turbines are necessary to generate the power of a single coal or nuclear power plant (the two are generally very similar in terms of energy yield - just the fuel source differs). Quadruple the area necessary to provide that same amount through biomass.

Even with multiple tiers of solar, wind, biomass, and other forms of 'renewable' energy - the amount of equipment and the space it covers is absolutely staggering and will require several times the number of skilled workers to maintain the same power output.

When you factor in maintenance of these facilities (which must be exposed to the elements), initial construction costs, and personnel costs.... there's simply no way that any of these renewable sources can be implemented in a cost-competitive manner to fossil fuel sources. Depending upon the area and specific market factors - your electric bill will double or even triple under renewable power sources.

That's going to be a tough sell in the 100 degree temperatures of August and the 0 degree temperatures of January - when the necessity of affordable power is most evident.

I mean - I'm in electronics. I can practically walk into a job servicing these installations and lean on my military experience a little to get myself into a team lead position (work center supervisor).

It's just that these things are not going to work as well as advertised; and are really not a practical way to meet the power demands of an entire country.

For some areas - they are great. Solar powered water pumping stations are a pretty decent idea for remote locations. Solar power is supplemental in regards to cities - you use it, where expedient given the technology, to offset grid demand - particularly during peak solar activity (where A/C is going to be drawing massive amounts of power from the grid).

Trying to use 'renewable' energy for everything is like trying to use a screwdriver (with different attachments, of course) for everything related to maintenance.

It's a tool. Use it intelligently and where it applies. Don't be surprised when it doesn't work everywhere you would like it to.

Originally posted by stumason
Indeed, well done Scotland!

This also shows that they can benefit from being in the Union, as this is in part down to increased funding from the UK Government..

Don't let the SNP know I said that though....

Again, good show Scotland

Exactly what the UK Government want you to believe. WHEN Scotland becomes independent (30% yes vote only required), you will see a huge influx in renewable energy investment into Scotland. It will give us the ability to manage our own corporation tax which will bring investors into our country.

We are the world leader in tidal power (my favourite). Scotland as a independent state WILL achieve 100% renewable energy. We will be able to reduce fuel duty, use our own oil and export the remaining. No need to buy it in like the UK does.

These "investments" from the UK Government are nothing more than a PR stunt to show people that we need the Union...if you look at the investment into the UK treasury through North Sea Oil (90% in Scottish Waters), you will soon see that this isn't actually an investment at all, it is a recovery of the money that should nave been ours in the first place!

Welldone Scotland...Get rid of Nuclear, Coal and Oil power...show the world the Big Oil isn't in charge!

reply to post by jrmcleod


Excellent! A cleaner, greener Scotland if that were possible.

And as an English woman I applaud and welcome an independent Scotland.

The English have no right to dictate to the Scots and have benefited from the union for a very long time!

It's time to thrive up there! England is a parasite now due to the corruption of parliament.

I wish you well my friend.

reply to post by jrmcleod

We are the world leader in tidal power (my favourite).

Yeah... About that:

oilprice.com...

As I said in the post on the meaning of sustainability, it is as unlikely that a hundred 1% solutions will satisfy us as it is that we could strap enough gerbils together to make a serviceable pony. We need a few solid, scalable, reliable solutions to fall back on. And tidal is not one of those. It’s more like a decoration than a foundation. Let’s use it where we can, but I don’t want anybody sleeping better.

Scotland as a independent state WILL achieve 100% renewable energy.

Your enthusiasm is inspiring; but your ignorance is complete. You will not achieve 100% renewable energy in this decade, or any decade.

No country will until fusion technology is both: A) viable for power production and B) defined as a renewable source (which it may as well be - as all other forms of 'renewable' energy are fusion in the sun via proxy).

Unless nuclear fission is classified as "renewable" - which is true only in that the available resources are so potent and in such supply as to have no real end in sight.

www.bbc.co.uk...

However, Mr Mackay said: "There is absolutely no way we are going to get 100%. My best forecast is about 40% at the moment.

"At the moment about 80% of the electricity in Scotland is generated by two nuclear power stations, two coal-fired stations and the gas-fired power station at Peterhead.

"We will always need them for what's known as baseline load generation."

Mr Mackay said while fossil fuel-powered stations' contributions would fall, wind farms could not be depended upon for electricity use during peak times.

Simply not going to happen.

We will be able to reduce fuel duty, use our own oil and export the remaining. No need to buy it in like the UK does.

This is not going to happen, either.

Most of your heating currently comes from gas powered appliances. Switching those over to electrical power is going to increase your electrical power demand by several fold during peak use (such as winter).

www.imeche.org...

The 2003 UK Energy White Paper made ‘fuel poverty’ one of its four main policy objectives. However, rather than improving the situation, fuel poverty has actually worsened since 2003. The Scottish Government has pledged to ensure that by November 2016, so far as is reasonably practicable, people are not living in fuel poverty in Scotland.

The reality is that the fuel poverty rate in Scotland fell from 35.6% in 1996 to 13.4% in 2002. However from that point onwards, the rate has been steadily rising year-on-year to 32.7% of households in 2009 – almost back to the 1996 levels.

The current renewable energy plan is only going to worsen the issue of fuel poverty (being unable to afford the power necessary to heat your home and function). Electricity costs are going to inevitably rise to support this ridiculous infrastructure proposal and nothing is going to improve with regards to costs of heating (gas prices may even rise due to economic factors and further jeopardize the fuel security of individuals).

Hate to rain on your parade - but your goals are simply impractical by all engineering criteria.

reply to post by Threegirls

Excellent! A cleaner, greener Scotland if that were possible.

Surrounded by tidal dams and eclipsed by towering windmills in peat bogs.

And as an English woman I applaud and welcome an independent Scotland.

And here's where the problem is.

Not with an independent Scotland. I really don't give a rat's behind.

What I am is an engineer. You're confusing politics with engineering (a common theme among humans).

It is not possible for any country to produce its power needs through "renewable" resources, exclusively.

End. Of. Story.

www.akdart.com...

- Why wind is just not practical

www.yomiuri.co.jp...

- Japan wrestles with planning for future power sources

wattsupwiththat.com...

- an excellent overview of why renewable energy sources are simply not practical as replacements for mainstay power sources.

The truth of the matter is that there are numerous days without significant winds across the UK, and when those conditions occur it doesn’t matter how much installed generating capacity we have, for it all goes off-line. A report from Denmark 2 indicates that the Danish ‘wind carpet’, which is the largest array of wind turbines in Europe, generated less than 1% of installed power on 54 days during 2002. That is more than one day every week of the year without electrical power.

Ouch.

When you start breaking down how much area is necessary to provide the kinds of power society demands.... you can't provide it with renewable sources.

Nuclear power is really the only long-term leg to stand on for base load power generation. Peak Coal production, something often not mentioned, is a growing concern. The supplies are there - but you can only mine so much coal - and developing nations (like China, India, and parts of Africa) are driving the limits of coal production capacity (with available supplies coming up short around the 2050 time frame). Natural gas is set for another 200 years; and fissile materials can supply us for an indefinite period of time (known supplies for well over a century without recycling of nuclear fuel and use of thorium - of which known supplies could power several centuries of society at predicted power usage levels).

By that time - fusion or some kind of magic entropy defying device will hopefully be available.

It's time to thrive up there! England is a parasite now due to the corruption of parliament.

Unfortunately - Scotland's plan is one for economic suicide, not prosperity.

But it appears as though that will be a lesson for them to learn the "hard way."

With the amount of wind farms popping up around here, this is of little surprise