Renewable energy and storage issues

[BungoWomble]

Since the main problem that is always chucked at those of us who would like to see more renewable energy is the question of energy storage, people might like to know that there are advances being made in that area. Advances are possible with funding.

www.tesla.com/en_GB/powerwall
www.ft.com/content/b62b356e-2d10-11e6-bf8d-26294ad519fc

Tesla is not a mainstream name here, but they are a leader in the production of electric cars, high-end ones with high performance. They're trying to bring the cost down to mid-market range. Tesla is incidentally linked to the SpaceX company, both run by one Elon Musk. Someone give the man a Nobel prize. I wonder what could have been achieved by now if there had been serious political interest.

As for rare earth metals, not all turbines use them, but it's very very likely that the phone or computer you are using to post on Mumsnet also contains them.

Well there are an awful lot of 'most windy places' - they can't all be in 'the most windy place' as they are scattered wherever the wf companies/ farmers put them.
And I don't claim to be green because I use a phone with rare earth metals which the Scottish gov and windfarm builders do with regard to wfs.
Hinkley point will work in calm weather.

Tidal energy does have an environment impact. Building a tidal lagoon changes that ego system and might lead to the extinction of rare species. We need to reduce our energy needs to reduce our environmental impact.

As a landlord it's not always easy to reduce environmental impact. My tenants are stuck with storage heaters as the block has no gas. I can't exactly fit solar panels to a block of flats. The hassle when I wanted to put in double glazing was unbelievable. The flat management company made a huge fuss because the windows didn't exactly match other windows in the block because FENSA rules made the origninal design illegal. Stupid rules like not allowing leaseholders to dry washing on the balcony are not environmentally friendly.

rare earth metals aren't

www.theregister.co.uk/2012/12/23/rare_earth_non_monopoly/

new research published today by Edinburgh University on carbon-saving benefits of wind farms.

www.heraldscotland.com/news/14959998.Windfarms_have_cut_Britain__39_s_greenhouse_gases___39_by_same_as_losing_2_3_million_cars__39_/

MissMargie I understand you don't like the look of wind farms, and of course that is your prerogative, but it's actually quite difficult to find a good site for a wind farm - you need good wind speeds, grid access (increasingly difficult) and there are very strict planning rules governing visual impact, distance from homes etc. It takes a very long time to get planning consent for a wind farm - the process is rigorous.

Gridwatch right now - demand in the amber at 47gw. Wind producing 1.71 of that. Thank goodness for nuclear.

Also a 10 mile traffic jam near me as two turbine parts are transported. Been happening for six months. Bet that didn't go in the referenced report...

grumpy here in not London we continue to fight proposals for wind farms 50 miles from the grid.

Thank goodness for nuclear.

Hear hear !!!!

Certain irony that all renewables are nuclear powered ....

Interested to see this thread pop up, as storage was in the news a few days ago: Cryogenic storage offers hope for renewable energy

Will have to see how that one goes, but I agree with the OP that storage research is what's needed.

Missmargie It is a pumped storage system. Water is held in a high reservoir and runs down through turbines, generating electricity at peak periods. At night, when the base load power stations are generating unused energy, this is used to pump the water back to the top reservoir.
It therefore 'stores' otherwise wasted energy to be released at peak periods.

FACT: You cannot have a wind farm (or solar farm) without a grid connection nearby - to take the electricity from the wind farm and distribute it. Grid capacity is controlled by the District Network Operator and is limited in many areas of the country.

www.westernpower.co.uk/Connections/Generation/Generation-Capacity-Map.aspx

Beauly to Denny grid connection (Perthshire) which locals were against - overruled by gov

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-35146301

Interesting article about UK energy here ...

www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-t-z/united-kingdom.aspx

The herald article boasts 2.3 mill cars off the road - we have 35 million ON the road so not such a big success, that's in 6 years. Costs on renewables 52 billion , we'll be bankrupt before they're finished.
Bandying figures without comparisons is not too helpful.
True they aren't built. On national parks like N Yorks moors or the Lake District but the whole of south Scotland is there to be covered in industrial constructions.