Too windy for wind power

codprawn · 24 September 2007, 18:59

I know it's been fairly windy today but I was shocked to see that our local windfarm was shut down along with a turbine at the entrance to Swansea docks - too windy for them. The wind speed was 31mph - not exactly excessive for this part of the country. They don't even start generating until there is 10 - 15mph of wind so just how many days can they actually operate on? Not a lot by the look of it!!!

Rogue Wave · 27 September 2007, 01:13

Funnily enough for the last ten days I've been driving a landing craft onto and off Castairs beach taking divers to a site just off the wind farm at Great Yarmouth. I've been observing the wind farm in some detail whilst the divers are at it and yeah youre right they don't spin them that much!

Roger Marr · 27 September 2007, 13:09

Wind Generators of that size have feathered blades and are shut down in high winds!!!
Also a factory I used to work at had 3 of them and used electicity to start them turning so were no use in a blackout!!!!!

Nasher · 27 September 2007, 13:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roger Marr

Also a factory I used to work at had 3 of them and used electicity to start them turning so were no use in a blackout!!!!!

Reminds me of a place I used to work.

The emergency generators were in the basement, and when the electricity went off we had to send somebody out to buy a torch to be able to see to turn on the generators.

Nasher.