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by sidhuko 2819 days ago
It's not surprising research is catching up with environmental groups from 10-15 years ago. I started a wind turbine business during FiT rush in UK ten years ago. At that time, John Deere in the US was removing a large wind turbine farm because it impacted on ecology hundreds of miles downwind. We already had studies to show it drastically affected bat and bird colonies who would have fatal lung collapses (explosions) from the air pressure differences created by the huge blades. There was a growing understanding from those in microgeneration (under 50KW) that mass scale adoption would only be possible with small units which are less efficient but also easier to access and fix. This is the successful model in germany. If 8% of UK land is urbanised then we have huge expanse of existing high rises to tap before we should planting these sites on areas of significance (coastal, large open areas)
2 comments
usrusr 2818 days ago
> There was a growing understanding from those in microgeneration (under 50KW) that mass scale adoption would only be possible with small units which are less efficient but also easier to access and fix. This is the successful model in germany.

The successful model in Germany is building 4 MW turbines wherever we can fit them (or wherever "landscape protectors" will allow us to put them).

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sidhuko 2818 days ago
Germany had 1 million microgenerators in 2008. Just because you don't see them...
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usrusr 2818 days ago
Citation needed, https://www.wwindea.org/wp-content/uploads/filebase/small_wi... (an apparently pro-small publication) states the total worldwide number at less than a million in 2015, with just 17000 of those in Germany. The installed total capacity of small wind in Germany is stated at 26 MW, which is equivalent to a modest wind farm of six 4.4 MW turbines.

Oh, and I do see plenty of small wind generators installed, they just never move because they are merely bought as futuristic architectural ornaments, not to make a difference. They probably run until the first time they require maintenance, then the novelty has worn off.

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sidhuko 2818 days ago
It's a bit like the agricultural business. Large scale investments only leading to poorer soil quality. The economies which have adapted best have taught their own citizens to farm energy and benefit from using it with climate taxes.
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