Use African Solar Power for EU Electricity ?

Capt'n Midnight

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Mediterranean_Renewable_Energy_Cooperation

note the sizes of the squares on the map

CerebralCortex

Seems well thought out but its like anything unless we invest energy in it now we might not be able to later and what about if it doesn't work although it seems to be built on sound principles.

netwhizkid

Too unstable, there is no way any European leader would support this. North Africa is strife with economic problems and terrorism. They could just very well hold Europe to Ransom for Electricity. Also what would happen during a solar Eclipse? Would all of Europe have to shut down for those few hours. I think Ireland as a nation should just simply isolate our energy needs completely. We have almost Infinite wind energy. My own parish of Kilgarvan Co. Kerry has 15 wind-turbines erected by SWS and eventually there will over 40 built producing hopefully over 100MW. It would take a mass EU effort to build such a solar colony but would be worth it. I can not see it happening, then again if Dubya, Blair or Merkel would have the opportunity to line their own pockets, it would be built faster than you can say uh?

The attached file is a view from my own house and I'm not complaining NIMBY style. We have a TV reception problem as a result of them alright but it is being worked on by RTE & SWS see here

there was a great 11 page report on Alternate Energy in the Independent last week. We have the wind power availible to us to power the country 10 times over....

yet only 2% of our electricity is generated by wind...

anyone else find this ridiculous?

The_Minister

Deleted User wrote:

there was a great 11 page report on Alternate Energy in the Independent last week. We have the wind power availible to us to power the country 10 times over....

yet only 2% of our electricity is generated by wind...

anyone else find this ridiculous?

Mt Aunts (Boy?)friend works for the ESB. He was one of the one's who wrote that report on limiting wind energy usage. He says that the system in Ireland can only take about 2% from wind.

Akrasia

Firespinner wrote:

Mt Aunts (Boy?)friend works for the ESB. He was one of the one's who wrote that report on limiting wind energy usage. He says that the system in Ireland can only take about 2% from wind.

your aunts boyfriend was completely wrong, unless you're misrepresenting what he actually said.

Scruff

its not just wind power we could harness, we could also harness the energy of the sea surrounding us with generators like these: http://www.marineturbines.com/technical.htm

bit more difficult to install but would have much less hassle in the planning application.

The_Minister

Akrasia wrote:

your aunts boyfriend was completely wrong, unless you're misrepresenting what he actually said.

He helped write the, and he works for them so I think he'd know. I made a small mistake in that he said it could only take 2-3% more. That was my mistake.

embraer170

Too unstable, there is no way any European leader would support this. North Africa is strife with economic problems and terrorism. They could just very well hold Europe to Ransom for Electricity.

Have you looked at where Europe gets it's gas and oil from? Quite interesting was the recent Russia - Algeria gas alliance...

Also what would happen during a solar Eclipse? Would all of Europe have to shut down for those few hours.

Lots of those eh and not like they can be foreseen... :rolleyes:

I think Ireland as a nation should just simply isolate our energy needs completely.

Oh yeah isolationist policies... :rolleyes:

Capt'n Midnight

netwhizkid wrote:

Also what would happen during a solar Eclipse?

Here in Ireland we about 60 seconds notice to get Turlough up to full power. But http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEcat/SEcatalog.html only lists eclipses up to 5:34am Aug 13 4000 AD :eek:

The longest total solar eclipse during the 8000-year period from 3000 BC to 5000 AD will occur on July 16, 2186, when totality will last 7 min 29 s. ...

There will be one in West Africa on September 22, 2006 (annular)
Then January 15, 2010 (annular) and January 4, 2011 (partial)

And even then the won't be major problems since not all the panels will be covered at the same time unless all are in one country (unlikely)

Denmark are looking at up to 50% of electricity from wind power. If we did likewise we could export the stuff to the UK. We could store it in Hydro electric. It could be used as part of a hydrogen economy but I can't see that happening, to be used in the reclamation of copper in Avoca or Aluminium in Shannon is far more likely.

piraka

Akrasia wrote:

your aunts boyfriend was completely wrong, unless you're misrepresenting what he actually said.

For what reasons do you say he is completely wrong

SpaceMonkey42

He may be right about our current grids inability to handle wind power.
But since Denmark gets 20% of its power from wind,
And their grid can handle it.
It is clear that we need some grid improvements.

That ESB report is the equivalent of the ESB scratching thier chins and saying "Findmills? Jez I woldn't know how yed go about wiring up one o dem yokes at all at all!"

If we need to improve our grid and retrain our engineers so be it.

piraka

{QUOTE]But since Denmark gets 20% of its power from wind,
And their grid can handle it.[/QUOTE]

Their grid can handle because they export it to Europe at bargain rates.

It is clear that we need some grid improvements.

Do you know what improvements might be necessary

That ESB report is the equivalent of the ESB scratching thier chins and saying "Findmills? Jez I woldn't know how yed go about wiring up one o dem yokes at all at all!" .

What report might that be

Andor

piraka wrote:

For what reasons do you say he is completely wrong

He isn't completely wrong, the 7.5% mark is if Ireland were to hit it's wind energy targets for 2005. (which it didn't)
http://www.sei.ie/uploadedfiles/RenewableEnergy/StatusandProspects.pdf



Ireland has the second highest Wind Energy prospects in the EU after Scotland.
http://www.iwea.com/offshore/index.html

If were were to fully back our natural resource with infrastructure we would have enough surplus energy to meet our needs and more.

Boston

Akrasia wrote:

your aunts boyfriend was completely wrong, unless you're misrepresenting what he actually said.

Anything to back that up? There are very few places in ireland that are suitable for the generation of wind power, effectively. You need mor ethen the wind, you need to be able to build a wind farm(huge problems with that in ireland, as already seen) and you need to have a near constant wind rate, or you'll danage the equipment. 11 times the current power requirements is pure rubbish. 2-3% of current needs would seem to be more in line with reality.

Also, wrt denmark, most of their wind power seems to come from offshore platforms. Denmark and holland already have lage offshore industries, marking offshore wind farms cost effective. I'm not saying we can't do the same, just that we're nto the same country, so don't go thinking we can achieve the same thing with the handfull of projects we have in the pipeline.

piraka

He isn't completely wrong, the 7.5% mark is if Ireland were to hit it's wind energy targets for 2005. (which it didn't)

Reading the SEI document they refer to 7.5% of RES, this is from all renewable sources including wind. The sector has moved on since then

As of the end of 2005 there was 492,9MW connected wind generation, which gives about 10.2% on peak winter demand, 650.2MW signed connection offer. These are firm offers to developers to connect to the grid that have been accepted by the developers.


There are 139.3 MW connection offers issued and 2,663.8MW applications in process.

http://www.eirgrid.ie/EirGridPortal/uploads/Publications/TransmissionDevelopmentPlan2006-2010Draft.pdf

At over 500MW the grid operators perceive issues with wind generation on the grid. They therefore can curtail generation from wind in order to maintain the reliability and security of the grid.

When the wind don’t blow, the turbines don’t turn.

http://www.eirgrid.ie/EirgridPortal/