The trouble with renewables

**Uncle Albert** · 25 July 2013, 10:26

Obviously I'm just guessing here, but doesn't Portugal get quite a lot more sun than us? It's also quite well blessed with wind and tidal power. I also imagine that their per capita energy consumption is a bit lower than ours.

Ah ha, a quick google finds that Wiki claims that we are ranked 11th in the world in per catipa electricity use and Portugal are 46th. List of countries by electricity consumption - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**VectraMan** · 25 July 2013, 10:32

Windy, sunny Portugal and they only manage 70% in unusual weather conditions. And most of that is from hydro-electric, it was only 27% from windmills.

I think the windmill cynics would be more in favour of the UK developing more hydro-electric power. You just need to deal with all the people that might object to their homes and farmland being underwater.

**Old Greg** · 25 July 2013, 10:33

Originally posted by VectraMan View Post

Windy, sunny Portugal and they only manage 70% in unusual weather conditions. And most of that is from hydro-electric, it was only 27% from windmills.

I think the windmill cynics would be more in favour of the UK developing more hydro-electric power. You just need to deal with all the people that might object to their homes and farmland being underwater.

Not once their homes and farmland are underwater you don't.

**BlasterBates** · 25 July 2013, 10:38

No Portugal doesn produce most of it's energy from sun and wind. Like most other countries very little is produced from these sources.

Renewables doesn equate to Wind Farms.

Most of their renewable energy is a mixture of hydro, biomass, biogas and burning rubbish.

For the UK to achieve the same percentage would probably require huge areas of the Brazilian rain forest to be cut down.

**d000hg** · 25 July 2013, 10:39

The UK has rather a lot of coastline, and is frequently quite windy. Wind of course is often seasonal, but on coastlines you tend to get reliable wind in the summer due to land/sea breezes, which actually get pretty strong during the day and then die down in the evening.

**EternalOptimist** · 25 July 2013, 11:20

As usual, the Greenies ignore the facts. Read the article again. One of the main factors was reduced demand.

Why was demand down ?
The product is too expensive

Why is their electricty too expensive ?
because of massive subsidies to renewables

It would be possible to power the whole world on unicon f@rts if the subsidies were high enough.

If this stuff really worked, the market would take care of it. It would not have to be forced down our throats.
But it doesnt so it doesnt.

**d000hg** · 25 July 2013, 11:39

Originally posted by EternalOptimist View Post

If this stuff really worked, the market would take care of it. It would not have to be forced down our throats.
But it doesnt so it doesnt.

So you think nothing worthwhile ever comes about as a result of subsidy and government 'sponsorship'? I find that hard to believe.

Even loft insulation, which WILL save you money at full price, tends to be subsidies to get people to do it. I'm sure there are better examples.

**EternalOptimist** · 25 July 2013, 11:55

Originally posted by d000hg View Post

So you think nothing worthwhile ever comes about as a result of subsidy and government 'sponsorship'? I find that hard to believe.

Even loft insulation, which WILL save you money at full price, tends to be subsidies to get people to do it. I'm sure there are better examples.

There is nothing wrong with priming the pump.

This industry was asking for 'Start up help' over twenty years ago.

If you are talking about subsidies in general, I am sure you would not like to go for a contract where the competition was undercutting you dramatically due to government subsidies.

**Troll** · 25 July 2013, 12:35

Originally posted by pjclarke View Post

The trouble with renewables is that we don't have enough of them, we don't have a smart grid and we are being left behind by the likes of Portugal, which briefly got 100% of its power from renewables in 2011 and achieved 70% for the first quarter of this year. It actually exported 6% of its generation to other countries and sold off a bunch of carbon credits having burned 29% less coal and 44% less gas.

Feckin Nimby Idiots.

Is 70 Percent Renewable Power Possible? Portugal Just Did It For 3 Months | ThinkProgress

UK electricity consumption 345 billion kWh

Portugal electricity consumption 48 billion kWh

The trouble with renewables