Often pictured in beautiful scenic views like this, but are Wind Turbines as green as they actually claim?
These words are often banded around, and at first glance they look quiet impressive:
Wind energy is better for the environment than coal, natural gas or nuclear energy. Wind turbines operate pollution free, do not add to climate change and use very little water.
After all wind turbines themselves do not omit carbon dioxide (CO2) so are not adding to the “Global Warming” threat that we have all been living under. In fact some have claimed that they will in fact reduce the carbon footprint, it all sounds and looks great, but is it actually true?One of the largest carbon dioxide omitting materials we manufacture is concrete; an astonishing 900KG of CO2 is emitted in its fabrication. Where does this fit in with wind farms you ask?Consider the reinforced concrete foundation base used for the turbine. An average base can contain up to 1000 cubic meters of concrete. The size of the base depends on the turbine height, the size of the blades and gearing systems, and the foundation engineering requirements of the ground in which it is being built. New roads have to be laid, standing platforms for cranes and other smaller buildings are usually located nearby, in all one hell of a lot of concrete. Then we have to consider a base of this size has be a continuous pour, this means that the 1000 cubic meters of concrete has to be poured in one go. The average ready mixed concrete truck holds approximately 9 cubic meters each so that is a lot of truck loads to fill just one single base.
But so what you say, we’re surrounded by concrete, especially in the cities. Yes true, but these wind turbines are pictured as a green alternative, often seen in meadows from a far gently moving (or not) and nothing else. These were meant to be the answer, not something that added to the problem.But the wind turbine is green energy you say: surly it will reduce the CO2 over time?On paper the simple answer is, yes. For every 1MW of electric produced 2.6 tons of CO2 are offset by the use of wind power. So eventually the initial boost of carbon omitted in the production, building, and installing of these turbines will be wiped clean. Everyone can smile and pat themselves on the back, it’s a job well done – or is it?
A report on the findings of Dr Kees le Pair, a retired Dutch physicist says the CO2 problem doesn’t stop there.In a comprehensive quantitative analysis of CO2 emissions and wind-power, Dutch physicist C. le Pair has recently shown that deploying wind turbines on "normal windy days" in the Netherlands actually increased fuel (gas) consumption, rather than saving it, when compared to electricity generation with modern high-efficiency gas turbines.
 So what is Dr Kees le Pair really saying?From what I can take on it, he is telling us what we already know, wind is unpredictable and unreliable.At present there is no efficient way to store electricity so when the wind farms are inactive. There’s not enough wind, too much wind, or they are down for maintenance, demand cannot be met, so backup methods have to be used. This is where we revert to the more traditional plants for producing our electricity. But because there is a sudden surge more fuel has to be used to take the generators from idle to meet the demand, creating more than normal CO2 omission.  Previously these generators would not have been sitting at idle and it’s the sudden surge that is causing the problem. The slow steady burn of fossil fuel before caused less CO2 than the quick build up that is now needed when the wind farms fail to produce. Dr Kees le Pair Document Are wind turbines increasing carbon emissions?
But these wind farms are everywhere, they must be working.There are rumours of how Ireland is going to be used as the wind farm for the UK but in reality we don’t have enough to supply our own needs, and the cutting in of the traditional generators is more common than they would probably like you to know.  Check EirGrid’s automated Twitter feed for actual figures EirGrid Info It is periodically updated throughout the day, and it just proves how Ireland’s Wind program is failing, nearly 100% of the time we appear to be importing electricity because we can no longer meet our own demand.The cable EirGrid have to the UK will not be alone for long, at present EirGrid are mapping the sea bed to link Ireland to France – All we can ask is, what are their future plans? You can read more about that here Pylon project really an attempt to make us windmill of Europe.
So to answer my original question: Are Wind Turbines as green as they actually claim?I personally don’t think so, you have to consider more than what the glossy information tells us about how great wind farming is and what it can do for us and look for yourself at what they are not doing. The promises of a cleaner living, reducing the carbon footprint and providing cheaper forms of electricity, all so far seem to be no more than a failure. In Spain the government have rubber stamped cutting subsidies to the wind farming industries, their economy can no longer afford to prop up this industry. What is the wind farmer developer’s response to this, they are considering dismantling their turbines and selling them off on the second hand market. Spain, who once had one of the most successful markets in this technology are now considering getting rid of it, because they know without government funding to subsidise it, the wind faming business simply does not work as a business and at the end of the day, they only seem to be in it for the money.
More about Spain's problem here  Spain at a Standstill  
Hopefully other governments will learn from Spain before it's too late, and stop throwing vast sums of money up into the blades of these wind turbines. 


All the best,Daniel Kaye x