Renewables - wind farms predominantly

tayuk

Over the last few years I've heard lots about renewables and that we should "save' the planet by using them.
There was even news about all our electricity being provided by renewables for significant times over the last few years. 

I know a few people that were on renewables only deals and have seen significant rises in costs, why is that?  It cant all be about the cost of onboarding failed virtual operators. 
Additionally, why is the cost of renewables so expensive?  does the sun charge more for solar power these days?  or perhaps the wind has got more expensive?

I live in Worthing,WS and have seen no benefit to hundred of turbines scattered across the horizon (I wont go into details of the immense damage that was done to national parks during their installation) I went along with the first batch of 105, but they recently had a consultation to deploy another one or two hundred of them which I have now objected to.

Where are the benefits now that we really need them ?

I'm really curious to hear from people that may have been on renewable deals and if they are even still available? 

Verdigris

There isn't a separate price for renewable energy. The wholesale price of electricity changes 48 times a day, depending on supply and demand, and on the mix of sources that provide it.

If we didn't heve renewables, now, the price of gas would mean electricity prices many times higher than the eye-watering levels we are seeing now and there would almost certainly be rolling black-outs, to boot.

tayuk

Verdigris said:

There isn't a separate price for renewable energy. The wholesale price of electricity changes 48 times a day, depending on supply and demand, and on the mix of sources that provide it.

If we didn't heve renewables, now, the price of gas would mean electricity prices many times higher than the eye-watering levels we are seeing now and there would almost certainly be rolling black-outs, to boot.

Alas, its the cynic in me that needs to see numbers to believe this sort of stuff. 

i thought there was tariffs last year (Or the year before) where you only had renewable energy, or was that simply a marketing stunt to lure in people to pay more for it?  

BUFF

tayuk said:

i thought there was tariffs last year (Or the year before) where you only had renewable energy, or was that simply a marketing stunt to lure in people to pay more for it?  

There are iirc only 2 or 3  companies that the govt. classes as truly green & therefore exempt from having to pay towards green subsidies/obligations etc. They tend to be amongst the dearest suppliers.
A  larger no. of energy suppliers claim to be green by offsetting carbon emissions.

The sun doesn't shine all the time nor the wind blow but infrastructure needs to be paid for 24/7, 365 ... 

matelodave

Have a shufti here to see how much come from "renewables" especially wind and compare it with how much come from gas
https://gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

Obviously it changes quite a bit but when I put this up gas was still producing over 50% and wind was around 14%, better than nothing but not sufficient to keep us all warm and cosy with heat pumps or to charge all our leccy cars

A._Badger

tayuk said:

Over the last few years I've heard lots about renewables and that we should "save' the planet by using them.
There was even news about all our electricity being provided by renewables for significant times over the last few years. 

I know a few people that were on renewables only deals and have seen significant rises in costs, why is that?  It cant all be about the cost of onboarding failed virtual operators. 
Additionally, why is the cost of renewables so expensive?  does the sun charge more for solar power these days?  or perhaps the wind has got more expensive?

I live in Worthing,WS and have seen no benefit to hundred of turbines scattered across the horizon (I wont go into details of the immense damage that was done to national parks during their installation) I went along with the first batch of 105, but they recently had a consultation to deploy another one or two hundred of them which I have now objected to.

Where are the benefits now that we really need them ?

I'm really curious to hear from people that may have been on renewable deals and if they are even still available? 

If you want a reliable and forensic costing of 'renewables' take a look at Paul Homewood's blog Not A Lot Of People Know That. In particular the following two articles might help:

https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2022/02/08/wind-intermittency-driving-higher-prices/

https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2022/03/14/emma-gattens-fake-green-dividend-claims/#more-55872

Meanwhile, Professor Michael Kelly has produced an unarguable analysis of the problems we face with energy costs and availability, in his pamphlet 'Delivering Net Zero' which you can download here:

https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2022/03/Kelly-Net-Zero-Progress-Report.pdf?mc_cid=3de10e3d7a&mc_eid=4961da7cb1

I hope that helps.

QrizB

I get to paste this comment twice in one afternoon. Lucky me.

Here is an article at The Conversation that explains it in more detail than I can:

https://theconversation.com/renewables-are-cheaper-than-ever-so-why-are-household-energy-bills-only-going-up-174795