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  • lstar337
    lstar337 Posts: 3,442 Forumite
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    New onshore wind farms will be excluded from a subsidy scheme from 1 April 2016, a year earlier than expected.

    The move was part of a manifesto commitment by the Conservative party ahead of the general election in May.
    "We are driving forward our commitment to end new onshore wind subsidies and give local communities the final say over any new wind farms," said Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33177025
  • theboylard
    theboylard Posts: 1,207 Forumite
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    lstar337 wrote: »
    The move was part of a manifesto commitment by the Conservative party ahead of the general election in May.
    "We are driving forward our commitment to end new onshore wind subsidies and give local communities the final say over any new wind farms," said Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33177025

    Don't tell cephus, we'll never hear the end of it!!!
    4kWp, SSE, SolarEdge P300 optimisers & SE3500 Inverter, in occasionally sunny Corby, Northants.
    Now with added Sunsynk 5kw hybrid ecco inverter & 15kWh Fogstar batteries. Oh Octopus Energy too.
  • Ectophile
    Ectophile Posts: 7,335 Forumite
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    lstar337 wrote: »
    The move was part of a manifesto commitment by the Conservative party ahead of the general election in May.
    "We are driving forward our commitment to end new onshore wind subsidies and give local communities the final say over any new wind farms," said Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33177025

    You could just abbreviate that quote to "We are driving forward our commitment to end new onshore wind", and it would come to the same thing.

    Combine the lack of subsidies with the right of the NIMBYs to block anything, and nobody will bother even applying for permission to build.
    If it sticks, force it.
    If it breaks, well it wasn't working right anyway.
  • theboylard
    theboylard Posts: 1,207 Forumite
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    Ectophile wrote: »
    "We are driving forward our commitment to end new onshore wind",

    Wish someone would tell the current mrs theboylard
    Smiley06.gif~c200
    4kWp, SSE, SolarEdge P300 optimisers & SE3500 Inverter, in occasionally sunny Corby, Northants.
    Now with added Sunsynk 5kw hybrid ecco inverter & 15kWh Fogstar batteries. Oh Octopus Energy too.
  • lstar337
    lstar337 Posts: 3,442 Forumite
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    Ectophile wrote: »
    Combine the lack of subsidies with the right of the NIMBYs to block anything, and nobody will bother even applying for permission to build.
    That's the dream!

    I'm a fan of certain renewables, but onshore wind isn't one of them.

    They are a blight on the picturesque countryside, and having visited friends who live near one, I can confirm they are very noisy!

    Offshore wind is a better idea.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,766 Forumite
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    edited 19 June 2015 at 12:32PM
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    lstar337 wrote: »
    That's the dream!

    I'm a fan of certain renewables, but onshore wind isn't one of them.

    They are a blight on the picturesque countryside, and having visited friends who live near one, I can confirm they are very noisy!

    Offshore wind is a better idea.

    I like on-shore wind. I think they add to the view, and it's nice to see renewables in action. I can't say the big one (120m) near me is noisy, I cycle within 50m of it, and it's virtually silent. I appreciate that they can make a bit of mechanical noise when they are turned to meet the wind, but that's not too bad either.

    Given that 2/3 of people support on-shore wind (3/4 support off-shore wind) then the government seems to be pandering to their voters, rather than reflecting national interests.

    DECC Public Attitudes Tracker – Wave 13

    Obviously we will need off-shore wind, for sheer volume of generation, but I'm not sure how it is classed as better, since it requires even more infrastructure works to connect it to the grid, and the subsidy is twice as much as that for on-shore wind and large scale PV (recent CfD auction).

    I recently took a photo of 'my' turbine across a picturesque countryside view to show its impact ....... and believe it's all a matter of context:

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/83o5uffdm48d8bx/IMG_1902.JPG?dl=0

    My normal (daily) view of the turbine is from the opposite direction, facing East (not West) and is a view over the rooves of 5 industrial estates ...... not 5 industrial rooves, 5 industrial estates. Giant spinny thing, what's there to dislike! ;)

    Mart.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW). Two A2A units for cleaner heating.

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • lstar337
    lstar337 Posts: 3,442 Forumite
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    Well the 120M one at Chewton Mendip certainly makes noise, because I have heard it. Sadly it isn't a pleasant noise either.

    Others agree it seems, as this news story popped up when I searched to check the height of the turbine.

    http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Wind-farm-protesters-horrified-noise-turbine-visit/story-12316497-detail/story.html

    Obviously the aesthetics are going to be a matter of personal taste, but I prefer the rolling Mendip hills uninterrupted. A big spinny thingy is not adding anything extra in my opinion.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,766 Forumite
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    lstar337 wrote: »
    Obviously the aesthetics are going to be a matter of personal taste, but I prefer the rolling Mendip hills uninterrupted. A big spinny thingy is not adding anything extra in my opinion.

    The Netherlands (and their visitors) might disagree with you:

    Dutch windmills

    Strange how change is always viewed as bad (at first). I bet if the Mendips were famous for being flat, there would be utter outrage if someone suggested 'building' hills on it. :think:

    Mart.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW). Two A2A units for cleaner heating.

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • silverwhistle
    silverwhistle Posts: 3,791 Forumite
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    "We are driving forward our commitment to end new onshore wind subsidies and give local communities the final say over any new wind farms," said Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd.

    Funnily enough they don't seem to be extending the same privilege to communities impacted by fracking, but that's only pollution and minor earthquakes, so not as important as visual issues..
  • theboylard
    theboylard Posts: 1,207 Forumite
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    silverwhistle wrote: »
    Funnily enough they don't seem to be extending the same privilege to communities impacted by fracking, but that's only pollution and minor earthquakes, so not as important as visual issues..

    Sources please? Actual, real, proven cases of "pollution and minor earthquakes".

    I'm ambivalent regarding fracking, but only because I've not seen any actual proven UNBIASED data.
    4kWp, SSE, SolarEdge P300 optimisers & SE3500 Inverter, in occasionally sunny Corby, Northants.
    Now with added Sunsynk 5kw hybrid ecco inverter & 15kWh Fogstar batteries. Oh Octopus Energy too.
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