SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Last year, Germany produced 161 billion kWh from renewable sources, or about 27% of electricity consumption. This year, thanks to rapid growth in solar and wind power, the country is on track to produce 193 billion kWh from renewable sources, or about 33% of total electricity consumption. That's grow of about 22% in just a year!
Though this is a preliminary estimate, on 31 October 2015 wind energy had already supplied 47% more electricity (63 billion kWh) that during the same time period in 2014.
Though the late autumn weather tends to be unpredictable, Germany's solar sector has already provided as much electricity during that 10 month period (35 billion kWh) as the whole of 2014.
Energy independence has real geopolitical implications for Germany vis-a-vis Russia.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 10 2015, @09:16AM
Although this might seem like good news, what we keep forgetting in these reports are the costs to manufacture, maintain AND to dispose of those renewable energy devices.
Having direct contact with one of the engineers, I asked the following question when he was telling me about the manufacturing process, curious about the impact on the environment,
"How long does a typical wind turbine last?"
"Oh, about 20 years", says he.
"And what do you do with it afterwards?"
"Ummmm, I'm not really sure, I guess it goes into a pit somewhere."
According to Wikipedia over 20,000 wind turbines are in the country.
"That is going to be one frickin huge pit!", says I.
(Score: 5, Informative) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Tuesday November 10 2015, @09:26AM
Wow, that's not just anecdotal evidence, it's an anecdote based on hearsay.
You have proven that you can google up the number of wind turbines in the country easily enough, but somehow you were unable to plug the words "wind turbine disposal" into your preferred search engine. Here [bbc.co.uk], I've done it for you. No mention of landfill whatsoever.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 10 2015, @09:38AM
OK, fair enough, yet your link still fails to convince, at least me, that there isn't going to be a big pile of crap somewhere.
But hey, at least we will get some playgrounds out of the deal with a fresh smell of burning resin as a bonus.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Kawumpa on Tuesday November 10 2015, @10:10AM
Recycling and reuse are completely alien concepts to you, are they?
(Score: 3, Touché) by c0lo on Tuesday November 10 2015, @12:00PM
I smell a whiff of hypocrisy around.
I mean, look, I reckon disposable party plates/cutlery over 25 years will amount for more plastic than that in the wind turbine blades. Not worry about that one?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 3, Insightful) by DeathMonkey on Tuesday November 10 2015, @04:47PM
OK, fair enough, yet your link still fails to convince, at least me, that there isn't going to be a big pile of crap somewhere.
What seems the more reasonable proposition for turbine disposal:
Get paid thousands of dollars for all that valuable scrap metal.
Or, pay thousands of dollars to bury that scrap metal.
I know which itch the invisible hand is scratching in this case....
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday November 10 2015, @01:14PM
According to Wikipedia over 20,000 wind turbines are in the country.
"That is going to be one frickin huge pit!", says I.
That's not very much plastic actually. And yes, I am aware of how large modern wind turbine blades are. Even a relatively heavy recycling society like Germany generates a lot of plastic waste.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 10 2015, @01:34PM
Not exactly understanding what is trollish about this comment.
Only meant to talk about the aspects of what renewables create as a by-product cost.
That is simply healthy debate and critical thinking. No attack, no subterfuge.
Also, it created some good responses.
But hey, maybe that is why the comments on here are dropping due to the hostile environment it is becoming.
Here is a trollish comment...This site is starting to stink.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 10 2015, @02:18PM
I think he was being a bit hyperbolic about it hence the troll. But the questions are at least sound. At EOL of these devices what is the end game? More than likely those blades are fiberglass with a resin coating. My small googling around found the only recycling use is to make cement out of it.
(Score: 2) by SanityCheck on Tuesday November 10 2015, @03:01PM
I would think they might replace blades and motor (not sure if that's what it's called) plus some electronics without removing the tower part, as it would be the most economical option I wager. Even if there are significant advances and the standard set up of wind turbine is not optimal, havign already spent the capital cost of setting it up it would still retain competitive advantage over new isntallation.
(Score: 2) by soylentsandor on Tuesday November 10 2015, @05:29PM
I would think they might replace blades and motor (not sure if that's what it's called) plus some electronics without removing the tower part, as it would be the most economical option I wager.
I wonder. The trend thus far has been for ever taller towers and ever longer blades. Obviously, this has to end at some point but until that time, replacing the entire thing altogether might be the most economical option. Also, there is a quite significant market for second-hand wind turbines that may help to ease the decision for replacement of the whole thing.
(Score: 3, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Tuesday November 10 2015, @04:50PM
Not exactly understanding what is trollish about this comment.
It's pure FUD, that's what. Really, really, poorly researched FUD at that.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 10 2015, @03:36PM
I'd sooner live next to a place where old wind turbines are buried than a place where coal ash or carbon dioxide are impounded. Ash can pollute the water table, and the CO2 could suffocate me, if it escaped.
Yes, those are sometimes recycled [epa.gov] but often they're not.
(Score: 2) by moondrake on Tuesday November 10 2015, @04:21PM
You are probably trolling, but I happened to witness the replacement of a large amount of wind turbines someplace in Germany. I think the old ones were not even 20 years old (maybe 15). The old ones were actually shipped to Poland for reuse. I guess even if they would not be useful anymore as wind turbines, there is a lot of usable metal in these things.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 10 2015, @06:10PM
I wonder where old cars get recycled?
(Score: 1) by angelosphere on Tuesday November 10 2015, @08:07PM
The oldest wind turbines I know about where built around 1987 .... they are still standing quite fine.
As most of the turbine is very valuable material, like uh ohm: steel! No one is going to put that into a pit.
Especially not in gemany ... did that guys you think you talked to, hit you over the head?
It should be a no brainer that a nation that is rich enough to put up a few ten thousand wind turbines is not puting them to waste by burying them in a pit.
You have a car? What you think is going to happen to it?
Right: they put it into a smeltery and recycle it ... just like any other big metal structure.