Mattie Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 http://earthhour.wwf.org.uk/?pc=AGT004001&gclid=CK3lj6SB9acCFYeVzAodOBEVbwNow you had no choice as the lights went out..Thats cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unlinkedstudent Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 http://earthhour.wwf.org.uk/?pc=AGT004001&gclid=CK3lj6SB9acCFYeVzAodOBEVbwNow you had no choice as the lights went out..Thats cool! Why is it cool? It certainly wasn't fun for me as I had a deadline to meet for a client. It certainly hasn't been fun in the past when it has been mega cold outside and electricity is your only source of heat, especially if you happen to be old/infirmed/disabled. Re Earth Hour - No, I didn't go around turning off lights, etc., because I do so anyway, each day and every day; one reason being the cost of the stuff. I find Earth Hour somewhat hypocritical - all those government officials shouting from the roof tops that they are mega green by turning the power off [to the likes of Big Ben, tourist attractions, etc.] when they could do so every blooming night if they really cared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlandpeat Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 Do houses not have open fires anymore?I remember quite a few power cuts in the 70s and 80s.I am sure the auld folk will be looked after by the community. If not then that is sad.You can get electric generators at quite a good price, less than 100 pounds in some instances, it only takes a car going south to get one. Plenty of card go south, and come back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Njugle Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 http://earthhour.wwf.org.uk/?pc=AGT004001&gclid=CK3lj6SB9acCFYeVzAodOBEVbwNow you had no choice as the lights went out..Thats cool! Sent from your solar/wind powered PC and broadband connection I hope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted March 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 Scottish and Southern seem to think that they are capable of running a massive wind farm within Shetland and sending vast quantities of electricity to the UK mainland via an interconnector. Would be more impressed with their plan if they proved themselves capable of providing a reliable electricity supply to Shetland first. Yes there are always going to be storms than knock out power cables but from what they are saying last night's power cut was something to do with the connection to the generator at the Sullom Voe Terminal. Well if connecting 2 power sources causes them problems then how are they going to manage with more than a hundred. And I still believe that all customers of the Hydro and other electricity supply companies should get compensation every time there is a power cut. Might encourage them to have more robust back up circuits in place. After all we pay a "service charge" so compensation for lack of service is not unreasonable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enkelt skapninger Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 The local Shetland grid has arisen in a piecemeal fashion, and can't cope with lots of power sources, which is one reason why getting small domestic wind turbines connected to the grid is so problematic. I was under the impression that the local grid is due for a significant upgrade anyway, whatever happens with the windfarm. Hasn't there been talk in the press about getting it all modernised? The windfarm will not use the local grid anyway, except at a single point at the converter station where it will feed the grid as well as the interconnector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stilldellin Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 from shetlandpeat :- You can get electric generators at quite a good price, less than 100 pounds in some instances Where did you say ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unlinkedstudent Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 Do houses not have open fires anymore?I remember quite a few power cuts in the 70s and 80s.I am sure the auld folk will be looked after by the community. If not then that is sad.You can get electric generators at quite a good price, less than 100 pounds in some instances, it only takes a car going south to get one. Plenty of card go south, and come back. It only takes having the £100 spare too then eh SP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted March 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 Do houses not have open fires anymore?I remember quite a few power cuts in the 70s and 80s.I am sure the auld folk will be looked after by the community. If not then that is sad.You can get electric generators at quite a good price, less than 100 pounds in some instances, it only takes a car going south to get one. Plenty of card go south, and come back. It only takes having the £100 spare too then eh SP? Also not very practical for people living in flats and schemes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme_Storey Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 Interestingly, I was mentioning the power cut to a cousin in Edinburgh. He is 56 now, and has always lived in Edinburgh, and has never experienced a brown-out, or even a flicker of the lights, and certainly never a power cut! Always been a way of life up here - I just expect them now and again - and keep a torch handy in each room. In Lerwick we are very fortunate that they rarely last more than a few minutes, but we used to live at Sumburgh and they were much harder to deal with then - lasting for several hours at times, back in the 80's and one winter the power was off for around 3 days I recall. BIG respect for the electricity guys who go out in all weathers to fix these problems!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveh Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 BIG respect for the electricity guys who go out in all weathers to fix these problems!! I agree with that comment.My only concern with last night's power cut was that I missed the equalising goal in the England game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinner72 Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 I'm honestly amazed given the conditions and logistical issues here in Shetland that SSE manage to provide such an excellent service. I can't remember the last time a powercut lasted more than a few hours. Sure, after a few days it can be frustrating but when did we last have that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme_Storey Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 I agree, spinner72, we have an amazingly reliable service, considering the terrain, the never-ending wet winter weather, and the logistics involved with getting parts, etc. One long (I think it lasted about a week) power cut I remember when we stayed at the 'Ness was back in January 1987, so was a very long time ago. It was caused by very heavy, sticky snow bringing down mile upon mile of power lines (and dozens of the actual power poles themselves - over 30 at Dunrossness I have a vague memory of??) over the hills - the poor engineers earned everyone's respect that week, working in truly diabolical conditions day and night! They couldn't get their Landrovers up the hills in many places, so were manually dragging the new poles across the fields, and then having to erect them without any machinery - I still don't know how they managed to get it all up and running like they did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stilldellin Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 shetlandpeat, wid du mark me doon fur half a dizen o yun "under £100 " generators and dan neest time du's Nort drap dem aff at wirrus.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groilick Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 shetlandpeat, wid du mark me doon fur half a dizen o yun "under £100 " generators and dan neest time du's Nort drap dem aff at wirrus.. I doot he wis tinkin aboot dis kind o a poor plant http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/1744817/2/istockphoto_1744817-bicycle-tire-on-old-bike-with-dirty-dynamo.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.