Shetland windfarm - Viking Energy

[BigMouth]

Compared to 100% from wave Crofter ?

[Malachy]

So, dear forum members, you are content to believe and TRUST the lying dogs who represent the wind turbine industry, but you do not trust me and want proof that my system works as advertised.

 

Well, you are a bit late, because another island community will be first to benefit from GENTEC venturi and it these people that will grow very wealthy - Shetland has had its chance and for the price of a lousy boat ticket worth under a £1000 you will be able to buy a few hundred beers into which you can weep at what might have been

 

Excuse me if I don't keel over with regret and try to beg you to reconsider, but somehow your post here and your previous letters to the Shetland News do not suggest that you are a sensible, reliable person that any council would want to do business with.

 

If your invention is so wonderful then I am sure you will have no trouble finding a company willing to make it for you (I presume GENTEC venturi exists only on paper, yes?) and then you will be a very wealthy man.

 

However, I would suggest that if the invention is as good as you say it is, you would probably be wise to try and sell it to lots of people, rather than just one island. I'm no businessman but I'd say that would be the way to go.

 

Your post here and your various sites and letters all seem designed to impress or baffle, with vast lists of numbers and statistics, for which you offer no evidence. I think perhaps you would have had more chance of being taken seriously if you had gone about your business in a more sensible way.

 

PS I live on an island with a windmill that provides power about 50% of the time. So there!

[crofter]

 

How much has already been spent on the windfarm project? I've no idea but, judging by the nicely painted van, glossy pamphlets and such... too much.

 

 

About 1 million, so far.

[Peatcutter]

How much has already been spent on the windfarm project? I've no idea but, judging by the nicely painted van, glossy pamphlets and such... too much.

 

 

About 1 million, so far.

 

I think about that has been quoted to get to the planning application stage.

At any rate a fairly massive gamble. I wonder what the chances are of it producing the hoped for vast profit ?

Some of the hurdles to be overcome are:

Beauly to Denny powerline - many objections.

Inter- connector - by no means certain, especially if there is a change of Uk government. I don't think the Tories fancy wind farms that much.

Planning permission from Scottish Executive - At this stage the proposal looks likely to attract many objections so by no means guaranteed.

In addition the sheer size of the development would put a severe strain on existing infrastructure, in particular road requirements do not appear to have been thought through yet. How can the true cost of the development be accurately estimated at this stage?

[Twerto]

One thing that niggles me ( perhaps jealousy ) and is a bit like the John Prescott embaresment in London.. is you have the main people involved with VE driving around in the big 4x4 and saloons, if they claim to go off road then :cough:bulls**t:cough: comes to mind but,

 

I personally would think that if your so into renewable energy you would be trying to promote it more by using energy efficient vehicles. not huge fuel guzzlers that add to the problem your trying to prevent.

[Jonners]

I'm a bit surprised at Drew Ratter's decision not to stand at the next SIC election, especially since he's been such a big supporter of the windfarm stuff. I also think he's one of the most able people on the SIC.

 

I wonder if he thinks there's not enough support for the windfarm stuff and it's not going to happen and he's lost interest?

 

Or can he be both chairman of Viking Energy and chairman of the Crofters Commission?

[crofter]

 

Or can he be both chairman of Viking Energy and chairman of the Crofters Commission?

 

There is nothing to stop him from continuing as a director of VE, unless perhaps he thinks his new job will take up too much time.

[islandhopper]

i) Can't see any substantial relevance in the graphs and calculations provided by greenheatman and for his device.

 

ii) as I've already posted earlier in this thread: that's what is to be installed in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, is the same device as it is installed for testing in Eday Sound, Orkney, see also at the CBC news, Feb. 2007:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/energy/tidal-power.html

 

iii) I have no idea whether or not GENTECVenturi and the OpenHydro device are based in the same principles or not. If so, it would be fine, if not ... what other proof for the GENTECventuri exists

[Fjool]

Taking a gamble on GENTECventuri based on what we know so far would be too big a gamble.

 

The gamble we'd be taking with Viking, despite what we 'know', is already pretty damn huge.

[Malachy]

I'm not sure it is the gamble that is the problem with the Viking Energy project. We know the technology produces electricity, and would make money. It is simply a matter of weighing that against the negatives, such as disruption to the landscape.

Perhaps the biggest risk would be spending the money and then finding out that a better technology is available in a few year's time, but there is always that risk, whatever choice you make.

[Fjool]

We know the technology ... would make money.

 

This is the part I'm not so sure about. We're being told that it's going to cost money and then we can start to reap the rewards... possibly. There's nothing certain about the money this project is supposed to generate.

 

What if the lease on the cable is far higher than expected? What is the figures were too optimistic? What if the turbines don't last as long as anticipated? And one million other possibilities...

[Twerto]

but has i have stated previously.. a new technology that wasn't such an intrusion on our land scape would be far more preferable in my eye.. again this could be argued that it is a matter of personal choice.. but for me tidal/wave generators would be far higher up my preferred list than windfarms. or even as stated before why does the wind farm have to be land based?

 

I know tidal and wave is still classed as being in it infancy but why cant we be part of progressing this technology like we should of been 5 years or more ago.. on a local sized scheme instead of some monstrous uk wide scheme. when all signs seem to lead to the fact it is just a matter of time before this method is fine tuned to a workable and manageable method of renewable energy.

 

and one calculation that has always puzzled me is the 5 mills that are up already, supposedly generate 20% of shetlands needs?? correct me if I'm wrong. so why do we need to mass produce such a huge scheme right from day one?

[Malachy]

Well I suppose the answer is that the world needs green energy right now, urgently. In fact it needs it yesterday. That is the argument for making such a big windfarm and also the argument for going with wind rather than undeveloped wave power.

[Twerto]

maybe we should just let GWB continue with his campaign against terror and then there will be no need as there wont be so many people starving the world of its resources.

 

satirical humor aside, why cant these be built offshore like they are in denmark and off the coast of liverpool to name a couple.

 

and yes i know cost will be the answer.. but still from what i have read of the danish projects it a method that is getting cheap to construct all the time.

[Fjool]

the world needs green energy right now, urgently.

 

Not if the net economic and environmental benefits are zero or, worse, possibly even negative.

 

Alternatively, we could stop squandering the energy we already over-consume... hmm... right, nobody wants to do that, so let us throw more money, energy and resources at the problem instead.