Windmills - just no good? or more untruths in the press

The statements are mainly led by this document

http://www.ref.org.uk/attachments/article/280/ref.hughes.19.12.12.pdf

worthy of note is this blasting of prof hughes
https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/468709/imperial-college-supp-evidence-to-eec-wind.pdf

Nuclear and coal are often cited as always available
For example DRAX in uk is mentioned in bishops hill

But figures for recent availability (excludes time not required and not producing) come out at approx. 80%

Some plots using data from REFs own database

Each Turbine with approx 10 years record load factor plotted against year

A linear curve fit to Turbines output gives change in load factor per year

Note that the first graph shows all turbines load factor reducing until 2011 when a large recovery occurs. Is part of the loss caused by a reducing wind speed profile which then improves in 2011?

The second plot does show a general loss in efficiency over 10 years but nearer 7% total not the 15% suggested by Hughes document.

The REF site admits that 2010 was a low wind year:

"Overall, it is clear that the load factor for 2010 was low in comparison with preceding years, indicating that winds in this year, and particularly in the winter 2009-2010, were themselves relatively low."

There are 2 plots on the REF site:

http://www.ref.org.uk/publications/217-low-wind-power-output-2010
http://www.ref.org.uk/publications/229-renewables-output-in-2010

Note offset zero! If you ignore 2010 (low wind) the load factor looks pretty flat for the remaining 6 years

Offshore and onshore data combined?

Both plots from the owner of the daming report of Hughes show a different outcome to the reports conclusion.

2013-05-31
Diseases/disturbances reported by opponents:
http://tobacco.health.usyd.edu.au/assets/pdfs/publications/WindfarmDiseases.pdf
Well worth a read if you are looking for reasons to oppose the construction!

Lord Andrew Turnbull from the GWPF

The Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) …
We are funded entirely by voluntary donations from a number of private individuals and charitable trusts. In order to make clear its complete independence, we do not accept gifts from either energy companies or anyone with a significant interest in an energy company.

They do not mind employing Mr Turnbull who has interests in energy .
http://www.booz.com/uk/home/who_we_are/our_people/profile/lord_turnbull
Lord Andrew Turnbull
Since retiring from the Civil Service in 2005, Lord Andrew Turnbull has joined Booz & Company as a Senior Advisor. … He entered the House of Lords in December 2005 and is a non-executive Director of Prudential PLC, The British Land Company PLC and Frontier Economics Ltd, and is Chairman of BH Global Ltd.
http://www.frontier-economics.com/europe/en/practices/1/
Frontier's energy work relates to electricity, gas and oil and covers production, networks, storage, trading and retail. Frontier is recognised as one of the leading energy market, modelling and regulatory experts in Western Europe and Australia and the Pacific and has worked widely on the detailed quantitative and qualitative aspects of environmental policies

His directorship of BH Global. Is interesting (especially if I could understand this document prospectus looks most unsavoury to the uninitiated!)

Page 79 of the document
BHESMF:
Investment Profile by Sector (percentage of capital allocation) energy = 6%