Sun, 13 Sep 2026 20:13:03 +0100 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.0.3 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18462&Focus=311140#Comment_311140 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18462&Focus=311140#Comment_311140 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:49:47 +0100 tony
My intention is that it’s crazy to take down in turbines that still useful. Why not? Just put the new ones up somewhere else then we’d have both the old ones and the new ones all functioning?]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18462&Focus=311141#Comment_311141 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18462&Focus=311141#Comment_311141 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 17:00:08 +0100 Peter_in_Hungary
IMO before much more wind energy is produced the grid needs to be sorted to allow for the additional generated energy. It seems daft to me to install more (bigger) turbines when curtailment payments are already being made.

But doubtless someone has done the sums (including the availability of curtailment payments)

Unless the ones to be replaced are nearing their end of expected life (20-25 years)]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18462&Focus=311143#Comment_311143 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18462&Focus=311143#Comment_311143 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 21:09:13 +0100 WillInAberdeen
Curtailment payments are a teeny tiny fraction (~2%) of what we are spending on importing oil&gas at Hormuz prices

But some people who are heavily invested in oil&gas would like everyone else to go on to social media to say "It seems daft to me to install more (bigger) turbines", so their PR agencies bang on and on about curtailment to make them think it were a big deal.


Incidentally wind generators are legally barred from making any money from curtailment, it is purely to offset their losses. They can't use it to finance bigger turbines.


The Whitelee windfarm in the news was built in 2008, they announced plans to replace the turbines from 2028 onwards when they are twenty years old and their original consent lapses. New turbines are much more powerful than they were twenty years ago so they won't need as many. They are upgrading the grid connection and substation and have separate permissions to convert electricity as green hydrogen.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18462&Focus=311145#Comment_311145 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18462&Focus=311145#Comment_311145 Thu, 30 Jul 2026 09:54:20 +0100 fostertom
Loss of those little old ones' output will be a drop in the ocean of the new potential, which can then be put on an existing suitable site rather than spreading to a new one. So, for me, everything in favour of upgrading as soon as the numbers suggest. Yes, the old ones' embodied carbon is 'wasted', but in the prime way that they can be most swiftly outweighed by future 'in use' carbon savings.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18462&Focus=311147#Comment_311147 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18462&Focus=311147#Comment_311147 Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:41:13 +0100 tony
Re too much wind power, we are not there yet]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18462&Focus=311150#Comment_311150 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18462&Focus=311150#Comment_311150 Thu, 30 Jul 2026 17:22:58 +0100 fostertom https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18462&Focus=311156#Comment_311156 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18462&Focus=311156#Comment_311156 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:33:59 +0100 Dominic Cooney The only advantage of existing sites is that they are in windy places. As well as acceptability in the planning system
But there are still plenty of windy places to go at.
Noise wise, bigger turbines might be too close to the nearest neighbours even though the smaller ones were okay.(depends on the make/model though)]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18462&Focus=311157#Comment_311157 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18462&Focus=311157#Comment_311157 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 16:50:47 +0100 WillInAberdeen
From their perspective it's not either/or replacing Whitelee or newbuilding at EA2 and EA3, rather they're doing both/and.]]>