Fri, 01 May 2026 17:32:48 +0100 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.0.3 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10328#Comment_10328 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10328#Comment_10328 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:01:31 +0000 Nanuls
Today I've been having a discussion with a colleague of mine regarding the cost in terms of CO2 emissions, and energy used to produce large scale (250ft+) wind turbines.

Does anyone know how long it would take for a single wind turbine to 'pay back' the CO2 emitted during its manufacturing, construction (plus infrastructure e.g. roads etc), transportation, maintenance and decommissioning?

Have any 'independent' studies been carried out on the subject?]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10329#Comment_10329 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10329#Comment_10329 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:06:25 +0000 tony https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10333#Comment_10333 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10333#Comment_10333 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:15:23 +0000 GBP-Keith https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10342#Comment_10342 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10342#Comment_10342 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:16:16 +0000 howdytom https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10394#Comment_10394 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10394#Comment_10394 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:56:13 +0000 tony https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10395#Comment_10395 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10395#Comment_10395 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:04:54 +0000 howdytom tom]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10405#Comment_10405 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10405#Comment_10405 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:26:18 +0000 biffvernon
There's really not very much to them, embodied energy-wise - a few cubic metres of concrete with steel reinforcings for the base, a 65 metre steel tower, three fibreglass blades and the generator. There's some rough roadways made from locally quarried stone and a little brick building.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10422#Comment_10422 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10422#Comment_10422 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:38:39 +0000 tom.harrigan http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200304/ldselect/ldsctech/126/12620.htm

Energy payback times -
Wind (no storage or backup) 1.1yr
Coal 3.3yrs
Fusion 2.5yrs

These figure include all decommissioning costs. As you can see, energy payback is not an issue. Scale and availability is!

Windfarms have to be put in windy places - sometimes they aren't:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6969865.stm

T]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10428#Comment_10428 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10428#Comment_10428 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:21:46 +0000 howdytom 1. fuel transport ?
2. to decommission a nuclear plant will cost twice that of a coal plant Sellafield have stated it will take 30-50 years then it all has to be stored infinitum(how can you cost that)
3. to reclaim the site coal, will use 30 times more energy than nuclear !!!!.

them civil servants at whitehall must be barking (always thought so)


Taken from Tom harrigans link:
How much energy is required to build and operate power stations, and how does this compare with their lifetime energy outputs? Some estimates for coal and nuclear stations are shown in the table:


Tera-joules per GW-year of electrical output
coal nuclear
Mining and fuel preparation 1,258 1,288
Fuel transport 1,059 8
Materials (other than fuel) 55 58
Plant construction 61 99
Operation 283 384
Waste disposal and transport - 172
Decommissioning 10 19
Land reclamation 3 0.1
Total 2,737 2,028
Energy Payback Period (yrs) 3.3 2.5

Assumptions:
Plant Size: MW 1,000 1,000
Plant lifetime: years 40 40
Capacity factor: % 75 75

tom]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10441#Comment_10441 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10441#Comment_10441 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:04:11 +0000 biffvernon Posted By: tom.harriganFusion 2.5yrs
Eh? Despite half a century of effort, fusion still requires more energy in than you get out. The payback time is a negative number.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10448#Comment_10448 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=948&Focus=10448#Comment_10448 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:47:47 +0000 tom.harrigan
T]]>