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 Topic: France generating power
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29/5/2024 at 1:27pm
Location: Lancashire
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Having just returned from France, we noticed even more wind turbines, but also a huge number of solar panels. I know the UK doesn't have anything like the amount of sun that France does, but surely putting more panels up would help? For instance, on covers over autoroute service area parking, or a covered area over a supermarket car park, helpful to shoppers too. Not to mention fields full of panels with animals grazing underneath.
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29/5/2024 at 5:11pm
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The UK has more wind turbines than France and are third in all the European countries.
The UK has a lot less solar power due to our climate.
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29/5/2024 at 8:05pm
Location: Milton Keynes
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I am not a fan of fields full of solar panels but there is a lot more that could be done on fitting them to buildings both private and commercial. I quite like the idea of having solar panels fitted but it is quite an initial outlay that puts me off. I don't think there is much in the way of help to fit them now?
David
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29/5/2024 at 8:12pm
Location: East Herts
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I think one of the problems in this country is that if people find out that a solar farm or wind farm is to be installed within sight of them, a great many of them will object. Our authorities will hold an inquiry and often those objections are upheld. I don't think this happens in France.
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Colin
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29/5/2024 at 9:03pm
Location: Lancashire
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It was interesting to see the panels on the specially built service aire shelter roofs and likewise at supermarkets.
We have had solar panels for 10 years which paid for themselves after 7, and now have a battery so we can sell leccy back to the grid.
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30/5/2024 at 2:36am
Location: London
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The UK is undoubtedly a far more windy country than a sunny one! Perhaps the reverse of much of France. I doubt that our solar farms generate very much power during dull winter days, and the further north you go the less daylight hours there are too to compound the problem!
Solar farm plans often seem to get rejected by Nimbys and planning authorities, but I can see little reason why large roofing areas of commercial and industrial buildings don't have them, well, beyond the cost vs returns argument!
I'm not sure about the 'eyesore' argument against them, I know of a few, and they are largely unnoticeable from most viewpoints, unlike wind turbines which are visible from miles around and usually from all directions! Wind turbines have a certain 'grace', but still think I prefer my views of hills and coastlines to be free of such structures!
A pal of mine has solar panels on the roof of his quite large pub complex in Devon, installed when incentives and deals made them viable, even profitable, but not sure the present arrangements would be so attractive! He's a 'supplier' of excess power to the grid in 'some' sunny summer months, but a consumer FROM the grid in winter when the daylight is poor, so as a business, solar does not make him independent of the grid, just reduces his overall annual consumption from it.
If we'd ploughed as much R and D money into tidal power as we did/do into Nuclear power, then I think we may have been following that path more! But the fact of the matter is, you still need a source of power that can be switched on 'on demand' when the highly variable 'green' sources aren't generating enough! About the only 'green' power that has truly worthwhile and cost effective 'storage' and potential to supply on demand is Hydro, but UK terrain is not best suited to that on a scale that would meet demand, and can you imagine the objections to damming and flooding a large number of valleys across the country!
A mixture of generating sources looks to be the best safeguard to meet demand with the certainty that we will never go 'dark'.
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30/5/2024 at 7:41am
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The UK power network isn't robust enough to accommodate a huge number of additional feed in systems such as solar panels.
Daughter's school had solar installed on a sports hall. Over the sunniest months school is closed so excess energy to export. The system couldn't be connected for about 12 months because the local grid needed significant upgrade.
I'm finding the same with a local developer. Lots of solar panels on new industrial units which are due to be finished in July. As of last month the power company still wouldn't finalise the size of sub station they will install as they need to ensure the local grid can accommodste the anticipated level of feed in.
There are many acres of land which looks green which has previous indusrial use and will cost millions to clean up (in my local area two 'fields' are actually former tips) which could be used for solar panels.
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31/5/2024 at 6:15am
Location: Essex
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We are having more and more solar panel farms being built around here, and we saw a lot of new ones being started in Norfolk. Personally, they are the most unsightly things ever, our fields are slowly disappearing, what with all the new houses being crammed in too that locals can’t even afford.
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Claire and Colin
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31/5/2024 at 8:19am
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Wind turbines are a blight on the countryside and this is made even worse with arrays of solar panels. IMHO both should be banned!
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31/5/2024 at 8:27am
Location: Lancashire
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Maybe putting solar panels on all of those new houses, plus on public and commercial buildings, such as all those huge warehouses, would be a help.
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via mobile 29/5/2024 at 5:41pm
