Dr Phillip Bratby, retired physicist and energy consultant, claims that wind energy developers are deliberately downgrading wind turbines with less powerful generators in order to gain profit.
Turbines capable of carrying big generators are being installed, but only because they have already been built. What happens is that smaller generators are installed, which lower the electricity generation of turbines that could usually generate much more power, Dr Bratby is quoted as saying in an article by The North Devon Journal published on January 3.
This leads to developers gaining profit from the government subsidies, as the current subsidy system (a small 1.5kW turbine can earn GBP 21 per kWh, while a larger turbine which generates 1.5MW will earn GBP 4.48 per kWh) encourages them to profit from these actions, he said.
These concerns have also been addressed by North Devon MP Nick Harvey, who wrote to the Planning Inspectorate in September urging them to resolve this issuenevertheless he is still worried that the planning inspectors are continuing to approve turbines which will be downgraded. He said that he will be writing to the planning minister as well as the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) on this matter, The North Devon Journal informs.
The other side of the coin
A letter in response to Dr Bratby’s claims came on January 17, signed by Rosemary Haworth-Booth, Press Officer from North Devon Green Party, confirming Dr Brathby’s claims on the current subsidy system, which provides bigger subsidies for smaller turbines than for those that generate more energy.
However, the North Devon Green Party doubts Dr Bratby’s objectivity on the efficiency of wind turbines by saying that he is “an enthusiastic supporter of nuclear energy and well known locally for his antipathy to wind-turbines”.
Significantly higher costs than those of offshore wind development, along with the negative effect of the nuclear power on health and environment, as pointed out in the letter, make offshore wind a strong, even though, still somewhat flawed alternative to nuclear energy.
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Offshore WIND Staff, January 22, 2013; Image: IRENA