The move to go ‘green’ across Europe is facing more hiccups right now that is poised to make the energy crisis even worse than it already is.
SEE: Households Are Burning Trash In Poland To Stay Warm As Russia Sanctions Continue To Backfire
But depending on who you ask, this may or not be a good thing, or at least Big Think insinuates. The outlet recaps the imminent energy crisis that is poised to get worse this winter, leaving many to be freezing cold and strapped to pay basic cost of living fees, but also says this hard and cold move away from gas and oil is a perceived good thing, that is being indirectly fulfilled by Europe’s sanctions on Russia.
And as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has underscored, another worthy goal is weaning Europe off its dependency on less-than-friendly foreign suppliers like Vladimir Putin and others whom you would normally cross the street to avoid, geopolitically speaking.
Frank Jacobs for Big Think wrote
Howbeit the outlet admits that solar and wind power are certainly not the most dependable, such as the sun not always being out long enough for the panels to capture sufficient energy stores.
But the outlet focuses more on this ‘wind famine’ that has been on-going, partly due to the fact that the wind is not blowing as hard as frequently as it should be, in order to generate sufficient power.
‘In blue, the map shows the areas of Europe where average wind speeds last year were lower than in the preceding reference period (1991-2020). The map, from the French newspaper Les Echos, shows areas of greater decline in darker blue, but also, in red, areas where average wind speeds in 2021 increased,’ Big Think explains.
- Dark blue covers large areas of the North Sea, northern Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe, where wind speeds decreased by 5% to 10%.
- The same goes for smaller zones in Ireland, southern France, and the German-Czech border.
- However, wind speeds have increased by 5% to 15% in the Balkans and Turkey.
Big Think notes how these wind inconsistencies Europe faced last year are continuinng into this year, and ultimately are leading to a “wind drought” that will only exacerbate the energy shortages:
Last year, the load factor — that is, the ratio of actual output to the theoretical maximum — dropped by 13% in Germany and the UK and by 15% to 16% in Ireland and the Czech Republic, Les Echos reports.
The 2021 “wind drought” hit Northern Europe particularly hard, especially those countries relying most on wind energy — notably Denmark, which gets 44% of its energy from wind, and Ireland, where the share of wind in total energy production is 31%. Other European countries relying heavily on wind include Portugal (26%), Spain (24%), Germany (23%), the UK (22%), and Sweden (19%). In France, which gets most of its power from nuclear, it’s just 8%.
As a result of the reduction in average wind speed, Danish energy company Ørsted reported a loss of €380 ($366) million. German energy company RWE acknowledged a 38% drop in profits last year, although this was from both its wind and solar units combined.
Unfortunately for Europe, it doesn’t seem that last year’s “wind drought” was a one-off. In its latest report, the IPCC predicts a drop of 6% to 8% in average wind speeds across Europe by 2050. As wind speeds become increasingly inconstant, the cost of wind energy will become more unpredictable and its provision more unreliable — that is, unless the energy industry invests in massive storage systems that can capture the excess energy produced on windier days and release it when the wind turbines stand idle.
It’s an issue that only will get more important as the share of wind in Europe’s total energy mix increases — which it will, due to the inexorable reduction in hydrocarbon-fueled power and the reluctance to fully embrace nuclear power.
SEE: Scotland Cutdown 14 Million Trees To For 21 Wind Turbine Projects
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.
Proverbs 11:29
Whoops! Didn’t take into account that the wind might blow a different direction!
As I have said before, just like the Covid War, the Russia-Ukraine thing is once again designed to teardown Western civilization; and these “green” technologies are designed to help achieve this goal, which still pollute the earth just as much when considering the manufacturing aspect alone.
[12] He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. [13] He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong. Job 5:12-13
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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A wind drought in Europe? I thought that is where there is an abundance of hot air swirling around in the atmosphere from the likes of people like Klaus Schwab and his ilk.