Thread: Victoria, Net "importer" of Electricity?

Yes, I read that about Bob Brown.
Eagles would have to be asleep to run into a wind turbine - they don't turn that fast.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Yes, I read that about Bob Brown.
Eagles would have to be asleep to run into a wind turbine - they don't turn that fast.

I believe they reach speeds of 130kmh at the tips
cheers
blaze

[QUOTE=trout1105;2928184
Solar arrays take up quite a lot of land and regardless of how productive that land is it is rendered unusable and with the way our populations are exploding we will need every scrap of arible land to feed everyone.[/QUOTE]

All the solar farms in Australia wouldn't occupy even a fraction of the space taken up by hobby farms around just Melbourne. And that is productive land with good rainfall and close to our biggest population centre. The solar farms being built in the Mallee are not on productive land.

Originally Posted by scarry

Solar wouldn't give it much chance to recover as the land would always be in the shade, i presume.

There are also quite a few articles about birds,particularly eagles, getting killed on wind farms.

Even Bob Brown is against the building of a new wind farm in Tassie for this reason.

And no,i am not trying to bring politics into this,its just facts.

Even if the land was in the shade all the time, that's not really an issue - unless you think that soil near trees that's shaded is always degraded?

Re eagles, yes they can get killed by wind farms - the Ballan wind farm apparently has recorded three wedgetail eagle deaths - but the biggest problem for wedgetails isn't wind farms, its sheep farmers with poison:

Farm worker who poisoned 406 wedge-tailed eagles in east Gippsland jailed and fined - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

I find it staggering that they managed to kill 406 eagles over two years, I wouldn't've thought that there was that population density anywhere in the State.

Originally Posted by Arapiles

Even if the land was in the shade all the time, that's not really an issue - unless you think that soil near trees that's shaded is always degraded?

Re eagles, yes they can get killed by wind farms - the Ballan wind farm apparently has recorded three wedgetail eagle deaths - but the biggest problem for wedgetails isn't wind farms, its sheep farmers with poison:

Farm worker who poisoned 406 wedge-tailed eagles in east Gippsland jailed and fined - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

I find it staggering that they managed to kill 406 eagles over two years, I wouldn't've thought that there was that population density anywhere in the State.

Wouldn't the degraded land need vegetation to grow on it to improve it?
If so being under solar panels wouldn't be ideal,i would think.

That incident with that number of Wedgetails would be a one off.
It is beyond me how anyone could do something like that.

Sure some would be killed by 1080,as are other raptors.
Many are also killed feeding on road kill.

Originally Posted by trout1105

We have a wind farm here outside Geraldton and I have also been to the wind farm outside Jurian Bay and at both of them only farming being done was livestock production, It wouldn't be to clever to drive a header or airseeder under those blades so cropping isn't an option.
Solar arrays take up quite a lot of land and regardless of how productive that land is it is rendered unusable and with the way our populations are exploding we will need every scrap of arible land to feed everyone.
I am pretty sure that WA is self sufficient for power and we don't need to import any

It’s called gas reservation, an amazing thing whereby the state government mandated a % of gas produced in WA was kept here. Fancy that for a good idea!! Pipes deliver it south.

We have the affordable fuel and stability of prices for industry, many mines and spinning turbines at peak demand times while the coal generation is drowned out by the daytime rooftop solar and wind and solar farms.

Originally Posted by Arapiles

Even if the land was in the shade all the time, that's not really an issue - unless you think that soil near trees that's shaded is always degraded?

Re eagles, yes they can get killed by wind farms - the Ballan wind farm apparently has recorded three wedgetail eagle deaths - but the biggest problem for wedgetails isn't wind farms, its sheep farmers with poison:

Farm worker who poisoned 406 wedge-tailed eagles in east Gippsland jailed and fined - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

I find it staggering that they managed to kill 406 eagles over two years, I wouldn't've thought that there was that population density anywhere in the State.

A great lot also killed on the nullabour feasting on a roo carcass to get swiped by a passing car/truck as they flee. Never seemed to bother anyone for last 50 years.

Grass can still grow under solar arrays. The soil needs a rest.