Have The Broads Missed A Trick

[littlesprite]

There's probably a obvious answer that I haven't thought of, but,  as people expect to see windmills on the broads, why don't they have wind turbines fitted for charge points on remote moorings. They could look nice, be eco friendly, serve a useful function. 

[webntweb]

Sounds like the basis of a good idea to me. Perhaps for appearance they could be built like a conventional windmill (pump) with proper sails (non rotating) with the generating blades immediately behind them.

Roy

[BroadScot]

Ah but would the BA allow such a brilliant idea, having not thought of it first! 

[Hockham Admiral]

Martin, Hi.

I think the initial costs would probably exceed those that the BA would incur if they installed electric sockets and gave away the leccy.....      

 

[littlesprite]

5 minutes ago, Hockham Admiral said:

Martin, Hi.

I think the initial costs would probably exceed those that the BA would incur if they installed electric sockets and gave away the leccy.....      

 

It's about conservation surely!

Green renewable energy, the beauty of the windmills, selling any unused power to the grid.

Did I mention brownie points.

[JennyMorgan]

The BA did, in my time, consider an idea using actual windmills. Papers were submitted and might even still be available online, if you are lucky.

[CaptinDread]

they could use windmills, there is a lot of hot air coming from people these days....

[Bern]

lol

 

[Guest]

On 01/03/2016 at 5:29 PM, littlesprite said:

There's probably a obvious answer that I haven't thought of, but,  as people expect to see windmills on the broads, why don't they have wind turbines fitted for charge points on remote moorings. They could look nice, be eco friendly, serve a useful function. 

At first glance, traditional Broads windmills and windpumps do seem very similar in principle to wind turbines, but the practical differences are too significant to make them economic to adapt.

You could probably mount a modern wind turbine vane and hub on top of a trad Broads windpump, but it might look like one of the Sid's Frankenstein toys in toy story !

The original wooden and canvas sails would cost a lot to restore and maintain, and would be very inefficient in generating electricity.