The Anonymous Widower

Vattenfall Invests In 76-Megawatt Agrivoltaic Project

The title of this post, is the same as that of this media report from Vattenfall.

This is the sub-heading.

Agrivoltaics is the combination of sustainable agriculture and solar power generation on the same agricultural land. Vattenfall has now made a final investment decision for a 76-megawatt solar park Tützpatz in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The project is being set up without state support.

These two paragraphs outline the project.

Photovoltaics is now one of the cheapest technologies among renewable energies, and solar power has a high level of acceptance among the population. However, critics of open space photovoltaics fear that expansion could take place at the expense of agricultural land used for food production. The relatively young technology of agrivoltaics, which can reconcile agricultural use and photovoltaics, can help to resolve this competitive situation.

For the first time, Vattenfall will implement this innovative concept of land use on a commercial scale with partners. The aim of the project in Tützpatz is to combine module types on different mounting systems with suitable agricultural uses over an area of 95 ha, and thus gain further practical experience for future commercial projects of this kind. According to current plans, construction at Tützpatz is scheduled to start in early summer 2023.

Note.

  1. Tützpatz is a few miles North of Lincoln.
  2. This project is subsidy-free.
  3. At Tützpatz, 76 MW is to be installed in 95 hectares, which is an energy density of 0.8 MW per hectare.
  4. Agrivoltaics have an extensive Wikipedia entry.

I would expect we could use agrivoltaics in quite a few places in Southern England.

February 28, 2023 Posted by | Energy | , , , , | 3 Comments

Unique Study: Birds Avoid Wind Turbine Blades

The title of this post, is the same as that of this media report from Vattenfall.

This is the sub-heading.

Seabirds deliberately avoid wind turbine rotor blades offshore – that is the main finding of a new study that mapped the flightpaths of thousands of birds around wind turbines in the North Sea. Most importantly, during two years of monitoring using cameras and radar, not a single bird was recorded colliding with a rotor blade.

I must admit I’m not surprised, as I’ve landed a light aircraft many times with birds flying above the runway and I can’t remember ever hitting one. But I have seen several dive out of the way.

The report is a fascinating read.

February 28, 2023 Posted by | Energy, Environment | , , , , , | 4 Comments

A Quality Takeaway With A Station And A Large Garden

It was cold today and on walking from the Hanover Square entrance to Bond Street station to the Marks and Spencer store on Oxford Street, I came across this Leon, where I had a hot chocolate.

Is this the ultimate pit-stop on the Elizabeth Line?

February 28, 2023 Posted by | Food, Transport/Travel | , , , | 2 Comments

Floating Foundation For 15+ MW Offshore Wind Turbines Launches

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Odfjell Oceanwind has launched the Deepsea Star™ harsh environment floating wind foundation designed to support wind turbines with a capacity of 15 MW and more.

Note.

  • Odfjell Oceanwind is a Norwegian company and has this web site.
  • This news item from Odfgell Oceanwind is entitled  Odfjell Oceanwind Launches The Deepsea Star™ 15MW Floating Wind Foundation and was published on the 28th of February, 2023.
  • The news item was the source of the iffshoreWIND.biz article.
  • In the news item, one of the designers, explains some of the features.

I very much believe that ,my twenty-three-year-old self armed with ICI’s PACE 231-R would have had great fun examining the dynamic proiperties of a structure like this.

 

February 28, 2023 Posted by | Design, Energy | , , , , | Leave a comment

Metro Operator Opts For Better Mobile Signal Instead Of Wi-Fi

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.

This is the first paragraph.

Tyne & Wear Metro operator Nexus has chosen to eliminate mobile phone connectivity ‘not spots’ instead of deploying on-train wi-fi as previously planned.

I agree with this, as it is so much more convenient. Especially, if like me, your eyesight isn’t  a hundred percent.

If Greater Anglia were able to offer it on their Mark 3 coaches, the technology must be easy to implement.

 

February 28, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , | Leave a comment