21 replies to this topic

[posthuman]

So was the Pyramid Stage wind turbine fake or real? I did actually see it not moving once, but apart from that, it did seem to be moving at the same speed for the whole festival.

If it was real... how much energy would it actually generate? Enough to power half of one of the stage lights?

Edited by posthuman, 01 July 2009 - 12:30 PM.

[BinThereDrummedThat]

It was a very silly thing...just to look good but not actually doing anything at all.

I'd be surprised if it could power half a stage light.  They're pretty powerful.

Maybe a couple of ordinary outside lightbulbs.

[posthuman]

BinThereDrummedThat, on Jul 1 2009, 12:32 PM, said:

I'd be surprised if it could power half a stage light.  They're pretty powerful.

Maybe a couple of ordinary outside lightbulbs.

Moving to LED-based stage lights has probably done more for the festival's carbon footprint than any wind turbine ever could...

[BinThereDrummedThat]

Agree, but even if they covered if the entire festival site in wind turbines they still wouldnt be able to generate the power that place uses!

Theres really not much that can be done.

[lisa93]

the website with further info on the skyrota can be found here http://www.vertexrenewables.com/

the version next to the pyramid was a full size model. ME is apparently going to have one on the farm shortly

[bombfrog]

I don't think it's in keeping with the green festival spirit really. It must use a hell of a lot of power to keep that thing rotating all the time  

[lisa93]

bombfrog, on Jul 1 2009, 01:57 PM, said:

I don't think it's in keeping with the green festival spirit really. It must use a hell of a lot of power to keep that thing rotating all the time  

It was solar powered! - I went to the stall in green fields...and i think promoting renewable energy is totally in keeping with the festie.

Edited by lisa93, 01 July 2009 - 01:01 PM.

[bombfrog]

lisa93, on Jul 1 2009, 01:58 PM, said:

It was solar powered! - I went to the stall in green fields...and i think promoting renewable energy is totally in keeping with the festie.

Oh dear...

[lisa93]

why oh dear...seriously, am i missing something?!

[lord stradmor]

It was powering the BBC Somerset caravan i believe

[bombfrog]

lisa93, on Jul 1 2009, 02:08 PM, said:

why oh dear...seriously, am i missing something?!

It was a joke.

It doesn't take any power to make a wind turbine go round, that's kind of the point.

[lisa93]

riiight gotcha, this i know andi believe it takes a whole lot more wind...plus it's a model. It really was solar powered, as mentioned, I went to the stall to find out more about it as was interested.

Strange though, I thought you were against the prospect of it being a powered model? "it must use a hell of a lot of power to keep that thing rotating all the time" - so confused (easily done!)

Anyway, only originally posted to see if peeps wanted a bit more info on them that's all.

[kerplunk]

bombfrog, on Jul 1 2009, 01:57 PM, said:

I don't think it's in keeping with the green festival spirit really. It must use a hell of a lot of power to keep that thing rotating all the time  

I would have thought it would use about the same amount as it produces when it's being turned by the wind. So you could say to make up for it being used 'in reverse' (if that's what it was doing at the fest) it would have to do about 5 days 'real' work to make up for it.

bombfrog, on Jul 1 2009, 02:15 PM, said:

It was a joke.

duh

Edited by kerplunk, 01 July 2009 - 01:27 PM.

[scorp]

lisa93, on Jul 1 2009, 01:54 PM, said:

the website with further info on the skyrota can be found here http://www.vertexrenewables.com/

the version next to the pyramid was a full size model. ME is apparently going to have one on the farm shortly

he had a turbine at the fest for some years then it disappeared and there was none for several years. now up pops another.

[mikeb]

kerplunk, on Jul 1 2009, 02:25 PM, said:

I would have thought it would use about the same amount as it produces when it's being turned by the wind. So you could say to make up for it being used 'in reverse' (if that's what it was doing at the fest) it would have to do about 5 days 'real' work to make up for it.

Nope not really, because it's effectively running on no-load plus would have been assisted by whatever wind was available and in any case was allegedly solar powered according to a comment earlier.  Spinning the rotor alone would have taken little or no power providing that there was no load connected as the only power needed would be to overcome friction.

I stumbled across this several weeks ago:

Quote

The founder of the Glastonbury Festival is seeking permission to place a wind turbine on his land. Michael Eavis has submitted plans to Mendip District Council for the building of a turbine at The Bridge, Worthy Farm, Pilton.

Clicky for Linky to summary of planning applications from the local paper(s), dated 6th April 2009. I'm almost certain I saw the actual application as published by Mendip Council when I looked last time but can't seem to find it at the mo. It could just have been short-term approval for what was at the festival of course but I got the impression at the time that it was to be a permanent feature.

so I kinda thought that it was the real thing so to speak even if it perhaps wasn't doing very much to contribute to the vast amount of power consumed by the festival site at the time.  However, 365 days of generated power certainly would be reasonably and significantly comparable to 5(ish) days of festival power of course so it's in no way a bad thing or token gesture in the long term IMHO. Would have asked questions when I wandered by the stand in Greenfields if I'd thought it could have been just a mock-up.

Edited by mikeb, 01 July 2009 - 02:35 PM.

[incident]

It was real.. The company that provided it had a stall and some info in the Green Futures Field

[kerplunk]

mikeb, on Jul 1 2009, 03:22 PM, said:

Nope not really, because it's effectively running on no-load plus would have been assisted by whatever wind was available and in any case was allegedly solar powered according to a comment earlier.  Spinning the rotor alone would have taken little or no power providing that there was no load connected as the only power needed would be to overcome friction.

uh ok I'll have to think about that one

[windy_miller]

A solar powered wind turbine?! WTF?  I really don't understand.

[kerplunk]

windy_miller, on Jul 1 2009, 05:10 PM, said:

A solar powered wind turbine?! WTF?  I really don't understand.

Think of it as a big solar-powered electric fan  

[grumpyhack]

Surely methane power generation must be an option with all the sh*t that 180,000 people produce.