This year the rats went off to Cornwall for their summer hols. On the journey we passed through a wind-farm of giant two-armed beauties, a new sight for all of us. That evening while planning our holiday campaign we noticed a leaflet (the cottage was amply supplied) advertising an alternative energy centre at a nearby wind-farm: "must go there" we all thought. But alas, a quick look on the internet showed this to have folded. In her update to the forum CRat mentioned the windmills we had seen on our journey and someone mentioned that it might be Delabole and that it was their open-day tomorrow. A quick scour of the map revealed that Delabole wasn't what we had seen but it was only just down the road: "must go there" we all thought again.
So the next day arrived and the weather was filthy: cold, wet, grey, windy. As we neared we could see more windmills but these were three bladed types - prettier I thought in my now expert eye. The open-day was in the building previously used for the alternative energy centre but only the giant waterwheel remained, the rest of the contents replaced with a multitude of stalls from alternative energy equipment to wood-powered hot-tubs and environmental groups to solar powered Scalextric.
Initially it was a bit wet to go out and see the windmills so we had a good look around inside and got the low-down on vacuum tubes for solar water heating and the types of windmill I could erect at home - if, of course, I lived in a suitable location, which I don't.
The wind-turbines at Delabole are nearing the end of their life and are hopefully soon to be replaced. There are two proposals:
- to replace the existing turbines with the same number of similar size machines
- to replace the existing turbines with fewer but larger machines
Both options would result in a significant increase in power production capacity for the site but, reading between the lines, I got the impression that there is a lot of local resistance to the plans. As we drove around Cornwall we often saw signs calling for a halt to wind-farms in the area. In an attempt to counter this sentiment there were a number of information boards giving details of the site history, power produced and the visible effect of the proposed changes. So far I thought these beast were great but I'd only seen them from a distance - I had to get up close.
By now the rain had reduced to a general dampness so we all trooped outside and headed for the nearest three-armed-giant. Wow these things are huge! And these are only small ones! Once up close I could feel the power flowing through the air - quite scary really. And what a great noise they make - a sort of swooshing, changing subtly as I moved around.
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While at the open-day we found out that that evening the windmills were to be illuminated - a sight worth seeing we thought. So that evening we headed out from the warmth of our cottage into the murky Cornwall night only to find that now dense fog had been added to the weather collection. After careful navigation of the Cornwall main roads (lanes) we just managed to find the entrance to the wind-farm, aided by a slight glow that J (hairy) rat had noticed in the fog-banks. But where have the windmills gone? I can hear them … and then all of a sudden there is a thinning of the fog and a magenta giant strides out of the murk, brushing away the bothersome mist, getting on with his job, come what may. And then another appears, and another. But three is the most we can see, the rest hidden, swooshing onwards, being useful.
More Info
http://www.delabole.com/windfarm.html
http://www.good-energy.co.uk/PDF/GE_Repowering_Press_Release_final.pdf
http://www.delabole.org/delabole-windfarm.htm
http://www.good-energy.co.uk/
