Dunkelflaute

[klondike]

Renewables won't keep us warm this winter
The cold snap is exposing the limits of wind and solar – and the insanity of the green agenda.

There are already many German loan words in the English language, but the latest addition should surely be the term 'Dunkelflaute'. It describes a period of time in which virtually no energy can be generated using wind and solar power. It is a word that captures the grave problem that both Britain and Germany are facing today – namely, that you cannot run a modern economy on renewable energy. Especially during a windless and dark winter.

As real-time data from Electricity Maps shows, electricity production from renewables in Germany and the UK over the past few days has been abysmal. In Germany it is coal that is keeping the lights on, while in Britain it is gas. Falling temperatures are rapidly increasing both countries' need for fossil fuels. It is not yet clear whether reserves for this winter are going to be sufficient.

Using electricity is a bit like breathing. Even a short break could prove lethal. An economy needs constant access to energy (electricity in particular), or it will collapse. We cannot simply expect households to live without electricity for a few days, unless we are prepared for civil society to break down.

Some may argue that if humanity has lived without modern technology before, we should be able to do so again. Perhaps. But such a transition would be neither desirable nor entirely peaceful. Once the Promethean flame of modernity has been acquired, few will want to give it up.

The fact is that renewables simply do not offer a viable alternative energy source at the moment. The technology does not yet exist to effectively store electricity, meaning we cannot stockpile any surplus produced by wind and solar during summer. So it doesn't matter how impressively renewables perform between June and August if they provide barely any energy between November and March. To keep an industrialised economy going requires energy all year round.

https://www.spiked-online.com/2022/12/14/renewables-wont-keep-us-warm-this-winter/

So if Fishy Rishi does get inward migration fixed (unlikely imo) will his next target be Net Zero? Despite it being perfectly obvious that the targets are unatainable and are likely to lead to deaths from hypothermia this winter as some people simply won't be able to afford to heat their homes adequately I doubt that will figure on the agenda. We were all told just how cheap wind energy was becoming. Yeah right. Apart from the fact its price is linked to global gas pricing when there is no wind then those million pound turbines are no more use than a pack of AA cells from Poundland.

[Ashy]

All this cheap and free energy is costing us a bomb. I think I preferred the expensive stuff.

[Raven]

All this cheap and free energy is costing us a bomb. I think I preferred the expensive stuff.

It feels that way.

[Alex]

I've got a case of the Flaute myself today, now Matalan has sent an e-mail to thank me for returning at item to their Carlisle shop !   Apparently my order has been lost so they have refunded my money.. Shambles.     

[klondike]

DPD lost something I ordered from Amazon. Amazon gave me a refund. DPD delivered it yesterday. Waiting for Amazon to contact me. Hoping they won't. 

Something I'm not so happy about is an eBay return. I posted it on the 12th. So far the tracking only shows accepted by Post Office and eBay automatic refund procedure waits on delivery I think.

[Alex]

I must be over 100 miles from Carlisle so just shows how efficient Matalan is. 

[klondike]

The tale of woe from my Amazon one where it took a long trip round their Liverpool depot for no obvious reasons. The DPD version had lots more odd entries in Liverpool.
Amazon still haven't contacted me about paying.

Delivery By DPD
Tracking ID: 3446929126
Wednesday, 14 December
4:04 PM
Delivered to front porch.
Hinckley, GB
8:10 AM
Out for delivery
Hinckley, GB
6:37 AM
Parcel arrived at a carrier facility
Hinckley, GB
Tuesday, 13 December
10:55 PM
Parcel left the carrier facility
Hub 5 - Hinckley, GB
9:44 PM
Parcel arrived at a carrier facility
Hub 5 - Hinckley, GB
Monday, 12 December
2:35 PM
Parcel left the carrier facility
Liverpool, GB
Saturday, 10 December
9:42 AM
Possible delay in delivery.
Liverpool, GB
9:42 AM
Parcel arrived at a carrier facility
Liverpool, GB
5:17 AM
Possible delay in delivery.
Liverpool, GB
5:15 AM
Parcel arrived at a carrier facility
Liverpool, GB
Friday, 9 December
11:20 PM
Parcel arrived at a carrier facility
Hub 3 - Bham, GB
Carrier picked up the package.

They'll have me banged to rights with the delivery proof photo taken by Filmon. He actually stuffed it through the letterbox.

[aged attachment deleted by system]