Negating the negative - wind power

GUSTAVO CATALÁN DEUS writes in El Mundo

MADRID .- A team of researchers at the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and the Foundation Migros finalizing a device capable of detecting the presence of birds and their trajectory, in order to stop the blades of wind turbines to prevent their death.The device in question, which has a television camera, promises to put an end to the carnage of wind farms around the world, which in some cases has emerged as the most negative impact of wind turbines, tireless producers of renewable energy .

Who has seen the wind?

Wind power meets record demand in Spain: industry group

Wind power supplied a record 43 percent of all electricity demand in Spain, which is being lashed by heavy winds and rain, for a brief period on Monday, the Spanish wind power association said.

Spanish wind farms generated 9,253 megawatts of the total demand of 21,264 megawatts at around 5 a.m. (0400 GMT), a moment when energy useage was low because most Spaniards were still asleep, it said in a statement.

The previous record of 40.8 percent was set in March, also during a stormy day.

Wind power generated a maximum of 10,263 megawatts in Spain shortly after noon on Monday, compared to the production record of 10,880 megawatts set in April.

The energy source will likely account for nearly 11 percent of all electricity demand in Spain during all of 2008, the association said.

Spain, along with Germany and Denmark, is among the three biggest producers of wind power in the European Union. It aims to triple the amount of energy it derives from renewable sources by 2020.

One step forward two steps back.

It has been an difficult two weeks in the garden. We spent the first of those weeks repairing the damage caused by the wind to our fences. 

Then the area around the trees we planted in the late summer was weeded; a fabric weed suppressing membrane was added and then a rock mulch applied. The rock mulch was made up of the field stones we have dug from the ground, as well as keeping the area weed free it should also help to conserve the water we use.

The 90 km winds that have blown the last three days have destroyed the fencing we erected last week. The joys of Spanish Gardening.