🧵22 june marks @hepburnwind's 10th anniversary of generating clean energy!
since the very first kWh sent into the grid ten years ago, gale & gusto, the two turbines of australia's first community-owned wind farm have generated more than 100,000,000 kWh!
here's how it happened:
in 2004 a developer proposed the clarkes hill wind farm, about 30km from #daylesford.
a number of daylesford locals went along to the dean town hall for a "community consultation", excited to hear all about it.
but when they arrived, the atmosphere was hostile, almost violent!
the developer was run out of town & the anti-wind mob — themselves largely from out of town — celebrated a "victory".
the daylesford crew left the meeting devastated that the community's first response was knee-jerk opposition.
on the way home they promised to change the story.
many eyes on reported leak at #taishan nuclear power station, close to hong kong.
doesn't help that french part-owner has warned of an "imminent radiological threat", but the fact that US is monitoring closely & hasn't raised alarm should be of comfort.
🧵nuclear zealots like @Dr_Keefer often claim that wind turbines and solar panels last only 20 years.
…and that nuclear plants are somehow "immortal".
one problem: that's 🐂💩!
it’s not unusual for solar panels to come with a 25 year warranty these days.
the manufacturer of my solar panels claims they have a *40* year useful life, and guarantee that at 25 years they’ll still be 92% as productive as they were when brand new.
#ontario solar manufacturer @SilfabSolar claims the world's longest performance warranty — at least 82.6% of their original power at the end of their 30th year.
🤓 heard the one that there are few ongoing jobs in renewables?
turns out it's nonsense.
@UTSISF's detailed 2020 report, based on AEMO projections, shows the renewables sector provides a good and growing number of good, secure & regional jobs… 🧵
RE sector has 2 arms — construction and operations.
construction jobs will continue for decades. currently construction outnumbers operations, but as fleet grows operations becomes the majority.
i added the red line, coal power jobs.
RE already employs more than coal power.
(this chart does not include jobs in building new 'poles and wires', bioenergy, professional services, renewable hydrogen, mining inputs for RE [e.g. nickel, lithium, cobalt, rare earths] or industrial expansion arising from comparative advantage in energy-intensive industries.)