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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Barred Wobbler" data-source="post: 1621483" data-attributes="member: 69394">But we wouldn't, because the real stations would need to be kept on spinning reserve (ie burning fuel) for the back-up for the 5 days out of every 7 when the turbines don't produce, and because the power can't be stored it can only be produced when it's needed - the "average" this case is therefore a meaningless figure which is calculated by evening-out the periods of low demand (overnight) with the periods of high demand (daytime with an evening peak).It's no good producing 40GW overnight if the demand is only 29GW as it was last night, and power generation must be predictable if it is to be controlled. Wind is totally unpredictable - it just can't be relied on to blow when it's needed and not to blow when it's not.And as for financial efficiency, the wind may be free, but even so they manage to make it the most expensive form of power generation currently in use, more expensive than coal, gas or nuclear.</blockquote>