Red, Golden Arches, and Green

MacDonald's sign in Cornwall, England, powered by solar and wind.
The sky was rather grey that day, but the wind was blowing nicely (it was raining, too!).
Pretty typical weather for Cornwall, and that wind generator was spinning like crazy!
There are so many illuminated signs in non-city areas where a panel and small turbine can be mounted near an illuminated sign or on the roof of the building.
So easy, so obvious, and a drop in the ocean for the budget of a major company.
Yet, if everyone did it, the effect would be HUGE!
Good on you McDonalds!

New Wind Turbine On The Edge Of Town

I was cycling out on the edge of town today, and I saw this.

It sure looks like a wind turbine mast.
I was out on the new link road that joins Berryfields to Buckingham Park (Aylesbury), when I saw it.
A quick trawl on the internet suggests that a 2KW wind turbine was approved in March 2012, so I guess that it what is!
The wind turbine is mentioned in a document called Vale Trends, which is full of planning information for our area - but, be honest, how many folks do you think actually read such publications :-)
Iirc, about 50% of all generated electricity in the UK is lost during transport over the nation's power lines, so a modestIy-sized wind turbine close to a housing development should be quite efficient by comparison - the shorter the distance from generation to consumption, the less is lost!
The 2KW turbine is expected to supply the power to 1500 homes, but with about 75,000 folks being recorded as living in the "Aylesbury Urban Area", and I guess somewhere in the region of 30,000 to 40, 000 homes, it's not that many really!

But every bit helps.
1500 homes powered by the turbine is 1500 less from gas/oil/coal/nuclear!

And it has to be better than living next to a "regular" power station!