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[10ebbor10]

Problem is then that you have mechanical components operating in sea water. Also, it moves significantly, which could be disturbing to animals, and increases maintenance costs.

Edit: Additionally, my point is that there's no solution. The point is that the current systems doesn't work, and actively makes things worse, while sounding good on paper.
Edit2: Don't read the comments. They're a combination of denials, conspiracy theories and advertising. Actually, I'm thankful for that spambot, he might have been the sanest one on that page.

[Sheb]

The only mechanical component would be the winch, which could be above sea level (with a pulley anchored to the ground). And I'm not sure what effect you'll have on sea life if the thing stay away from the ocean floor.

[10ebbor10]

The only mechanical component would be the winch, which could be above sea level (with a pulley anchored to the ground). And I'm not sure what effect you'll have on sea life if the thing stay away from the ocean floor.

And well, sealife could easily seek it's home in the pully, and block it.

Also, at what depth are you placing it. Offshore is generally build on sandbanks, rarely deeper than 100 meters. Often, they're only a good 30 meters deep. (Dogger bank, for example).

[Sheb]

Okay, I found the thesis of the guy's grad student. He claims he could store 5.60 kWh/m³, but plan on having those bags 600m deep. A flat-and-pulley system operating over the same depth could store at most 1.635 kWh/m³.

Also of interest: he suggests using windmills with weights inside the blade, that would directly compress the air without the need for a generator or compressor. Since generator are one of the limiting factores for very big windmills, this system would let us make even bigger (and more efficient) windmills economically feasible.

Spoiler: Commpressor windmill schematics (click to show/hide)

[Descan]

Ah, yes. I'd forgotten about that part, it does make it a little less "How do you plan on doing that?", since I was wondering where they'd keep the pump...

[Blargityblarg]

Whole playlist of videos about the underwater windbag guy and his technology, with underwater windbag guy himself, and demonstrations of said technology.

[olemars]

Also of interest: he suggests using windmills with weights inside the blade, that would directly compress the air without the need for a generator or compressor. Since generator are one of the limiting factores for very big windmills, this system would let us make even bigger (and more efficient) windmills economically feasible.

Spoiler: Commpressor windmill schematics (click to show/hide)

Interesting concept, but the imbalance would at best increase wear on the turbine by a large factor, at worst rip it off in short order. Better to put the piston in the main shaft then.

As far as windmill size goes, there are near-term plans to build turbines with 180m wingspans. How big do we need them?

[Sheb]

Well, it's an economic thing. You have large fixed costs for a wind turbine (Doesn't cost much more to install a 180 m offshore than a 120m one), but the area swept (and so the energy generated) is proportional to the square of the blade length. Plus, winds tend to be stronger/more regular up high.

So yeah, bigger is better.

[Helgoland]

Everyone knows biggest windmill is best windmill!

And yeah, German renewable energy policy is a mess. We hastily dropped nuclear (not that that's a bad thing, but it was rushed), subsidized the most inefficient forms of green energy (solar in a country like Germany, with loads of clouds, rain, and winter), did not subsidize those forms that actually make sense in our country (offshore wind), gave a crap about infrastructure, etc etc.
Merkel is a great politician, but she sucks at domestic issues.

[Max White]

How well would tidal work in Germany? It looks like you have somewhat sheltered shores, relatively speaking, so it would be easy enough to set up. Constant, reliable, renewable energy, right?

[Helgoland]

Nope - the Baltic is a bathtub, and our north sea cost consists almost exclusively of intertidal zones ("Watt" in German) - basically huge areas of mud that are flooded half the time. There's several German islands you can reach by foot if you're fast enough!
And even if it was feasible to build tidal plants in that sort of environment - the Watt is a pretty unique ecosystem you'd be completely messing up. Not a good idea in general, completely impossible in Germany.

[Max White]

Damn, and you guys don't have a ring of fire or hotbeds to get geothermal from... Wind turbines it is!

[Ghazkull]

Everyone knows biggest windmill is best windmill!

And yeah, German renewable energy policy is a mess. We hastily dropped nuclear (not that that's a bad thing, but it was rushed), subsidized the most inefficient forms of green energy (solar in a country like Germany, with loads of clouds, rain, and winter), did not subsidize those forms that actually make sense in our country (offshore wind), gave a crap about infrastructure, etc etc.
Merkel is a great politician, but she sucks at domestic issues.

Honestly i lolled at that Helgoland. Merkel is in my opinion one of the worst politicians we have to date. Nothing but teflon politics.

That woman messed up our Renewable Energy Policy, she propably doubled our State Debt ( and is announcing to continue to do so) and overall i could put a Piece of Cheese in her place. We would have the same amount of reforms going on and the Cheese would be more charismatic.

[Chaoswizkid]

Why shut down Nuclear? Germany doesn't have a significant threat of earthquakes, does it?

[10ebbor10]

Why shut down Nuclear? Germany doesn't have a significant threat of earthquakes, does it?

It's great PR.

Because yeah, more than half the anti nuclear arguments are caused by fear, or results of nuclear antipathy.