37 replies to this topic

[Ecodisaster]

I don't think this has been posted before. I came through this article that lists the 8 biggest wind farms in the entire world. Where are these 8 wind farms located? Your guess? I am sure you would never guess it.
In the USA. USA appears to be greener after finding this article.

http://www.theatlant...e-world/249174/

Interesting, isn't it?

[artistry]

This is very interesting, in that Texas and California are home to some of the largest wind farms. It makes me wonder if the energy is provided to any other states, with such a huge amount of power available. Thank you for the informative material, it is certainly interesting.

[Ecodisaster]

You are welcome. I was actually wondering the same thing, and I came to the conclusion that they should be providing energy at least to neighboring states. I bet they do.

[Chris S]

We're making progress one day at a time.
People think America is so pollution filled because they focus on the big cities, etc.
But after this, we all know that we, (America), are already a rather green country and are getting better every year!

[Shortpoet-GTD]

climagician, on 04 December 2011 - 05:02 PM, said:

One of the great misconceptions is that the earth looks like it does around cities everywhere. Humans occupy less than 1% of the planets land masses - it's just that most of this is coast line. Having flown around most of the world I can tell you that most if it is still pristine wilderness. Sure we do have a big impact on the tiny locations we inhabit, but it's not as if we don't have the right to.
All the materials we use are from the planet anyway.
The biggest problem I have with Windfarms , apart from the bird deaths, is the WFSS - Windfarm Sickness Syndrome - basically making it impossible for any living thing to live sanely nearby. The low frequency sounds also ruin bat navigation.

With 7+ billion people using resources, we've using them up quicker than they can be replaced/regrown.
As for occupy- 1%???
http://www.google.co...iw=1024&bih=479

[zararina]

It will be always nice to see cities and places having effort of making alternative sources of energy as even they are far from where we are, we could still benefit at it since we live in our one planet earth. So any effort of creating earth friendlier sources benefits all other as well as destructing could affect all others too.

[sculptor]

and
The linked article didn't even mention Iowa
Iowa is second only to texas in wind power generation
installed capacity is enough to power over 880,000 homes
and accounts for 20% of iowa's power generation
within 3 years, we should have enough installed capacity to power 50% of iowa homes
in 2 locations, ethanol plants are powered exclusively by wind power------------using one renewable resource to create another renewable resource----------------greener and greener, the emerald state

For wind power generation, the federal government offers a 30% tax credit, which means that if you spend $100,000, they pay $30,000 of that.
Iowa has more incentives for production, power generation, and use of the power generated

if current trends continue, even without Kyoto, we should reduce our dependence on fossil fuels to 1/2 what it is today within a generation

the main obstacle now is the power grid------------there is not enough capacity in the grid to use the power from currently planned projects.
without federal leadership,
local businesses and political entities are left to build out the current power grid in a piecemeal as needed basis
one proposal on the table is to build a mega trunk line from iowa wind to Chicago consumers

same same texas ---the power generated feeds a grid that is mostly for texas
the time has come for the federal government to create a national grid
............
national?
................
hull mon-----how about a comprehensive north american power grid?
--------------
one planet-----
one unified structure for the good of all

[sculptor]

oops
in the above,
i typed; "within 3 years, we should have enough installed capacity to power 50% of Iowa homes"
that should read 100%

Wind now produces enough to power 880,000 households out of a total of 1,226,804 households----346,804 to go

back to clean and or efficient heating----when we have enough harnessed wind energy, electric heat pumps should be the most efficient and greenest form of heat

[Shortpoet-GTD]

'Wind turbine #200 is just one in the 10-wind farm project in Santa Catarina, totaling 22 MW of installed capacity with 148 wind turbines. “Wind turbine #200 is a landmark in our productive evolution and the fulfillment of our goal to produce 6 wind turbines per week,” stated Frank Migiyama, Operations Director for WPE, who also pointed out the importance of Kaizen, the program of excellence implemented at the production center.

With newly expanded facilities in Suape, WPE announces the installation of the largest VPI in South America early in 2012. “We are focused on meeting a higher demand than this year,” Migiyama pointed out. In addition to the WPE expansion, IMPSA expects to inaugurate a new plant in Suape for the production of hydropower components in 2012. “We are in the spotlight on the Brazilian market and the new plant represents IMPSA’s productivity and growth in the country”.




http://www.evwind.es...hp?id_not=15528

[jasserEnv]

Anthro, on 04 December 2011 - 05:02 PM, said:

One of the great misconceptions is that the earth looks like it does around cities everywhere. Humans occupy less than 1% of the planets land masses - it's just that most of this is coast line. Having flown around most of the world I can tell you that most if it is still pristine wilderness. Sure we do have a big impact on the tiny locations we inhabit, but it's not as if we don't have the right to. Does anyone tell Beavers they don't have a right to create their dams? Or to Ants who create giant underground and aboveground cities? All the materials we use are from the planet anyway. We're not sending our resources off into space. To borrow an expression "Methinks the lady doth protest too much"

The biggest problem I have with Windfarms , apart from the bird deaths, is the WFSS - Windfarm Sickness Syndrome - basically making it impossible for any living thing to live sanely nearby. The low frequency sounds also ruin bat navigation.

I too have traveled and cannot support the comments here with my observations or what I have read. While we may only use 1% of the land to live on, that is in of itself a massive number. What other species take up 1% of the land area. Also, we take it up in areas like river deltas and rich fertile areas so our impact in land use is far greater than the percentage of area that we use. Secondly, we use a lot of land for the crops we raise so we are by no means using 1% of the land area. Lastly, a decade ago I heard another not poorly constructed argument that if we took all the area of all roads in the world, it would only take up the space of the state of Texas. Given that that this area is less productive than even a desert, that is a huge amount of land area that we have consumed for our transportation needs.

[Ecodisaster]

jasserEnv, on 31 December 2011 - 11:44 AM, said:

I too have traveled and cannot support the comments here with my observations or what I have read. While we may only use 1% of the land to live on, that is in of itself a massive number. What other species take up 1% of the land area. Also, we take it up in areas like river deltas and rich fertile areas so our impact in land use is far greater than the percentage of area that we use. Secondly, we use a lot of land for the crops we raise so we are by no means using 1% of the land area. Lastly, a decade ago I heard another not poorly constructed argument that if we took all the area of all roads in the world, it would only take up the space of the state of Texas. Given that that this area is less productive than even a desert, that is a huge amount of land area that we have consumed for our transportation needs.

+1000. Agree 100%. Tell that to the ones in the reservation....the tribes feel that 1% more than travelers do. No clean fish anymore, no clean plants, all GMOs, trash everywhere...I have seen trash in the wildest of places in Alaska. Yes, sometimes it gets there. Wish we took more care of what we do...we can all live together, we simply don't take care of our land.

[msterees]

I hadn't heard of windfarm sickness syndrome but I will have to check it out. I recently visited Northern Indiana and saw the wind farm that is #8 on the list. It was night time, and all the wind turbines had a blinking red light on them. I couldn't help but wonder if they were making enough energy to offset the lighting used at night. Also curious to know how these red lights affect other things like being able to see stars or the migration of birds. Any thoughts?

[JBMedia]

I have to say, I'm very glad you posted this article. I had no idea some of the biggest wind farms were in the U.S.! Personally, I know wind farms aren't always cost-effective, but I think they are one of the better ways of making renewable energy. I hope it catches on and continually becomes more popular in the energy industry.

However, I've never really heard of windfarm sickness syndrome either. This is definitely something I'm going to look into.

[Ecodisaster]

JBMedia, on 01 January 2012 - 06:23 PM, said:

I have to say, I'm very glad you posted this article. I had no idea some of the biggest wind farms were in the U.S.! Personally, I know wind farms aren't always cost-effective, but I think they are one of the better ways of making renewable energy. I hope it catches on and continually becomes more popular in the energy industry.

However, I've never really heard of windfarm sickness syndrome either. This is definitely something I'm going to look into.

I personally don't like wind farms, but I am proud of the fact that some of the biggest ones are in the US. I believe they are not the solution, as there are other types of alternative energy that is simply not being implemented as much. However, I must admit, it's better than nothing. Better than coal, nuclear and the like.

[Ecodisaster]

msterees, on 01 January 2012 - 05:28 PM, said:

I hadn't heard of windfarm sickness syndrome but I will have to check it out. I recently visited Northern Indiana and saw the wind farm that is #8 on the list. It was night time, and all the wind turbines had a blinking red light on them. I couldn't help but wonder if they were making enough energy to offset the lighting used at night. Also curious to know how these red lights affect other things like being able to see stars or the migration of birds. Any thoughts?

Was the red light too strong? I would say it is simply one of those lights they also put on cell phone towers and HAM radio repeaters? If so, only pilots (humans) would know what the red light means. It won't make a difference to a goose or another migration bird, I would say. About being able to see the stars, I seriously doubt it would affect stargazing, since red lights are used in Astronomy while viewing charts at night...or in the military, so that the human eye keeps focused on the darkness.

Now if the lights were really strong...that would be a different story.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

msterees, on 01 January 2012 - 05:28 PM, said:

I hadn't heard of windfarm sickness syndrome but I will have to check it out. I recently visited Northern Indiana and saw the wind farm that is #8 on the list. It was night time, and all the wind turbines had a blinking red light on them. I couldn't help but wonder if they were making enough energy to offset the lighting used at night. Also curious to know how these red lights affect other things like being able to see stars or the migration of birds. Any thoughts?

Regarding the lights-all towers over a certain height have to have lights on them for planes/helicopters.
Regarding the so-called syndrome. We're always quick to jump to the negative after years of negative
feedback from the media.
Imo, it's hogwash.
Now, the number of kids suffering from asthma= air pollution=coal plants has been proven, for instance.

[msterees]

The light on each one of the turbines wasn't very strong, but there are literally thousands of them. When they are all lit up at the same time it lets off quite a bit of light. There weren't many houses near the wind farm so I don't think the lights are a problem for local residents.

[Ecodisaster]

msterees, on 02 January 2012 - 06:28 AM, said:

The light on each one of the turbines wasn't very strong, but there are literally thousands of them. When they are all lit up at the same time it lets off quite a bit of light. There weren't many houses near the wind farm so I don't think the lights are a problem for local residents.

Yeah, the lights wouldn't be a problem for the residents, and I doubt they would be a problem for birds neither. In fact, the lights may be the thing that actually helps them spook them away at night. I have no idea the way birds see red lights, but I'd say it would help them dodge the real deal. They won't know what the light mean I suppose, but I doubt they'd feel attracted to them, or affected in any way. Now I am kind of doubtful as well...
Lights attract insects for sure...but birds I am not sure.

[msterees]

I didn't think about the lights actually making the wind turbines safer for the birds. If the lights keep them away at night, what do you think causes them to stay away from them during the day. I doubt if the lights affect insects much since they are so high up most species wouldn't be flying there anyway.