Wind turbine backlash article

[charlz]

I know most of the wind questions on here deal with a single residential wind generator but I thought this article was interesting. Lots of info about how much noise, vibration etc. is generated from wind farm turbines.

Green Backlash: The Wind Turbine Controversy

 

[LMTC]

Another among the almost countless examples of unintended consequences from the do-gooders. Far too many people react rather than act with planning, grab the first attractive resolution to a problem that they see, and then cling to it despite any and all evidence against it. This will continue as long as our education system churns out people with no training in critical thinking. Most of the folks who visit these forums seem to have an innate sense of critical thinking, whilst most of the general population does not.

 

[Tig]

I was initially very please with the local wind farm proposal although it was too far from me to be of any concern. When the proposal was defeated I looked into it a bit further. The first thing i noticed was that the setbacks were ridiculously small. Much less than the numbers quoted in the article linked above. As much as I want clean power, I really couldn't support the idea setting one of those things near a home.
Seems that they should buy up land or put these things on federal land out of sight and sound.

 

[MikeD74T]

I think there's a lot of reasons not to build windmills but I'm skeptical of this one????? MikeD74T

"he says. wind towers are known to be fatal to bats because their lungs are ruptured by the pressure change created by the turbine blades."

 

[Tig]

Perhaps he means the pressure change as the bats fly over to investigate the turbine and get swatted by a blade.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I think there's a lot of reasons not to build windmills but I'm skeptical of this one????? MikeD74T

"he says. wind towers are known to be fatal to bats because their lungs are ruptured by the pressure change created by the turbine blades."

I don't know about bats but there are serious issues with birds of prey as well as migratory bird strike issues with wind generators.

People generally do not want even single stand alone home owner erected wind generators around. This was true back in 1982 when I was involved with them. Nor do people want solar generators close by or more dams, etc., etc.

I suggest that the most viable means of conservation starts at home be it low tech insulation or window upgrades, etc. I would also suggest that when someone sits on the bully pulpit and espouses the so called benefits of "clean energy" then they need to be challenged on some of these issues.

We have plenty of coal. We have plenty of unemployed. We have plenty of smart people. What we need is new ideas to use old resources more efficiently.

 

[MikeD74T]

TIG & QRTRHRS, I believe windmills kill bats as well as birds. My workplace has a 300' x 600' x 125' high building with a band of 12' high windows around the top. We find lots of dead birds that try to fly through the building, and it isn't even moving. Bats can "see" glass.
I just doubt the 'pressure bursts their lungs' part. For starters the wind turbines don't create pressure, the atmosphere does i.e. wind is pressure, they just react to it. Went one gets run over by a train is it the pressure wave in front of the train or the axles & motors grinding one into the ground (which without a doubt changes lung pressure) that causes death?
Northern NH is fighting a wind farm in a remote (remote as defined by land posting & contour more than distance from people) area. The "green" power priorities in NH right now seem to be based on who gets the most tax relief, grants, & subsidies. Whether we (NH) need the power or if some other form of green power that actually puts money into NH's economy is secondary. MikeD74T

 

[SPYDERLK]

TIG & QRTRHRS, I believe windmills kill bats as well as birds. My workplace has a 300' x 600' x 125' high building with a band of 12' high windows around the top. We find lots of dead birds that try to fly through the building, and it isn't even moving. Bats can "see" glass.
I just doubt the 'pressure bursts their lungs' part. For starters the wind turbines don't create pressure, the atmosphere does i.e. wind is pressure, they just react to it. Went one gets run over by a train is it the pressure wave in front of the train or the axles & motors grinding one into the ground (which without a doubt changes lung pressure) that causes death?
Northern NH is fighting a wind farm in a remote (remote as defined by land posting & contour more than distance from people) area. The "green" power priorities in NH right now seem to be based on who gets the most tax relief, grants, & subsidies. Whether we (NH) need the power or if some other form of green power that actually puts money into NH's economy is secondary. MikeD74T

Now, the Todds have eight 1.5-megawatt turbines near them with the closest just 2,400 feet from their home. :
"When a blade passes the tower, it creates a thump, sort of like rap music. It can be felt in your chest and on the soles of your feet."

Perhaps you just didnt read this...?

larry

 

[charlz]

I suggest that the most viable means of conservation starts at home be it low tech insulation or window upgrades, etc. I would also suggest that when someone sits on the bully pulpit and espouses the so called benefits of "clean energy" then they need to be challenged on some of these issues.

The best use of solar appears to be solar thermal. I wonder how much energy could be saved nationwide if all new houses had a solar thermal panel for domestic hot water? Retrofitting is a pain. When I lived in Vegas all the new houses came with a 'loop' in the garage for a water softener. Even just providing such a loop in the attic for a solar thermal panel would probably go a great ways towards homeowners deploying the technology.

 

[VABlue]

The bat thing is real, pressure differences from the front and rear side of the blade is similar to how an aircraft wing functions. Birds are notorioulsy weak in respiratory sensitivity, so that pressure change can screw them up pretty good.

I didn't realize the noise generated was that high, nor did I ever think of shadow flicker - a strobe light effect. Imagine trying to live with a strobe light on all day... Yuck! IMO, we need to build more nuclear plants. They provide far more power per dollar than any other form of generation and do not pollute. The waste product does need to be stored properly, though, and we have the facilities for that. They just need to be used.

All that said, I'd still like to have a personal wind turbine to reduce my power costs, but they're too expensive.