For starters, it appears there may be an alternative to burying or burning those used turbine parts after all. Washington-based Global Fiberglass Solutions has found a way of grinding up large pieces of plastic composites into tiny pellets, which can then be used in construction and manufacturing For those newer blades, a company called Carbon Fiber Recycling has found a way to recycle carbon fiber waste, which was actually tested on wind turbines when they were doing their research.
Their process separates the carbon fiber from the epoxy resin that is also used to make the blades. And in Poland, an urban tech start-up has pioneered a new approach to wind power by building panels made up of vertical rows of small turbines. Although more suitable to smaller applications rather than powering huge grids, they are designed to eliminate the main disadvantages of wind power by being silent, quick and easy to set up without being a danger to wildlife or making a huge impact on the environment There will always be some kind of environmental impact no matter what we do.
But the impact of increased investment in this source of energy — at a time we urgently need to lower carbon emissions — is undeniable. Imagine how much better we can make that LCA with the innovations and new approaches to materials and disposal going on right now? Hydropower may not be The New Technology on the Block, but this old school tech may have a few tricks left in it. With other renewables like wind and Solar power has seen record growth over the past decade, created an incredible number of new jobs, and is one of the most affordable forms of Relying on volunteers and individual donations, the group has worked to defeat wind projects from Nantucket to Lenox.
Wind Wise and its allies believe wind turbines are noisy and ugly, and that their ability to reduce greenhouse gases has been vastly overstated. The group also believes windmills are responsible for wind turbine syndrome, a controversial diagnosis involving dizziness, nausea, headaches, ear pain, and an array of other frightening symptoms in people who live too close to large turbines.
In addition to the turbines Wind Wise has managed to scuttle, it has been able, so far at least, to block a proposed state law that would relax regulations and make it easier to build new windmills. It also maintains an active Web presence, mobilizes speakers to testify on Beacon Hill, and employs an energetic PR man. Pages: 1 2 3 4. Search for: Search.
In fact, besides the initial cost, and occasional maintenance and repair, wind energy is a zero-cost energy source. And because mass production of the technology has improved and bettered itself in recent years, wind turbines are becoming cheaper to build and to purchase and install, and there are many government tax incentives for using wind energy.
And thanks to the global efforts being put into place more consistently than ever, wind energy is growing and increasingly more desirable for reducing our footprint on the planet. And because wind power has become the lowest-cost option for adding new power capacity to the grid, wind energy is on the rise and is expected to continue on that line for decades and centuries to come. There are benefits of using wind energy to create renewable electrical energy for our homes and businesses across the world.
The first and most obvious benefit of using wind energy is that it is a clean fuel source. The capacity in each country is growing by the year, and as this grows, the necessary use of fossil fuels from other nations shrinks. Wind energy is a far more sustainable power option, as well, over nearly every other energy source. Wind power is considered the lowest-cost renewable energy source and the prices for development are dropping and will continue to do so for many years.
This makes it more affordable for large farms as well as individuals to create their own electricity through wind turbines. Wind power costs between two and six cents per kilowatt-hour to produce, depending on the wind resource, of course. One exceptionally great thing about wind turbines is that they can be added to existing land projects. Admittedly, an entire large wind farm could probably not be positioned throughout an existing cattle ranch and still provide enough land for both projects.
But smaller wind farms or several turbines could be placed throughout. This provides wind power plants with land — which they rent from farmers and ranchers for the use of — and landowners with extra income. In the U. Wind turbine technician was actually one of the fastest-growing American jobs in the s decade. This means that the United States is training workers with intensive understanding and high skill levels in the industry, making the U.
Wind power production can help to diversify the economy of rural communities. This adds to the tax base as well as providing new streams of income. They also add a new source of property tax in these rural areas that otherwise may find it difficult to attract new industry. I am aware that the industry is indeed plagued by the popular fear of radioactivity, and I have found that thorium mantles for kerosene vapour lamps are difficult to find on account of this fear.
Nevertheless I am quite certain that during the few months when I was eight years old and my family were living at the top of a hill with no electric light, it did me no harm at all to carry the pressurised Tilley lamp with its wonderful bright thorium oxide mantle and the glass protective cylinder around it.
I could do this even in a breeze outside, which would have extinguished a candle or a wick oil lamp. Thanks for publishing the update. Wind energy is still driving up electrical rates and destroying rural communities across the globe.
Unfortunately, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission paid this no heed in , and is still issuing site permits allowing foot turbines feet from the center tower to a pubic road.
Just last month is resulted in a semi-truck on a state highway being struck by a significantly large chunk of ice throw from a wind turbine in the Bent Tree wind project near Albert Lea. Since the year , industrial wind turbines have overtaken all other causes for mass mortality events for bats in North America and Europe. Millions of bats are killed each year at a time when mosquito populations are skyrocketing.
Approximately twice as many bats are killed as birds, since bats are killed even if they only come near the blades due to rapid pressure changes. In the US, a conservative estimate of bat mortality indicates that at least 4 million bats have been killed by wind turbines since One bat can catch up to 1, mosquitoes in just one hour, likely several thousand in a night when mosquitoes are abundant.
Well said John. The bottom line is that these ghastly wind turbines consume more energy in their construction, maintenance, back-up requirements, and ultimate decommissioning than they can ever produce in their lifetimes. As bad as that is, even worse is the enormous environmental destruction caused by the wind power industry, which would not be tolerated with any other energy sources.
Migratory birds and hawks are particularly at risk. They have no chance against the giant blades moving through the air at MPH. Some are killed instantly while others die a slow death after falling to the ground. It is very, very sad. John, I was particularly interested in one part of your article that contends that with enough turbines spread ove large distances, then, as the wind MUST really?
So, can I challenge you to do that calculation on a map of NSW that shows how many turbines are required and on which geographical locations to replace Liddell. I could offer a small prize for any engineers willing to take on this challenge. The next step would be for some economists to price the result. I appreciate your thoroughness in assessing the environmental impact of wind energy generation.
However, as any economist would point out, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Every human endeavor comes with a price. The question is, what are the benefits vs. For example, there are many critics of renewable energy that tout the greenness of nuclear power.
After all, nuclear plants generate zero carbon emissions or air pollution, right? Nuclear power plants also have large amounts of metal and concrete, which require large amounts of energy to manufacture.
If fossil fuels are used for mining and refining uranium ore, or if fossil fuels are used when constructing the nuclear power plant, then the emissions from burning those fuels could be associated with the electricity that nuclear power plants generate. Bottom line: unless we are willing to significantly scale back human activity, we will have to find a more sustainable course where we get the biggest bang for our use of natural resources. Great Article! Thanks for writing it. Can you emphasize and detail the number of bird and bats deaths related to wind energy.
The link below seem to empirically show that 13 million gallons of diesel fuel and accompanying CO2 emissions have been saved since due to the wind turbines there. The study linked to in your point 5 points out that there is increased CO2 when modulating coal fired plants to account for gaps in wind generation, and that offsets any CO2 emissions saved with wind power.
There is a new nuclear power kid on the block. The fuel is not circulated, it is kept in narrow tubes throughout its life. The whole core remains at atmospheric pressure. There is no presence of water. The molten salt retains the volatile by-products. Meltdown is avoided. Excess reactivity produces expansion and reduced neutron flux.
Will someone please produce some sceptical comments on this? The author of this article appears not to have kept up with the latest research.
His point 5 based on the Bentek study was rendered moot all the way back in by a Colorado School of Mines study that used Bentek data and Bentek personnel to dig deeper into the issue. The bottom line is: wind power reduces CO2 emissions regardless of whether or not one thinks that is worthwhile. I would encourage Mr.
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