keljonma
Epicurean Goddess
The January/February 2009 issue, E: The Enviromental Magazine is all about Wind Power.
wind turbines all around...
- Thread starter miss_thenorth
- Start date
Icu4dzs
Super Self-Sufficient
- Joined
- May 7, 2010
- Messages
- 1,388
- Reaction score
- 59
- Points
- 208
I put a Whisper 500 in service on Nov 22, 2010. I get enough wind that it is able to make some serious electricity although I find that because I have so many CFL and LED bulbs, and very little use of electricity that I am unable to use all I make. I put up 16 PV panels and on a clear day they really collect some e's.
I make plenty of electricity to be off the grid.
Doe anyone notice here that there are a large number of topics on Wind Power and there are a huge number of folks who READ these posts, but surprisingly FEW who post?
Not sure why that is but I did notice it.
I make plenty of electricity to be off the grid.
Doe anyone notice here that there are a large number of topics on Wind Power and there are a huge number of folks who READ these posts, but surprisingly FEW who post?
Not sure why that is but I did notice it.
We have a few in our area. Some seem to be locked down. Don't know why. It gets really windy here sometimes, but then sometimes it's totally still. I would like to get one of those things that measures wind speed. Can't think of the name right now. Last time I looked on line they were kind of pricey. It would be nice to know if we get enough wind to justify the cost.
I think wind farms are much nicer looking than say refineries.
I think wind farms are much nicer looking than say refineries.
Icu4dzs
Super Self-Sufficient
- Joined
- May 7, 2010
- Messages
- 1,388
- Reaction score
- 59
- Points
- 208
Anemometer...and they range in price. You have to be aware of altitude as well as location and wind patterns.Dunkopf said:
You want unimpeded flow of wind or have to have it high enough to avoid changes in wind flow.
- Thread starter
- #25
miss_thenorth
Frugal Homesteader
I agree that wind turbines are nicer to look at than refineries, but.......
When we moved here, there was not ONE wind turbine. they started to appear shorlty afterwards. I didn't mind them somuch at first. Now, 4 years later, if I look off of my front porch, I can count upt to about 34 wind turbines. south side of the house, about 22, east side (or back), about 10, North side of the house I can see about 20. Those are all well and good, but the last one that ws put up is one concession over. I can hear it when I go outside, and in the summer I know I'll be able to hear it at night in the house, with the windows open. I'm not sure how I wil feel about them then. But I will tell you one thing. They are less attractive now also, b/c our hydro bills are going up--not sure now as to how much, --but I believe it is somewhere around 30% within the next< I think> three years.
I know we are in a high wind area. I know wind tests and studies have been done in this area. We have even had an offer of one of my hubby's friends to have a turbine put up at cost as an advertisement for him--it was still too expensive. I wish it was attainable for general folk. I do think they are good, for the environment,etc, but........,
People don't post, b/c we can't afford to put a turbine up. But we wish we could afford todo so, so that is why we read ....
When we moved here, there was not ONE wind turbine. they started to appear shorlty afterwards. I didn't mind them somuch at first. Now, 4 years later, if I look off of my front porch, I can count upt to about 34 wind turbines. south side of the house, about 22, east side (or back), about 10, North side of the house I can see about 20. Those are all well and good, but the last one that ws put up is one concession over. I can hear it when I go outside, and in the summer I know I'll be able to hear it at night in the house, with the windows open. I'm not sure how I wil feel about them then. But I will tell you one thing. They are less attractive now also, b/c our hydro bills are going up--not sure now as to how much, --but I believe it is somewhere around 30% within the next< I think> three years.
I know we are in a high wind area. I know wind tests and studies have been done in this area. We have even had an offer of one of my hubby's friends to have a turbine put up at cost as an advertisement for him--it was still too expensive. I wish it was attainable for general folk. I do think they are good, for the environment,etc, but........,
People don't post, b/c we can't afford to put a turbine up. But we wish we could afford todo so, so that is why we read ....
bornthrifty
Lovin' The Homestead
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2009
- Messages
- 206
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 75
I don't know I hope it goes better for you than I gal I know, about 20 miles away from here
they were excited to, however, there is a constant noise that drones on and on,
they get flicker with is the shadow of the mill cast over their house,
because it is a new industry, in stead of being put in an industrial zone they were put right through a small agricultural town, these have only been up for one year, and her neighbor and experienced goat farmer in this one year suddenly lost 13 goats, (seemed a little odd) they are really crabby and moody she thinks that maybe it is because they don't sleep well with the noise, the company pays them "hush" money to keep quiet, well the people who agreed to having on their property, anyhow, the farm it is on has now since been abondoned by the owner, he of course could afford to move away, they can't because their property value is lower now, the owner apparently had it in his contract that he must keep his house looking lived in, (sounds to me like they knew he wouldn't want to live there after a while) ah yeah these mills are closer to houses than the actual mill maintence guys are even allowed to go to them, and one already explodes luckily no one got hit, however the fields crops are now contaminated and cannot be used, I am not certain if that is for just this year or for just how many
other than that, oh and now that they area freindly county to mills, just about every mill company in the world wants to put some up there (there looks to be a hundred or more now, ) oh yeah and they are only good for 20 years, and companies so far just abandon them instead of updating
other than they are enjoying their cheap energy costs...oh no actually our state has raised rates but the state that this energy is being sent to must be enjoying cheaper bills,
well, other than that they just love them,
they were excited to, however, there is a constant noise that drones on and on,
they get flicker with is the shadow of the mill cast over their house,
because it is a new industry, in stead of being put in an industrial zone they were put right through a small agricultural town, these have only been up for one year, and her neighbor and experienced goat farmer in this one year suddenly lost 13 goats, (seemed a little odd) they are really crabby and moody she thinks that maybe it is because they don't sleep well with the noise, the company pays them "hush" money to keep quiet, well the people who agreed to having on their property, anyhow, the farm it is on has now since been abondoned by the owner, he of course could afford to move away, they can't because their property value is lower now, the owner apparently had it in his contract that he must keep his house looking lived in, (sounds to me like they knew he wouldn't want to live there after a while) ah yeah these mills are closer to houses than the actual mill maintence guys are even allowed to go to them, and one already explodes luckily no one got hit, however the fields crops are now contaminated and cannot be used, I am not certain if that is for just this year or for just how many
other than that, oh and now that they area freindly county to mills, just about every mill company in the world wants to put some up there (there looks to be a hundred or more now, ) oh yeah and they are only good for 20 years, and companies so far just abandon them instead of updating
other than they are enjoying their cheap energy costs...oh no actually our state has raised rates but the state that this energy is being sent to must be enjoying cheaper bills,
well, other than that they just love them,
So when these mills explode do they put out radioactive fallout or PCB's or what? Just curious how it contaminates the field. Sounds like a landowner trying to make some money on a frivolous lawsuit.
I've never been up close to one. If they are as noisy as I'm hearing they are then they should be kept out of populated areas. States like Texas and Arizona have plenty of open land that just has scrub on it and gets windy. Cheap land that would be good for wind farms. That's where they should be building them.
I've never been up close to one. If they are as noisy as I'm hearing they are then they should be kept out of populated areas. States like Texas and Arizona have plenty of open land that just has scrub on it and gets windy. Cheap land that would be good for wind farms. That's where they should be building them.
- Thread starter
- #28
miss_thenorth
Frugal Homesteader
WEll, I can't say they are really loud, they sound like wind but in a 'whoosh whoosh, whoosh" On windy days, we hear the wind in the trees etc, but also the turbine. If itis not windy, then the turbines are not turning much, so therefore you can't hear them. The turbines have been here for almost 4 years now. There has not been any reported sicknesses, or illnesses that have increased b/c of them. Our property values have not gone down, infact, our assessment went up last year.
My only beef with them is tha fact that our hydro costs will be going up b/c of them. Also, my hubby works for a company where they make electricity from natural gas. So he knows the fluctuations of the $/kwh. Wehn his work sells their electricity, they don't alwasy get the same price for it. Where as the wind turbine contracts say they get the same $/kwh regardless of whether they are making electricity or not. (sorry if my wordig is not clear, if hubby were here he would help me word it correctly, but I think you can get what I am saying).
Also, b/c ppl have been crying for cleaner energy, the govt jumped on wind and solar, which are good, but they are shutting down all the coal plants. While coal, the way it is being used now, is a major pollutant, there is technology out there to make it much cleaner. It is called gasification. It will be expensive to switch to that, but not necessarliy more expensive than putting up all the turbines, since coal is so abundant and cheap. It is a cheap energy source, and we should really be doing that. Not saying there isn't a place for solar and wind, but coal is not inherently evil, as how it is being portrayed.
My only beef with them is tha fact that our hydro costs will be going up b/c of them. Also, my hubby works for a company where they make electricity from natural gas. So he knows the fluctuations of the $/kwh. Wehn his work sells their electricity, they don't alwasy get the same price for it. Where as the wind turbine contracts say they get the same $/kwh regardless of whether they are making electricity or not. (sorry if my wordig is not clear, if hubby were here he would help me word it correctly, but I think you can get what I am saying).
Also, b/c ppl have been crying for cleaner energy, the govt jumped on wind and solar, which are good, but they are shutting down all the coal plants. While coal, the way it is being used now, is a major pollutant, there is technology out there to make it much cleaner. It is called gasification. It will be expensive to switch to that, but not necessarliy more expensive than putting up all the turbines, since coal is so abundant and cheap. It is a cheap energy source, and we should really be doing that. Not saying there isn't a place for solar and wind, but coal is not inherently evil, as how it is being portrayed.
Coal needs to be part of the big picture. Nuclear would be good too except it is really really expensive and takes decades to get the initial start up cost back. We need a combination of everything. Here in Colorado they are switching some of the coal fired plants to natural gas. It's expensive but worth it for air quality. The front range causes all the pollution to get blocked up against the mountains. It gets real nasty sometimes.
It's all about money though. That being said I would like a wind turbine on my property. Sounds like it should be installed near the neighbors side though.
It's all about money though. That being said I would like a wind turbine on my property. Sounds like it should be installed near the neighbors side though.
Marianne
Super Self-Sufficient
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2011
- Messages
- 3,269
- Reaction score
- 355
- Points
- 287
- Location
- rural Abilene, KS, 67410 USA
Yes, the initial cost factor is what has kept us from doing wind power. There is a massive wind farm still in construction out on I-70 by Russell, Ks. 300 turbines by the time it's finished. I think they have 200 up now, not a watt staying in Kansas. What's up with that???
I think I'm going to aim for all the simple, DIY gadgets that I can find to reduce my energy usage from the power company. I keep thinking about it, but not putting plans in action. Meanwhile, I have the heat pump on because I was too tired/lazy to go get more firewood in the house. :/ But I am going to hang sheets on my indoor clothesline to dry.
I think I'm going to aim for all the simple, DIY gadgets that I can find to reduce my energy usage from the power company. I keep thinking about it, but not putting plans in action. Meanwhile, I have the heat pump on because I was too tired/lazy to go get more firewood in the house. :/ But I am going to hang sheets on my indoor clothesline to dry.
