wind turbines all around...

[FarmGirl]

There is a wind farm proposed for the area south of us in Milford Ontario, there will be about 30 of them and the closest will be just under a mile from us.

We have 300 acres and had considered putting a couple up but once we realized the size of these industrial turbines we decided that it wasn't just about the contract that we would get but we also had to consider our neighbours and we couldn't do it to them (or us).

Miss The North, how far is the closest turbine to you? We think that we will be okay as far as sound goes but everything I've read about them has me worried. We have neighbours much closer than we are.

Edited for grammar.

 

[FarmGirl]

I found this presentation about why Industrial wind turbines are not really a good way to generate electricity:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oAMhbwdfoI

We're not against green energy. We plan on building a passive solar home with a mix of solar, wind and geothermal to keep our home off "the grid".

 

[miss_thenorth]

The closest one is about a concession over. My uncle thought the same way as you did, but once all his neighbours signed up for them, he did too. He figured they were still gonna be there, so he might as well cash in on them too. He has more than 300 acres, and his retirement is set now. I'm not sure how many he has on his land, and his land is spread all around. (can't watch the link right now, must have more time to do that, as I have slow internet)

 

[Icu4dzs]

While folks may find "complaints" about the generation of electricity with wind energy, the truth is that once the equipment is built and running properly, the "fuel" never runs out and all that is required is maintenance in the future.

Noise exists, no doubt; and it may seem a little annoying to have that noise where you live but I can assure you that if you spend just 1 year in a big city (not the burbs mind you) the noise level and the variety of noises you will experience are SOOOO miserable that you'll beg to hear that soothing whoosh whoosh of that big propeller.

Now I do realize that most folks move out to the country to escape the noise and while that is a desirable experience, the making of electricity with those towers (IF properly managed) can make the difference between "the light and the darkness" for many of us.

I built my own tower and turbine. A really bad storm damaged my turbine but the fact of the matter is that my solar panels are still doing the job running my geothermal heating system. My turbine will be repaired and up again. So other than a while without it, life pretty much goes on... OFF the grid!

Before we go to general quarters over the wind turbines try and consider what life will be like if the cost of oil, coal and any other fossil fuel becomes so outrageously high as to be out of our financial reach?

I've heard one fellow quote the king of Saudi Arabia say that the cost of a barrel of oil will rise to $400.

My attitude is, "Fine, you drink your oil and we'll process the corn you want to eat into diesel fuel and skip using your oil." We may not be able to raise enough corn to equal what we are burning in oil right now, but the good old "American Ingenuity" will kick in and then we'll find/finally use some other source of explosive energy to power our vehicles, tractors and keep the flow of goods and services moving to our small towns and villages. The alternative is to raise the cost of a bushel of corn to $400 and see if the king can feed his people with that?

We're not against green energy. We plan on building a passive solar home with a mix of solar, wind and geothermal to keep our home off "the grid".

This is the real answer We need to empower each individual home to have the "wind/solar/green energy producing equipment so the need for "big energy producers is diminished and we would be less "dependent" on them.

The technology exists to light an entire home on less than 500 watts with LED bulbs. Most of mine burn about 0.1 to 1.5 watts. Some burn as much as 9 watts and are as bright as a 100 watt incandescent bulb (without the heat). So, if you burn 200 LED bulbs that burn 1.5 watts, you have the equivalent energy expenditure of only three 100 watt bulbs. 200 bulbs will light your home just fine!

Energy efficient appliances exist. The issue is NOT whether they exist but the fact that they are so incredibly expensive that most folks can't afford to buy them. The manufacturers of the stuff that demands tons of electricity aren't "tooling up" to make the less energy consuming equipment; WHY?

Additionally, we need to quit the "planned obsolescence" mentality and build things to LAST for a life-time. We used to have that. Now, things break (as they are designed to do) in about 3 to 5 years so we will keep buying from them and drain our wallets. Everything needs to be built so that it will last and be repairable, the parts that wear out need to be standardized so they can be built and kept on hand, the designs need to be functional and capable of taking hard use and the maintenance and minor repairs need to be at the user/owner level!

I say, "VOTE WITH YOUR WALLET" and let them know what you want. Write to your elected REPRESENTITIVES (notice I didn't say officials) and tell them what YOU want. That is their job. Make them do their job...they certainly make you do yours (and pay taxes) so they can argue about the budget and shut down our governement...or threaten us with it for weeks.

 

[elwood]

Ok so I saw the mention of nuclear power being expensive. While it is true that the intial cost of building the nuclear plant is very high you get 60 years or so from that investment. Making electricity from nuclear is actually cheaper than using coal. It also releases no pollution. Wind Farms are loud, kill birds, livestock does not do well, and yes when they explode they dump the oil etc on the ground. They require alot of maintence. I plan on a small turbine for my farm and I am all for that. The big wind farms on the other hand I want nothing to do with.

I work at a Nuclear Power Plant so I do have the knowledge, education, and experience to back up my opinions.

I also served on a nuclear powered submarine while in the U.S. Navy

 

[moolie]

Ok so I saw the mention of nuclear power being expensive. While it is true that the intial cost of building the nuclear plant is very high you get 60 years or so from that investment. Making electricity from nuclear is actually cheaper than using coal. It also releases no pollution. Wind Farms are loud, kill birds, livestock does not do well, and yes when they explode they dump the oil etc on the ground. They require alot of maintence. I plan on a small turbine for my farm and I am all for that. The big wind farms on the other hand I want nothing to do with.

I work at a Nuclear Power Plant so I do have the knowledge, education, and experience to back up my opinions.

I also served on a nuclear powered submarine while in the U.S. Navy

I'm absolutely stunned that anyone would suggest, let alone claim, that there is no pollution from a nuclear reactor.

What do you call spent fuel rods? Where do those go and what effect do they have on the earth, air, and water when no longer contained?

And how about those meltdowns at 3-Mile Island, Chernobyl , and Fukushima ? Any pollution there?

 

[elwood]

3 mile island released no radioactivity to the atmosphere. Talking about Chernobyl is like one of us building a reactor in the barn. U.S. plants are built to certain specs that I cannot go into here. Fukishima was a very old plant as well that is was not built to our specs. Spent fuel rods are a problem only due to current regulations. France has been recycling spent fuel for many many years. We have not. Spent fuel rods do not contaminate the ground or the water or the earth. They are sealed in a container and I walk by them several times a week. We release nothing. No green house gas, CO2 or any other hazardous pollutant.

As I said I am educated and informed beyond what is put out by the media.

 

[merlinraj]

A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind, also called wind energy, into mechanical energy; a process known as wind power.Small wind turbines may be used for a variety of applications including on- or off-grid residences, telecom towers, offshore platforms, rural schools and clinics, remote monitoring and other purposes that require energy where there is no electric grid, or where the grid is unstable. Small wind turbines may be as small as a fifty-watt generator for boat or caravan use. Small units often have direct drive generators, direct current output, aeroelastic blades, lifetime bearings and use a vane to point into the wind.

 

[~gd]

While folks may find "complaints" about the generation of electricity with wind energy, the truth is that once the equipment is built and running properly, the "fuel" never runs out and all that is required is maintenance in the future.

Noise exists, no doubt; and it may seem a little annoying to have that noise where you live but I can assure you that if you spend just 1 year in a big city (not the burbs mind you) the noise level and the variety of noises you will experience are SOOOO miserable that you'll beg to hear that soothing whoosh whoosh of that big propeller.

Now I do realize that most folks move out to the country to escape the noise and while that is a desirable experience, the making of electricity with those towers (IF properly managed) can make the difference between "the light and the darkness" for many of us.

I built my own tower and turbine. A really bad storm damaged my turbine but the fact of the matter is that my solar panels are still doing the job running my geothermal heating system. My turbine will be repaired and up again. So other than a while without it, life pretty much goes on... OFF the grid!

Before we go to general quarters over the wind turbines try and consider what life will be like if the cost of oil, coal and any other fossil fuel becomes so outrageously high as to be out of our financial reach?

I've heard one fellow quote the king of Saudi Arabia say that the cost of a barrel of oil will rise to $400.

My attitude is, "Fine, you drink your oil and we'll process the corn you want to eat into diesel fuel and skip using your oil." We may not be able to raise enough corn to equal what we are burning in oil right now, but the good old "American Ingenuity" will kick in and then we'll find/finally use some other source of explosive energy to power our vehicles, tractors and keep the flow of goods and services moving to our small towns and villages. The alternative is to raise the cost of a bushel of corn to $400 and see if the king can feed his people with that?

We're not against green energy. We plan on building a passive solar home with a mix of solar, wind and geothermal to keep our home off "the grid".

This is the real answer We need to empower each individual home to have the "wind/solar/green energy producing equipment so the need for "big energy producers is diminished and we would be less "dependent" on them.

The technology exists to light an entire home on less than 500 watts with LED bulbs. Most of mine burn about 0.1 to 1.5 watts. Some burn as much as 9 watts and are as bright as a 100 watt incandescent bulb (without the heat). So, if you burn 200 LED bulbs that burn 1.5 watts, you have the equivalent energy expenditure of only three 100 watt bulbs. 200 bulbs will light your home just fine!

Energy efficient appliances exist. The issue is NOT whether they exist but the fact that they are so incredibly expensive that most folks can't afford to buy them. The manufacturers of the stuff that demands tons of electricity aren't "tooling up" to make the less energy consuming equipment; WHY?

Additionally, we need to quit the "planned obsolescence" mentality and build things to LAST for a life-time. We used to have that. Now, things break (as they are designed to do) in about 3 to 5 years so we will keep buying from them and drain our wallets. Everything needs to be built so that it will last and be repairable, the parts that wear out need to be standardized so they can be built and kept on hand, the designs need to be functional and capable of taking hard use and the maintenance and minor repairs need to be at the user/owner level!

I say, "VOTE WITH YOUR WALLET" and let them know what you want. Write to your elected REPRESENTITIVES (notice I didn't say officials)I say write to officials too. Congress writes general laws and then turn the job over to unelected officials who write rules and regulations with the force of law. The officials usually enforce the rules and regulations too. Most of the laws appear harmless on the face but if the officials have agenda of their own to push the reaults can destroy you!~gd and tell them what YOU want. That is their job. Make them do their job...they certainly make you do yours (and pay taxes) so they can argue about the budget and shut down our governement...or threaten us with it for weeks.

 

[bornthrifty]

has anyone ever driven a long distance to finally end up driving through a large area of windmills,

I have at night and daytime,

I am surprised I am here to tell you about it

I found it terribly difficult to concentrate on my driving
the flashing lights at night about drove me crazy
and the movement by day was sooooo distracting, and gave me an instant eye headache,

I have driven through these areas so much now that I now cringe when I have toooo,


please know that the first time I saw them I found them to be sort of pretty, but now I cringe

seriously I don't know how I managed to keep the car on the road


I would be curious to see if there are car wrecks on those areas?