Wind turbines take to the skies to seek out more power

BBC ^ | 5 March 2015 | Richard Anderson

[moose07]

Critics of wind turbines argue vehemently that they are ugly and inefficient - a blot on the landscape and an expensive folly to boot.

Efficiency has always been a strange critique given that the fuel driving turbines - wind - is free. And while electricity generated from wind may currently be more expensive than that from some fossil fuels, costs are coming down fast.

Eye sores? That is simply a matter of opinion.

But a new wave of turbine technologies are looking to end the debate once and for all, by making wind power cheaper, more flexible and, in many cases, less intrusive on pristine countryside.

Some won't make it to market, but those that do could revolutionise wind power.

Wind speed

One of the simplest ideas being developed is the wind lens. Inspired by "experience and a eureka moment", Prof Yuji Ohya from Japan's Kyushu University is leading a team designing a conical structure placed round the turbine blades to generate low pressure and accelerate wind speed.

[moose07]

Top 10 countries by installed wind capacity
Country	MW	% of total
China	114,763	31
US	65,879	17.8
Germany	39,165	10.6
Spain	22,987	6.2
India	22,465	6.1
UK	12,440	3.4
Canada	9,694	2.6
France	9,285	2.5
Italy	8,663	2.3
Brazil	5,939	1.6

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From the ridiculous to the interesting. :)

[samtheman]

Efficiency would relate to the cost of the land, the labor the equipment, the continuing maintenance of equipment and the cost of spare parts and the cost of total replacements over time.

To say “the wind is free” is the statement of a low IQ moron.

[Obadiah]

I stand by my tagline.

[hadaclueonce]

Ask the Eagles about “free”

[molson209]

Breeze Turbines may work best in places like Africa

[Alex Murphy]

Efficiency has always been a strange critique given that the fuel driving turbines - wind - is free. And while electricity generated from wind may currently be more expensive than that from some fossil fuels, costs are coming down fast. Eye sores? That is simply a matter of opinion. But a new wave of turbine technologies are looking to end the debate once and for all, by making wind power cheaper, more flexible and, in many cases, less intrusive on pristine countryside. Some won't make it to market, but those that do could revolutionise wind power.

"Could" also means "might not".

[arthurus]

Eyesores and earsores and bird killers and real estate wasters. Iheard from someone who leves a mile from these things and says that the world is dominated by the whopwhopwhop of the fans.

[Parmy]

When I drive by some of these wind farms (in the Columbia Gorge there are hundreds of towers) some of them are spinning and some are not.

One has to wonder if they are really generating power or just spinning to make the passersby think they are generating power.

[cripplecreek]

Seems to me that the only proven effective green energy (aside from nuclear) comes from hydroelectric. Naturally liberals can’t tear dams out fast enough.

[moose07]

“Could” also means “might not”.

I’d take that as far as: For the time being, they won’t.

[moose07]

I suspect they need maintenance when they are stopped.

[Excellence]

The neighbors have a roof vent that spins in the wind at an enormous speed, and it doesn’t eat birds.

[moose07]

The Fans near me are absolutely colossal and you don't hear a thing.
They rotate slowly due to their size. (Three blade, 1Rpm)

[Timocrat]

Efficiency would relate to the cost of the land, the labor the equipment, the continuing maintenance of equipment and the cost of spare parts and the cost of total replacements over time.

You forgot the tax breaks provided by the other taxpayers and the additional spare capacity that has to be built into the power system for days when the wind isn't blowing.

[spokeshave]

Just Google “wind generators affect climate in china” to get almost 1.6 million articles...

[driftless2]

I’m not automatically against the idea of harnessing the power of the wind, but every proponent of wind power should be asked how they feel about the millions of birds killed by wind turbines every year.

[ThanhPhero]

I passed a gang of them on Highway 1 north of Phan Thiet in Viet Nam and they were noisy as hell.

[Paine in the Neck]

Because everyone wants this kind of thing falling out of the sky on their hometown

[bt-99]

Nothing, nothing works as well as hydro. You store the water till you have an energy demand and then release as needed. You can turn it on or off with the push of a button. No furnaces to start, no wind to wait for.

Peak electric demand coincides with lowest winds in the summer.
Hydro can fix that. I do doubt we will ever do another large scale hydro project in the US in the next 20 years.

[nascarnation]

I’m sure you’re correct.
Thankfully it was before the era of enviro wackjobs that we got the hydro built we have now.