Windfarms

[Thulsa Doom]

Anyone here live near a Windfarm?


A few local farmers in our region are allowing companies to install 400ft turbines on their land.
Alot of the locals have concerns regarding low-level noise, sunlight flicker, visual impact, property devaluation etc.


Let me know what your views on Windfarms are , and any info that contradicts the usual Energy company blurb.

[Jamoe]

Its harder to have an opinion of windfarms when you dont live near one. Although I think they look elegant and wouldn't mind.

But I do live near a train line, 1 every hour, and I don't really notice the noise.

The only problem i see is the damaged to birds. I think they tend to kill alot.

[Carr0t]

My parents have several wind farms near them. I quite like them, think (as Jamoe said) that they look elegant. Never noticed any noise problems or flickering light or anything, though I suppose you might if you were a couple hundred yards from them.

[Anonymous]

I think that they are an excellent idea in the right place - you wouldn't want them in an area of natural beauty but my parents have several wind farms on the slopes of hills near them and they are actually picturesque in their own way. I still think we need more work on how to reduce the impact on wild life (and hangliders :devil:) but if I had to make a choice between a windfarm or a power station I know which one I'd choose

[suicidal_monkey]

I reckon they're a great idea, though I still have my reservations about wind power on a large scale (slowing down major winds causing unwanted effects etc but that has yet to be investigated properly afaik?) Britain doesn't really have the sunlight to do solar power properly, so wind and wave/tide are probably the best bet.

As mentioned it's hard to know what the actual impact will be. most of the perceived problems could just be the local papers trying to sell more copies, making it all seem like more than it is and all. Perhaps there's another area somewhere where you can go look at one?

(and hangliders :devil:)

:lmfao:

but if I had to make a choice between a windfarm or a power station I know which one I'd choose

well said. never quite thought of it like that. A diesel generator is probably going to make some noise too

[Jamoe]

Effect on House Prices

http://www.rics.org/Property/Residentialproperty/Residentialpropertymarket/wind+farms+hit+house+prices.htm

The survey shows that 60% of chartered surveyors with experience of house transactions near to wind farms report that they negatively affect house prices, with most saying the biggest impact is at the time of the planning application. A smaller number say that values dip the most as construction starts, and fewer still point to the moment where the plant becomes operational. There is evidence that prices begin to recover after the wind farm has been up and running for two years. This suggests that wind farms become more accepted as communities grow used to them.

[sheepy]

though I still have my reservations about wind power on a large scale (slowing down major winds causing unwanted effects etc but that has yet to be investigated properly afaik?)

I doubt that this would be of any impact at all. the energy taken to move the blades will be a TINY fraction of what passes through the blades circumfrance directly. at an estimate I would assume that on the very large turbines the surface area and hence the disruption of the passing wind would be under 10% hence less than 15% of the wind being disturbed (due to turbulance). This is only over the size of the blade circumfrence and not due to he whole weather front. the % of the wind disturbed over this vast area would be a minisucle %.
 
Final comments, I think the renewable energy source is very good, but also believe that this will need to be combined with neucleur.

[Blunt]

Flying back from Portugal this summer, I was amazed at the number of windfarms there and in Spain...
the mountain ranges are covered in em.

I think they can be interesting to look at, and the ones I've seen close up haven't spoiled the view too much either.

From what I've heard they will not produce enough energy on their own, and, like sheepy says, need to be part of a mixed approach with nuclear/tide etc.

[suicidal_monkey]

I'm not talking about the odd two or three little turbines...
It's more the massive great expanses of them. It may not seem like much but it's like creating an artificial forest which does have the potential to alter climate on a local scale. While this might not be harmful it does need to be monitored just in case
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6608

Personally I think solar is the goal. Gettign energy from our sun (when that goes we'll have bigger more immediate problems ) uses a resource which generally ends up as more heat and a bit of light. Hot desert countries/areas could start up as an industry if there was an efficient way to transport energy such long distances...

[Jamoe]

I've got my fingers crossed for Fusion.

http://www.iter.org/

[Thulsa Doom]

Personally I think solar is the goal. Gettign energy from our sun (when that goes we'll have bigger more immediate problems ) ...

Yup, agree with that.
Here is Scotland we get more daylight than most other countries, and in summer more sunlight (but not necessarily the heat to go with it), so Solar would be great.

Personally I think energy companies should be looking more closely at geothermal energy and pushing that more, but I suppose it's not in their best interest if households can heat their properties etc without drawing power from the grid.

As for Wind Farms, the locals don't object to one or to.  But we suspect that the floodgates would open and every farmer in the area would go for them.

[sheepy]

As for Wind Farms, the locals don't object to one or to. But we suspect that the floodgates would open and every farmer in the area would go for them.

^^ very good point, especially with profits from farming on the decrease in the UK this is a very good way to earn extra from fields as crops could also be farmed round them. but this is a seperate issue really

[delanvital]

Denmark is the country in the world that utilises most power from Windmills, in fact 20% of our energy needs are covered by them. Downside, depends on you see it, is that just about everywhere you can always spot a bunch of windmills in the horison. On average I would say you spot 15 or so.

Very few houses are located close to them, but the wind noise is rather loud. And the bigger they get, the bigger the blades, the faster the rotation speed at the edge, and therefore more wind noise. They can be rather noisy! I wouldn't like to live close to one. I have a train about three kms away and that is enough for me!

[sheepy]

i personally believe that if people utilised "small scale" green energy themselfs and if this was made more accesible to the masses then this would be the key. a small windmill / small turbine on your roof, and a solar cell up there as well would make a HUGE diffrence overall if many 1000's of people used them.

[Thulsa Doom]

Household turbines (apparently) don't generate much power but I suppose it's a start.
Small ones sited not high enough are subject to wind tear, and small blade span lead to enifficiency.

I'm sure I (mis)read somewhere than if you generate your own power you may require a Renewable Energy License.


I'd be happy if there was a practical way to bottle the gas from my farts.