Wind Farms – tell me more

[Bel]

A large wind farm is on the cards for the East Mt Lofty ranges where we live. The large turbines will be all around our property, with the nearest being under 2km away. Many of the residents around here are opposed to the idea, a lot of them citing a ‘well, I’m all for cleaner energy, but not in my back yard!’ kind of attitude. A residents group has been set up to oppose the proposed wind farm. They site negative impacts such as altered regional climate, negative health impacts, lowered property values, decreased fire fighting capability, broadacre land clearance, altered hydrology, land degradation, habitat destruction and wildlife deaths. They state that it will not reduce CO2 emissions nor reduce coal-fired power production. I haven’t done much research into the issue and to be honest, I doubt whether opposing the wind farm will make a difference anyway. I’m just wondering whether this group are scaremongering or whether there is truth to what they say? I know, for instance, that the CFS have stated that the wind farm won’t affect their ability to fight fires (and, in fact, the improved roads etc in the area will assist with accessibility etc.). Happy to hear what others know about wind farms.

[Snags]

Astro turfers

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/6/4/wind-power/bursting-bubble-anti-wind-astroturfers

http://www.independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/anti-windfarm-astroturfers-exposed-in-parliament,3963

are the protesters getting paid?

http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/astroturf-gone-wrong-fake-protesters-offered-20-to-stand-at-anti-wind-energy-rally-39790

[Bel]

Thanks for the links snags. Makes for interesting reading. I don’t think the residents around here are being paid – they seem generally worried about what they have been told are negative impacts of the turbines. They meet regularly at the local town hall and are drafting a legal argument against the company trying to get them approved.

One neighbour is worried that her horses will be startled by the noise of the turbines starting and stopping and that she won’t be able to ride safely. Another tells me some of the following alleged problems:

– the turbines will dry out the land – just like holding up a wet t-shirt to a fan

– the oil used to lubricate the turbines flicks off onto the surrounding soil, polluting the earth

– birds of prey fly into the turbines, killing them

– turbines blow up, killing people more than 2km away with flying debris

– they are noisy and the low frequency noise makes people ill

– they cause nausea and sleeplessness

– they reduce the land value in the area

– they are unsightly

– the hills will be levelled and tons of dynamite used to blast the earth and create platforms for the turbines

– water bombers can’t access the area to fight fires

– when the turbines fail, they will be left there as unsightly waste

And there are more things that I can’t remember just now. We have the company coming out to speak with us next week, so it will be interesting to hear how they respond to these issues.

Is anyone aware of any scientific research which supports or debunks these issues?

[porgey]

I oppose wind farms for various reasons including;

There embedded energy is enormous,

They unnecessarily duplicate infrastructure,

They feed electricity into the grid which creates transmission loss,

They are not owned nor controlled by the end user.

I prefer solar panels and home wind turbines because it eliminates/vastly reduces the problems listed above.

[penny]

I also wish that people opposing and supporting wind farms (and for that matter any other new energy source eg. fracking) would be made by legislation to provide some supporting evidence for the claims made. For example anyone making a connection to autism should have to provide evidence of where they obtained such information so others could check that it is founded on something more than someone else just suggesting it may be linked. I do not claim to know anything about the effects or otherwise but would like to be able to read truly independent research not the informations supplied by the pro and con groups.

Last time i was in England I stayed at a place called Barrow and they had a wind farm out at sea, which was well away from habitation but shopping centres also had them in car parks and no one seemed to have any problem with them.

[earthwalker]

Guess it will be a matter of research, research, research. I have always found the wind-farm turbines quite fascinating. One of the items on my bucket list is to drive down to Albany and take a look at the wind farm they have there.

Not far from where I live in the Darling Ranges, there are vast electricity pylons marching through the foothills. Can’t say I find them interesting at all…and I know for a fact these do affect property values, I viewed a property recently with a pylon close to the house and the price reflected this.

I am with Porgey on the individual turbines and solar systems being a preferred option. Much less impact on the environs for sure.

The noise factor (if there is one) would be in my opinion the most important consideration. We are on half an acre but one boundary has our neighbours house quite close. They put in a massive (one step below industrial) refrigerated aircon. unit within a couple of metres of the boundary fence. Long story short, the shire had to be informed. Their equipment measured noise levels of a little over 52 decibels in our kitchen (this was with all the doors and windows shut and a long way from the fence. They also had the damn thing running all night and day. The whole thing was a nightmare and after about 3 months of drama, they were served with a removal notice. Not a happy experience and we are now barely on “nodding” terms. They still have their aircon….but it now is right at the front of their house, which is probably for them, not so great.

Hope it all works out for you and keep us updated.

[Snags]

porgey post=360172 wrote: I oppose wind farms for various reasons including;

There embedded energy is enormous,

They unnecessarily duplicate infrastructure,

They feed electricity into the grid which creates transmission loss,

They are not owned nor controlled by the end user.

I prefer solar panels and home wind turbines because it eliminates/vastly reduces the problems listed above.

You can own shares in a community wind farm

Far more efficient use of money and resources than individually owned micro systems

Home

[bushy]

These claims are amazing…..

– the turbines will dry out the land – just like holding up a wet t-shirt to a fan

– the oil used to lubricate the turbines flicks off onto the surrounding soil, polluting the earth

– birds of prey fly into the turbines, killing them

– turbines blow up, killing people more than 2km away with flying debris

– they are noisy and the low frequency noise makes people ill

– they cause nausea and sleeplessness

– they reduce the land value in the area

– they are unsightly

– the hills will be levelled and tons of dynamite used to blast the earth and create platforms for the turbines

– water bombers can’t access the area to fight fires

– when the turbines fail, they will be left there as unsightly waste…..

What a load of nonsense

[russ]

Agreed, what a load of rubbish. I work near a huge windfarm..(hallett).. Never a fire/explosion. There are some Rediculous claims. Took some imagination so give credit where its due. I haven’t heard any noise at all.The most annoying thing about the windfarms is being stuck behind a truck that’s carrying a blade. Ihowever I do prefer home solar/ wind turbines.

[slowlynow]

With all the ‘spin’ about the effects of wind turbines out there, not too mention climate change. It is easy to be put off ‘cleaner’ energy sources.

Arguments such as ‘wind turbine syndrome’ and embedded energy worries have been debunked. Here’s a couple of links from The Conversation to get you started

http://theconversation.com/wind-turbine-syndrome-farm-hosts-tell-very-different-story-18241

http://theconversation.com/new-study-wind-turbine-syndrome-is-spread-by-scaremongers-12834

theconversation.com/wind-turbines-dont-make-you-feel-sick-or-healthy-but-spin-can-20845

[slowlynow]

Check out this quick video from people who have wind turbines on their property, not just the usual ‘sob stories’ from those who miss out on the income and mysteriously start getting ‘wind turbine syndrome’!

[Bel]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I knew I’d get some good information here 🙂 slowlynow – that short clip was particularly insightful. I’m tempted to send it to the local protesters, but I suspect they only see/hear ‘evidence’ which supports what they want to believe….

[porgey]

I am sticking my neck right out here. My prediction is that in 5 years a fusion reactor will be up and running producing more useable energy than what the boffins have put in, in other words a net gain of energy. This sunlike reactor will then go commercial 20 years after that, around 2040. This development/advance will put the kybosh on just about every grid feeding energy source and most of all it will help the Yanks pay of there national debt, which will really piss the Chinese off as they love the US indebtedness.

In the meantime spark up your joint with solar panels and export ship loads of coal to pay off our debt before it all become redundant as a commercial fuel.

[caddie]

Years ago I was given a thorough bred mare.

She had one foal who was a winner and the owner wished to breed more.

The mare would go into foal but not hold.

I brought her down to my farm where she ran with my stallion and eventually did foal

Took a while for her to go into foal.

Further investigation about her history revealed she was kept on a property under major power lines,She could not move away from the line, we can only assume the emissions from that power line were the reason for her slipping the foals.

That was a very expensive exercise for the owner.

[Snags]

porgey post=360199 wrote: I am sticking my neck right out here. My prediction is that in 5 years a fusion reactor will be up and running producing more useable energy than what the boffins have put in, in other words a net gain of energy. This sunlike reactor will then go commercial 20 years after that, around 2040. This development/advance will put the kybosh on just about every grid feeding energy source and most of all it will help the Yanks pay of there national debt, which will really piss the Chinese off as they love the US indebtedness.

In the meantime spark up your joint with solar panels and export ship loads of coal to pay off our debt before it all become redundant as a commercial fuel.

A prediction from a Nuclear Fission Expert disagrees

By 2100, fusion could be producing 20-25% of all our energy.” (Romanelli’s outlook is a little more optimistic: he believes fusion will be providing 50% of the world’s energy by 2100.)

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/aug/23/fusion-power-is-it-getting-closer

Time to put in lots of turbines while we still have an economy and environment where its possible.

Wind gives you an EROEI of 20 to 1 compared to solar panels of about 5 to 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:EROI_-_Ratio_of_Energy_Returned_on_Energy_Invested_-_USA.svg

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