Wind Energy is Growing Fast

[ZigZagzGoon]

I don't understand why wind turbines don't have the blades on both sides. Wouldn't that be twice the energy?

[Lintflas]

The worlds largest market for renewables today is Germany, and the Germans have just decided to become 100% self-sufficient with renewables by 2050.

Latest studies have shown that it is possible.

[scbrah]

Wind energ is a bad idea. Its all about solar and hydro energy. Windmills have been responsible to hundreds of thousands of bird deaths each year. The guy saying that they have little environmental impact is lying. Also, each time a trubine spins around, in causes a low-frequency sound as it reaches top speed. No one can live next to the windmills because the concussion from the sound makes it impossible for people to sleep. Thats why you dont see any houses near the windmills. Solar & Hydro.

[9914tricky]

@scbrah I don't agree with your argument that wind energy is a bad idea simply due to avian death. Studies show that the number of birds killed by wind turbines is negligible compared to the number that die as a result of other human activities such as traffic, hunting, power lines and high-rise buildings and especially the environmental impacts of using non-clean power sources.

[scbrah]

@9914tricky The fact that the amount of birds being killed by wind turbines doesnt even come close to the amount of other human activities doesnt matter. Birds re still dieing. Do you have a solution to solve bird deaths becuse of traffic, or skyscrapers, or power lines that are cost efficient? No. But wind energy does have alternate solutions. Use solar, hydro, nuclear or any other type of "renewable" energy.

[9914tricky]

@scbrah I think it does matter. The argument you present (avian life) is based over two different time time periods. Back when cars were invented there could have been people advocating for avian life due to traffic deaths.... Same with skyscrapers - cars could move slower, buildings could be flatter and wider; but they are not because they would be too inefficient. If wind turbines had been common for centuries like cars and skyscrapers, then would you have the same argument?

[9914tricky]

@scbrah Also, look at the environmental issues presented in hydro and nuclear energy. By placing a dam in a river, you are effectively altering the river flow and ecosystem. This has resulted in tramendous deaths of fish and aquaatic plants.... WIth nuclear energy, just look at the trajedy happening in Japan, and Chernobyl. An entire massive area of Russia is under severe amounts of radiation even today!

[scbrah]

@9914tricky In the Yangtze river, home to the three gorges dam, a rivulet was created on the side of the dam to allow fish to continue with their natural behavior/migration. It was very successful, and while at first the fish populations decreased, they have been making a remarkable comeback, so if the dam constructors take the right precausions, they can be very eco-friendly. Hydro power is also very efficient. The three gorges dam produces the same amount of power as 14 nuclear power plants

[9914tricky]

@scbrah Turbines operate, on average at about 30% - 40% efficiency. LIke anything else, they are becoming more efficient with technological innovations. Threefold hydroelectric dams operate at about 50%, and hoover dam (due to its size) operates at about 80% (due to innovation). Fish canals may be present, but there are still copious amounts of silt congested in dams... WIth this silt build up it will clog the dam which will still kill vast amounts of marine life in the long run.

[scbrah]

@9914tricky While nuclear power plants have melted down in the past, with the future technology and safety precautions, they will certainly happen less frequently. According to you, only 2 or 3 reactors have melted down, out of a total of 442 worldwide. The chances that a reactor will meltdown is very low, and will be getting lower in the future.

[9914tricky]

@scbrah Again, the 2% efficiency statistic you gave is based off the ratio of wind to other sources in California. Proportionally, there may be 98% combined solar, nuclear, and fossil fuels energy that overshadow wind energy, which would not be surprising. I do not live in California, but I have researched the issue, and there are only 3 notable windfarms in all of California. Considering California is by far the largest state in the U.S, 3 windfarms is rather small, even for 20.000 turbines.

[scbrah]

@9914tricky no. the statistic is based on overall "clean"energy, biodeisel and fossil fuels not included

[9914tricky]

@scbrah I would be interested in seeing your statistics, can you please send me a link. My notes state that the USA produces 41 GW of air energy per year (3rd in the world - even above Denmark and Spain which have a huge national wind energy production - Denmark at 20%) - California produces the 3rd most in the US at 3 GW. Please send your sources.

[9914tricky]

@scbrah (part 2 to post on dam) Because the flow is slower above the dam, much of this sediment will now settle there instead of flowing downstream, and there will be less sediment downstream.The absence of silt downstream has three effects: Some hydrologists expect downstream riverbanks to become more vulnerable to flooding.

[9914tricky]

@scbrah (part 3, dam) The city of Shanghai, more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) away, rests on a massive sedimentary plain. The "arriving silt strengthens the bed on which Shanghai is built... the less the tonnage of arriving sediment the more vulnerable is this biggest of Chinese cities to inundation...

Benthic sediment buildup causes biological damage and reduces aquatic biodiversity.

[scbrah]

@9914tricky Benthic sediment buildup will only cause ecological damage in front of the dam. And "reduces aquatic biodiversity"? are you suggesting that animals will go extinct because of sediment buildup in front of 1 dam? or do you just not know what "biodiversity" means? and also there are alternative options that the chinese government could take to support shangahis sedimentary plain. i.e. artificial sediment, rip rap etc...

[9914tricky]

@scbrah Yes, I am fully aware of what biodiversity means. It is, according to the Websters Dictionary - "Diversity among and withinplant and animal species in an environment - key word here "environment" - not world. And no, it has nothing to do with a species being extinc - if a hgabitat cannot support a species, the the species will either emigrate or die off in the area. The does not mean that a species will die off all over the world which is what "extinct" assumes.

[rollinshultz]

@scbrah That is a ridiculous statement and it was also used for those plants that were built in the past to make nuclear power more palatable. It wasn't true then and it will not hold true in the future. It is based on man being inherently honest, but that fallacy is of epidemic proportions. Lobbying (bribing) Congress and the safety departments by greedy companies will always be a factor.

Of the 440+ reactors, 90 are in seismically unstable areas. 23 MOX reactors in America alone on faultlines

[scbrah]

@9914tricky Also, Wind energy is incredibly innefficient. Only 2% of Californias renewable energy is made by wind energy, While it costs by far the most, takes up most space, and is also in my opinion the ugliest. The fact that birds die because of it is icing on the cake

[9914tricky]

@scbrah Research will actually show that wind turbines are increadibly efficient. They are economically cheap in the long run. The only reason it is considered expensive today is becuase they cost money to install (like anything else) while other forms of energy already have a sound infrastructure. Once a turbine is in place, it basically runs itself with very low maintainance costs. Also, the source of energy in this case is constant and free unlike uranium needed in nuclear plants, or oil

[9914tricky]

@scbrah In your argument about California - only 2% is produced becuase there is an imensely small proportion of wind power sources as compared to alternates... However, the US Department of Energy is estimating that by 2030 (so in 20 years) over 20% of the US's energy will depend solely on wind energy; making it perceivably increadibly efficient.

[scbrah]

@9914tricky I dont know if you actully live in California or not, but I do. Driving from San Fransisco south to Death Valley, I passed 2 of the 3 major ares where wind energy is produced (Altamot pass, Tehachapi). The entire mountain ranges have been completely renovated and dominated by wind turbines. There are well over 20,000 wind turbines in california, yet only 1.5% of the total energy in California was produced by wind. They are not efficient if you look at the amount of room they take up,

[9914tricky]

@scbrah Like wind energy, all other forms have their donwsides too. While it is true the Yangtze river dam is very efficient, it is causing massive ecological problems, far more severe than bird deaths: Two hazards are uniquely identified with the dam. One is that sedimentation projections are not agreed upon, and the other is that the dam sits on a seismic fault.

[9914tricky]

@scbrah also, the noise argument you bring up is also arguable... For example, in December 2006, a Texas jury denied a noise pollution suit against FPL Energy, after the company demonstrated that noise readings were not excessive. The highest reading was 44 decibels, which was characterized as about the same level as a 10 mile/hour (16 km/hr) wind

[scbrah]

@9914tricky Noise readings may seem low, but the low frequency of the sound waves are felt within a person, not heard by them. "Wind Turbine Syndrome" is a condition frequently complained about by those living near wind turbines. People have reported headaches, nausia, and many other symptoms due to the CONSTANT noise, so the information that says wind turbines are quiet is corrupt.

[sierracuban]

WHY NOT PUT SOLAR PANELS RIGHT NEXT TO THESE WIND TURBINES ? ?

THAT WOULD SAVE LOTS OF WASTED SPACE........

GET MORE MEGAWATTS PER LOCATION ! It is shameful to the United States that Spain, a nation the size of Texas now produces 42% of its electricity from RENEWABLE ENERGY.......

[Crazylalalalala]

@RicardoClaro

yes you could put wind turbines anywhere, but that doesnt mean they can produce the power you need. In reality, there are limited locations where they can be placed to be worth while.

[shinokiba]

Spain has a 20 percent unemployment rate

[garith21]

@shinokiba

And Germany has 7% unemployment rate, guess what unemployment rate is more complicated than whether or not a country goes green =P

[RagingBubuli]

That wind turbine is Massive!

[windturbinesinc]

The cheapest source of renewable energy with unlimited resources is the wind power. With the high demand of energy for daily consumption, electricity must have a steady source. Wind turbines are a good replacement for generators to sustain electricity when there's power interruption.

[getback2workuslacker]

In 1973, all renewable energy sources, including but not limited to wind, provided 0.2% of the world's electric power. After billions of dollars in subsidies, in 2008 renewables accounted for 1.1% of the world's power. This is a failed, unsustainable technology that will kill our economy while providing no significant benefit. The European Community knows this and has stopped supporting wind. Meanwhile the USA and Canada are stuck on stupid.

[CVK92]

@RicardoClaro You can fit them anywhere, but they wont produce energy everywhere, there is more into wind energy and wind turbines than most people know. Its not just about the wind but also the amount of wind an area gets. Not everywhere is capable of having a wind turbine.

[seabazzz]

europe is joining the us in realizing the power of wind energy? isnt it the other way around, and the us is still trailing behind?!?

but nonetheless. a start is a start. so keep it up.

[GenelatourX]

nice

[HorizSvcs]

A renewable future. Energy independence. Wind energy will lead the way to a future where we will be leading greener lives and consuming cleaner energy.

[HeroDanny]

Denmark is an inspiration to us all!

when i heard 6% by 2020 i almost cried...

that number should be a lot bigger

i was thinking 20% by 2015

:(

it's a sad sad day,

but there is hope!

great video!

[Allante715]

I can definitely see wind power supplementing the grid but I don`t see how it can replace it.

1 Ordinary Wind Turbine - 1.5MW

1 Ordinary Coal Plant - 1300MW

1 Ordinary Nuclear Plant - 1200MW

How many wind turbines do you need to displace one coal plant?How much land does one wind turbine need? What is more reliable; 1 coal plant or 1000 wind turbines?You do the math.

[garith21]

@Allante715

You sure spam a lot

Secondly wind turbines are getting more and more efficient with newer designs, some experimental turbines are as high as 10 mw

Thirdly how much is displaced for a coal mine and all the environmental impact of burning said coal

Fourth wind farms tend to have less down time than that of a coal plant on a yearly basis, we should shift towards renewables being the base power load and conventional power stations being back up over time.

[Mypagedamit]

@garith21 We should actually build more nuclear powerplants. It as well as hydro and coal are the only competitive power sources.

[garith21]

@Mypagedamit

Well some are using wind energy mixed with hydro as a storage method during times of low demand, I also don't oppose nuclear, but we don't have a long term ample supply unless we use newer nuclear power plants such as the one bill gates is investing in where it uses waste from current nuclear power plants.

I think renewables should be a base load and conventional plants should be the backups because of it's nature.

[Crazylalalalala]

@garith21

key word experimental turbines. fact that it was done in a lab somewhere under ideal conditions does not mean that it would work in reality.

it turns out that in Britain, they only work at 21% capacity. so diddly do they can possible work at 10MW in reality its just 21% of that.

its wasted effort, We already have nuclear plants that work 1000 times better. No need to piss away money for something that can already be solved far more easily.

[garith21]

@Crazylalalalala

Um wow, replying to something that was stated 10 months ago. All the same, I don't know of anyone that asserts that wind is the silver bullet for energy generation, then again neither is nuclear, I am a proponent of using nuclear, but I don't see it being as popular in light of recent events even though newer generation power plants will be safer and more efficient and other types of nuclear will use current nuclear waste for power generation.

[garith21]

@Crazylalalalala

As an example using traditional nuclear power plants, assuming we do no more consuming than we do currently nuclear provides about 9% of the current power in the United States, from my reading with current known supplies of uranium and current consumption we have about 230 years worth of uranium left, if we used it as the silver bullet and assumed no additional consumption we'd be down to close to 23 years.

[WindPowerKits]

Nice video i like it. Have a look at my Home Wind Turbine videos, pretty cool system I put on my Home Rooftop. My RoofMill design just won a green design contest. Friends and subscribers welcome.

[nickjeffree2016]

this an awesome tech assignment!!!

[Burnsvc]

haha woo fun tec assignment!

[ideasbulb]

is anyone from knox watching this?

pretty amazing if you think of it

[ForoSabino]

Spain is the best country in wind technnology

[pacificcresttrans]

Wind energy is in the spotlight at present and the United States is leading this sector with numerous projects... The installation of wind farms helps generate electricity for millions of homes... Pacific Crest Transformers has some interesting information about the wind energy sector on their Facebook fan page.

[dan020350]

see how the world can be free without money :)

[mvlty]

Rediculous technology? What?!

[CircusMaximus09]

Ridiculous technology

[iknowyoux]

That's truly amazing! I slashed my electric bill in half! look here: solar.xfollow.me (Copy to your browser's address bar)

[Hb35Jazz]

... And in Denmark, wind energy supplies 20 % of that nations total electricity demand! - GO DENMARK!!! :D :D :D

[sierracuban]

@Hb35Jazz YES ! GO DENMARK ! AND GO SPAIN ! IN SPAIN, 42% OF POWER IS FROM RENEWABLE ENERGY ! THE UNITED STATES IS ALL ABOUT $ $ $ ! THE OIL COMPANIES AND CAR COMPANIES LOVE HUSH MONEY.......THEY WILL BUY OUT THEIR OWN MOTHERS ! !

CRIMINAL  BASTARDS ! ! ! PETROLEROS HIJOS DE LA GRAN PUTA ! ! !