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Wind machine in RI about to start up

Post in 'The Green Room' started by webbie, Mar 15, 2009.

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  1. webbie Administrator

    joined: Nov 17, 2005
    10,917 posts
    Western Mass.
    Took this photo today - large wind machine on the grounds of the High School in Portsmouth, RI.

    It is supposed to start up within the next week.

    Attached Files:

    webbie, Mar 15, 2009
    #1

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  2. jadm New Member

    joined: Dec 31, 2007
    918 posts
    colorado
    I watched a video recently with the kids - 'Garbage Warrior' - about a man building totally self sufficient houses in New Mexico. He's been at it for quite awhile. Quite the renegade and willing to go up against the 'system'. Anyway, he uses wind energy and sells the extra energy they create to the local utility company.

    They sure make a lot of sense to me - especially with the winds we have been getting here these last few years.
    jadm, Mar 15, 2009
    #2

  3. hilly Feeling the Heat

    joined: May 28, 2006
    282 posts
    Vancouver Island, Canada
    Looks futuristic. I heard a stat that says the number of bird kills by a windmill is equivalent to some number of outdoor, domestic cats. I'd never thought of it that way before.
    hilly, Mar 15, 2009
    #3

  4. mainemac Member

    joined: Mar 10, 2008
    139 posts
    Maine
    Looks great!

    I have been following the story line sounds exciting.
    Do you know the funding details? City ? State? Private?
    Is this providing electricity for the school or selling it on the market?

    I would like to have our town council look into doing something like that.
    Our alternative energy committee looked into many options; geothermal wind solar woodchips . They found without federal grants
    the wind and solar would not be feasible. Woodchips for heating school and school pool was the only one that made
    economic sense, also was carbon neutral for the most part
    mainemac, Mar 16, 2009
    #4

  5. stejus Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 29, 2008
    1,175 posts
    Central MA
    I heard there's a study being conducted by an investor who wants to put these "Wind Farms" in MA. I live in Douglas, MA and there's a huge peice of land that boarders the state forest and the neighboring town. He plans to put 12 of these on top of the hill. I will not see it but some of the land owners on Webster lake will have a nice view of 12 of these if it gets passed. I hope my town gets some of the revenue produced from these windmills!
    stejus, Mar 16, 2009
    #5

  6. webbie Administrator

    joined: Nov 17, 2005
    10,917 posts
    Western Mass.
    http://portsmouthrienergy.com/

    I think it is paid for by municipal bond.....
    http://portsmouthrienergy.com/fundingecon.htm

    BUT, it will more than pay for itself...
    FUNDING and ECONOMICS

    Q-F-1 - How do we pay for the turbine?
    A-F-1 - If our calculations are correct, the turbine pays for itself. Of course, we have to first borrow the money, in the form of a bond. But, with the energy that the turbine produces that displaces the power we have to buy from the power company, we actually provide revenue into the Town treasury during the first year of operation. After we pay off the bond, we get even more back
    webbie, Mar 16, 2009
    #6

  7. mainemac Member

    joined: Mar 10, 2008
    139 posts
    Maine
    Thanks those links are helpful and inspiring
    I will forward to my elected officials

    Best of luck keep us informed on all of those KW generated in the spring storms and summer thermals.
    BTW just curious are you on said committee?

    Tom
    mainemac, Mar 17, 2009
    #7

  8. webbie Administrator

    joined: Nov 17, 2005
    10,917 posts
    Western Mass.
    We are not full time RI residents....just got a cottage there last year.
    Our town in Ma. recently started an energy committee and I am on that. I won't be suggesting wind power, though, because we are not in a good area for it. I hope that most of our business will be informational - conservation, education, etc.
    webbie, Mar 17, 2009
    #8

  9. flyingcow Minister of Fire

    joined: Jun 4, 2008
    1,684 posts
    northern-half of maine
    Who throws the cats in to the windmills? Seems a little tricky, but timing is everything. :p
    flyingcow, Mar 19, 2009
    #9

  10. eric_s Member

    joined: Jul 22, 2008
    87 posts
    Rhode Island
    It was spinning this morning on my way to work. Of course by the time I came home tonight, both windmills were stopped due to lack of wind.
    eric_s, Mar 19, 2009
    #10

  11. mayhem Minister of Fire

    joined: May 8, 2007
    1,938 posts
    Peru, MA
    Thats what catapaults are for...its not just a clever name you know. Toss 50-100 in the basket and let em fly! Couple of em are bound to hit, the rest land on their feet and you give it another go.
    mayhem, Mar 20, 2009
    #11

  12. fossil Super Moderator

    joined: Sep 30, 2007
    9,133 posts
    Bend, Oregon
    Google "Altamont Wind Farm". Lots of things have already been learned, including the vulnerability of birds to huge dynamic structures erected along their migratory routes. I studied wind power in some depth back in the mid-1970's when I was working toward my BSME. This is not "new" news. On the surface, it seems "green" enough, and certainly is, in relative terms, but it does have implications...as does pretty much anything else we do. Can't walk without leaving footprints. Rick
    fossil, Mar 20, 2009
    #12

  13. ChipTam Member

    joined: Dec 16, 2005
    165 posts
    SE Michigan and Trinity, Newfoundland
    They may be needed but I can't say those wind generators will win any beauty contest. A few years ago, there were two dozen smaller versions placed on a spectacular piece of Prince Edward Island ocean-side property. Plenty of wind the day we were there but none of them were running. Not sure what was wrong but if you're going to ruin the view you might as well get some energy out of it.
    ChipTam
    ChipTam, Mar 21, 2009
    #13

  14. leaddog Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 24, 2007
    912 posts
    Hesperia, Michigan
    Wisc. and Mich. are exploring the idea of putting them in Lake Michigan. That is one of the best areas in the US for wind power and should create alot of needed jobs and we have lots of machine shops just begging for work.
    leaddog
    leaddog, Mar 22, 2009
    #14

  15. begreen Super Moderator

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    36,118 posts
    South Puget Sound, WA
    I'm pretty surprised they put this is a public area, especially a high school. These units can and do fail, sometimes spectacularly.



    http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/02/video_catastrop.php

    In WA, the town of Ellensburg has a lot of wind, but decided to stick with solar production in the municipal limits due to safety liability concerns.
    begreen, Mar 27, 2009
    #15

  16. fossil Super Moderator

    joined: Sep 30, 2007
    9,133 posts
    Bend, Oregon
    Name something we (mankind) have ever made that never failed. Rick
    fossil, Mar 27, 2009
    #16

  17. begreen Super Moderator

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    36,118 posts
    South Puget Sound, WA
    True that, and I like the idea of wind power where practical. But we don't usually put potential harm on a high school campus.
    begreen, Mar 27, 2009
    #17

  18. fossil Super Moderator

    joined: Sep 30, 2007
    9,133 posts
    Bend, Oregon
    In the real world of engineering R&D;, there's a boatload of testing that gets done. After all the math models and all the computer simulations and all the calculations have been studied ad naseum, there comes a day when you just have to build the thing and test it to see what it can (and can't) do. In many cases, some of that testing is expected going into it to be destructive testing. Especially true when dealing with a new design in a new technology. This is as true in the world of microprocessors as it is in the world of huge mechanical systems. Valuable data is collected during such testing. What are the odds that somebody just happened to be standing there with a video camera when that windmill came apart? My guess is that video was made quite intentionally during a program of testing the limits of a mill design, installed in a safely remote location. As a result of information gathered during such testing, design changes are made before production models are made available. That's what it looks like to me, anyway. Rick
    fossil, Mar 27, 2009
    #18

  19. begreen Super Moderator

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    36,118 posts
    South Puget Sound, WA
    I suspect you are correct, it could be a test. But there are several failures being reported with wind turbine failures. Some are benign and some spectacular. In Lackawana they lost a whole wind farm due to bad gearbox design. I like the idea, but don't feel they belong in residential areas.

    This one was in NY earlier this month:
    http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=9961537&nav=menu183_5_13

    at a high school:
    http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2009/02/24/front/1177279.txt
    http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2009/02/10/news/mj594813.txt

    And besides, they attract UFOs! :wow: :)
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...-destroyed-after-octopus-UFO-seen-in-sky.html
    begreen, Mar 27, 2009
    #19
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