Windmills in our mountains. What's so bad?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

save$

Minister of Fire
Sep 22, 2008
1,903
Chelsea Maine
We came across these windmills. In one pick you an see them in a far distance. With 20x you can get a better view. Coudn't hear them. We drove up a mountain road and got real close. I still could not hear them. As for messing up the view, no more than the road or power lines already do.
 

Attachments

  • DSCF2954 (640x480).jpg
    DSCF2954 (640x480).jpg
    70.9 KB · Views: 295
  • DSCF2955 (640x480).jpg
    DSCF2955 (640x480).jpg
    29.1 KB · Views: 294
  • DSCF2953 (640x479).jpg
    DSCF2953 (640x479).jpg
    100.2 KB · Views: 301
  • DSCF2958 (640x480).jpg
    DSCF2958 (640x480).jpg
    84.5 KB · Views: 298
  • DSCF2956 (640x480).jpg
    DSCF2956 (640x480).jpg
    63.7 KB · Views: 282
I agree, i never had a problem with them.
In Wyoming here, there are lots of wind farms, 99% of them are in the middle of nowhere and on prairie land that no one uses anyway. But the debate is always big about them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: raybonz
Love the bottom two pic's..! awesome.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ScotO
My neighbor has one on the farm behind us, can't really see it though through the woods. I heard it for the first time last week though. Had a wind storm come in and it sounded like a helicopter,kinda weird at first I looked up to see the chopper but the sound never moved then I realized it was the windmill.
 
They are testing some Chinese built systems placed almost in the center of town nearby and wind direction and speed are causing varying results in multi-senses disruptions. iirc they have 32 sensors placed at 8 compass points around it and at varying distances.
What will probably happen at the end of the study is the generators will be stopped with specific wind direction and speeds.
Hopefully not compromising payback too much for the principals involved.
At least these are not having bird/bat problems.
 
We came across these windmills. In one pick you an see them in a far distance. With 20x you can get a better view. Coudn't hear them. We drove up a mountain road and got real close. I still could not hear them. As for messing up the view, no more than the road or power lines already do.

seems like a bunch are going up in Maine. Mars Hill has quite a few.
 
Maine is a great place for windmills as it is windy with gusts of ridiculous almost every day. However I'm not a fan of them they are ugly. Maybe they could paint them in cloud camo like many fisherman use.
 
  • Like
Reactions: raybonz
there putting them things up here in central PA now, too. And I am not a fan of those giant 'fans'. You oughta see how much state game land they take when they put ONE of the up. Lots of acreage that was paid for by hunters, being sold down the river to private enterprise. Total BS if you ask me. Then to boot, we don't get the energy from them, if we have to look at the damm things, we should be benefiting from them. I just think it's a crock.........
 
  • Like
Reactions: Realstone
They are a poor way to generate electricity
Don't get me wrong, I'm all about trying to find alternative energy. But the windmill thing isn't the answer, especially for certain areas. Out in the plains, long vast expanses of fields or praries owned by private entities.....that's an entirely different deal. After all, it takes something like a thousand windmills to generate the same amount of electricity as a large coal-fired powerplant, if I'm not mistaken. We have a handful here, a handful there......all eyesores, all privately owned, sitting on land that was paid for by the public. I think it's a crock of sh!t!
 
Not to mention transmission losses. I think mid-sized installations that can serve towns close at hand is a much better idea.

Ehouse
 
  • Like
Reactions: ScotO
Not to mention transmission losses. I think mid-sized installations that can serve towns close at hand is a much better idea.

Ehouse
EXACTLY. That would be acceptable, IMO. But, you know as well as I do, that isn't what these wind farms are about. They're all about selling their product to the highest bidder, while generating it in the lowest-cost setting (in small townships and recessed areas where they can pay as little tax or lease rights as possible). I understand they have to make some money, but it's BS how they're doing it. Maybe small communities need to get together and purchase (yes, I'm sure it'll be expensive) their own windmills and generate said areas' own electricity. Just a quick though. I understand there is a lot more involved than just "pluggin' it in". But maybe that's what we need to start reaching for. When business gets on the same page as most folks (we wanna do it for the environment and our children, not so much for making money), then we can start to turn the page....
 
I have a few issues with them. One of them is that the ROI is WAY too high. Another is that they are not dependable sources of power. Another is that they cannot survive financially without subsidies. We do not need more drains on the public purse.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ScotO
I have a few issues with them. One of them is that the ROI is WAY too high. Another is that they are not dependable sources of power. Another is that they cannot survive financially without subsidies. We do not need more drains on the public purse.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ScotO
Yes, a big wind farm about an hour away, a few idle showcase ones down by Lake Ontario and a number more proposed farms within a 45 minute4 drive. What bugs me the most is the poor return on public investment. That's MY money your wasting!
 
Yes, a big wind farm about an hour away, a few idle showcase ones down by Lake Ontario and a number more proposed farms within a 45 minute4 drive. What bugs me the most is the poor return on public investment. That's MY money your wasting!

Agreed. When its not about the money, then it becomes more palatable. That's not the case though, and we all know it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Realstone
Don't get me wrong, I'm all about trying to find alternative energy. But the windmill thing isn't the answer, especially for certain areas. Out in the plains, long vast expanses of fields or praries owned by private entities.....that's an entirely different deal. After all, it takes something like a thousand windmills to generate the same amount of electricity as a large coal-fired powerplant, if I'm not mistaken. We have a handful here, a handful there......all eyesores, all privately owned, sitting on land that was paid for by the public. I think it's a crock of sh!t!
I disagree Scott and normally tend to agree with you.. Coal is a very dirty fuel and even when pollution equipment is used nothing cleans 100%. Wind power doesn't pollute and has a very small footprint on the land where it resides. Wind power takes nothing from the planet and wind will never go away. The latest issue of Mother Earth News http://www.motherearthnews.com/renewable-energy/clean-energy-zm0z12onzmar.aspx is very interesting and informative on this matter. Much farmland is used and the farmers are paid royalties and still can produce crops with windmills present. I firmly believe that we need to get away from our use of petroleum based products and this includes coal wherever possible. Hydro power has proven itself for decades but the downside is it is disruptive to the environment whereas wind power takes very little from the environment. To me windmills are much nicer to look at than cell towers and serve a greater purpose. There are quite a few windmills in my area and I think they look pretty neat! Another upside is many of these windmills will need to be built, installed and serviced which create many good jobs and pave the way to energy independance.

Ray
 
I have a few issues with them. One of them is that the ROI is WAY too high. Another is that they are not dependable sources of power. Another is that they cannot survive financially without subsidies. We do not need more drains on the public purse.
We should NOT subsidize oil companies this money should be used for future sources of energy. People need to see the big picture so they understand how this all works.

Ray
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wildo
Maine is a great place for windmills as it is windy with gusts of ridiculous almost every day. However I'm not a fan of them they are ugly. Maybe they could paint them in cloud camo like many fisherman use.
Seems all I have seen are white and wonder if there is a reason for this..

Ray
 
The windmills near us don't seem to have a small footprint as can be viewed on google earth. Iberola is behind almost all of these farms even if the investors claim otherwise, feel free to research them. Our windmills are built with our money,on our land destroying deer yards, the power goes to Canada and the money goes to Spain. AS they did to California when the windmills broke down they claim it is too expensive to fix them ( we will go bankrupt if we lay out that much money they usually say) by then they have invested pennies compared to their profits and our losses, feel free to research the dead wind farms in Ca. there are hundreds that we paid for and they got rich off of and are now just rusting and ugly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Realstone and ScotO
The windmills near us don't seem to have a small footprint as can be viewed on google earth. Iberola is behind almost all of these farms even if the investors claim otherwise, feel free to research them. Our windmills are built with our money,on our land destroying deer yards, the power goes to Canada and the money goes to Spain. AS they did to California when the windmills broke down they claim it is too expensive to fix them ( we will go bankrupt if we lay out that much money they usually say) by then they have invested pennies compared to their profits and our losses, feel free to research the dead wind farms in Ca. there are hundreds that we paid for and they got rich off of and are now just rusting and ugly.
I agree safeguards should be placed and surveys must be done to establish viability of this or any other energy resource. My personal proven favorite would be hydro power but it's nearly impossible to install dams in the USA. Dams have messed up the fish and wildlife as they were more of an after thought. Personally I despise nuclear power as it is simply too dangerous when\if things go wrong. Coal, oil and gas pollute the air as well even with pollution controls. Solar while clean and quiet occupies a large surface area to generate power. What would be the best solution or combination to generate the power we all rely on is the question..

Ray
 
Maine is a great place for tidal and I think tidal has many advantages but i havent researched the cons. Well I gotta go dismember some trees bye
 
  • Like
Reactions: ScotO and raybonz
You can find the same pictures of dead oil wells and dead mill buildings all across the country. I don't necessarily find them anymore unattractive than a 30 year old turbine. Why they don't scrap them I haven't a clue, but with modern turbines being so much more efficient than the first generation models it doesn't make sense to repair the old ones.

I've been near a few of the big windmills, and they definitely make a lot of noise. It's a really strange feeling too, like a pressure wave or something, quite disconcerting. That's at about 200', but at 1/2 mile on a ridge it's nothing. Compare that to a coal-fired plant that pollutes the air and water and I'll take a trail of windmills on the hill. I like watching them, . If you've ever been near a coal plant they're not quiet either. Plus if you count the size of the mine, the railroad, and the coal plant I bet they're of similar size. The transmission loss argument doesn't necessarily hold water either, because having to dig/transport the coal (then using the same transmission lines) is much more energy intensive than loss over HVTL.
 
I agree safeguards should be placed and surveys must be done to establish viability of this or any other energy resource. My personal proven favorite would be hydro power but it's nearly impossible to install dams in the USA. Dams have messed up the fish and wildlife as they were more of an after thought. Personally I despise nuclear power as it is simply too dangerous when\if things go wrong. Coal, oil and gas pollute the air as well even with pollution controls. Solar while clean and quiet occupies a large surface area to generate power. What would be the best solution or combination to generate the power we all rely on is the question..

Ray
Small to medium sized energy production is a sleeper, especially hydro, (drop tube turbines), and can be much less disruptive to the enviroment. we should all press our reps. to subsidize local systems instead of mega installations.

Ehouse
 
  • Like
Reactions: Realstone and ScotO
Status
Not open for further replies.