| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
List ALL documents, ordered … By Title | By Author
Browse Technology (list in random order)
Resource Documents: Technology (183 items)
Also see NWW "technology" and "size" FAQs
Unless indicated otherwise, documents presented here are not the product of nor are they necessarily endorsed by National Wind Watch. Nor should it be implied that the sources and writers endorse National Wind Watch. These resource documents are shared here to assist anyone wishing to research the issue of industrial wind power and the impacts of its development. The information should be evaluated by each reader to come to their own conclusions about the many areas of debate. • The copyrights reside with the sources indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations.
Well Hidden and Distorted Costs of Renewables: A Comprehensive Comparison of Wind Power and Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Plant
Author: Ciccone, Terigi
I. Introduction: The Critical Need for Reliable Power in an Electrified World Wind power looks cheap on paper thanks to metrics like LCOE, but making it as reliable and robust as a natural gas plant requires massive overbuilds, backups, and infrastructure—ballooning actual total system costs by 5-40 times higher. Here’s the full breakdown. Consider the following scenarios: A hospital operating room loses power during a complex surgery, causing monitors to fail and life-support systems to shut down, endangering patients in . . .
More »Red kite (Milvus milvus) collision risk is higher at wind turbines with larger rotors and lower clearance, evidenced by GPS tracking
Author: Škrábal, Jan; et al.
Abstract: Wind turbines are important for achieving renewable energy goals, but present a considerable threat to wildlife, especially birds and bats. This study reports 41 confirmed collisions of GPS-tracked Red Kites (Milvus milvus) with wind turbines across Europe (2017–2024). We compared environmental and turbine-specific factors during collisions and non-collision movements within 500 m of turbines. Collisions occurred year-round, with the highest mean number of collisions per day during spring and autumn migration. Rotor clearance and diameter were significant predictors of . . .
More »Shattered Green Dreams: The environmental costs of wind and solar
Author: Montalbano, Sarah
Wind turbines, solar panels, battery storage, and other “green energy” technologies are too often hailed as unqualified goods for the environment. However, there are no solutions, only tradeoffs, and the same is true for energy production and its environmental impact. All human activities have an impact on the environment. Debates about the U.S.’ energy mix almost entirely overlook or minimize the negative environmental impacts of wind, solar, and batteries while diminishing the positive impacts of oil and gas, coal, and . . .
More »How Much Oil Is Required to Run a Wind Turbine?
Author: Roman, Jeremy
Key Takeaways Gear oil: around 800 gallons per turbine for gearboxes. Transformer oil: approximately 1200 gallons per turbine for transformers. Annual oil consumption: averages 80 gallons per turbine. Synthetic oils are preferred for wind turbine applications. Proper maintenance crucial for productivity and environmental sustainability. Oil Consumption in Wind Turbines Wind turbines require a significant amount of oil for proper operation, with an average turbine consuming up to 2000 gallons of oil. This oil consumption is divided between the gear oil, . . .
More »
