Wind Power News: General News
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Google: Powering data centers with clean energy 24/7 ‘no easy feat’
Dive Brief: Google issued a white paper Wednesday examining the energy used to run its data centers, concluding that while it has purchased 2.6 GW of renewable capacity, more than sufficient to cover its demands for clean energy, the resources are not fully aligned with when the electricity can be delivered. The internet giant reached its 100% renewable energy purchasing goal on a global and annual basis last year, but says it will now tackle the “much more challenging” long-term goal . . . Complete story »
Wind turbines a potential health risk: World Health Organisation
Wind power generators can cause health problems if they result in people being exposed to excessive noise levels, according to new guidelines for Europe that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has published. Exposure to wind turbines should not exceed 45 decibels during daytime, the Geneva-based UN agency wrote in the guidelines that it developed on behalf of the European Union. In comparison, soft radio music has 50 decibels. Although the recommendations were drawn up for Europe, they are relevant for . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine noise can be bad for hearing
Noise from wind turbines has been labelled a potential health hazard by researchers at the UN. The power-generating blades were included in a comprehensive assessment of the harm noise causes to humans. The report by the UN’s World Health Organisation found that noise cost a million healthy years of life across western Europe annually – with road traffic the biggest culprit. Onshore wind turbines have been championed by politicians as a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. Jeremy Corbyn told the . . . Complete story »
Florida company halts wind turbine construction in western Oklahoma
HINTON, Oklahoma – After weeks of effort to get a Florida-based energy company to stop building wind turbines that could pose a threat to the safety of pilots conducting low-level flight training in western Oklahoma, residents in the area say construction has finally stopped. The halt in activity comes three days after Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter announced that he had reached an agreement, on behalf of the Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission (OSMPC), with NextEra Energy to stop “construction . . . Complete story »
Revealing the dark side of wind power
Any solution to global warming will almost certainly rely on an expansion of renewable energy, reducing carbon dioxide emissions with clean solar or wind energy and related technologies. It’s still far from clear, however, which technologies might deliver copious amounts of energy when we need it while avoiding negative environmental consequences. Research published today may help clarify the situation – and it’s not encouraging for wind-power enthusiasts. It suggests that the power available from wind is much more limited than many . . . Complete story »
The down side to wind power
When it comes to energy production, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, unfortunately. As the world begins its large-scale transition toward low-carbon energy sources, it is vital that the pros and cons of each type are well understood and the environmental impacts of renewable energy, small as they may be in comparison to coal and gas, are considered. In two papers – published today in the journals Environmental Research Letters and Joule – Harvard University researchers find that the transition . . . Complete story »
Environmental impacts of large scale wind development may be greater than anticipated
When Vern Vivion was still running cattle outside Rawlins in the early ‘90s, he grew skeptical about wind development on his land. It’s not that he opposed wind, full stop. But Vivion, who died in 2014, thought turbines would have impacts on habitat that weren’t clear and hadn’t been investigated fully. Those impacts, he believed, would mean a lot to ranchers. He thought capturing the wind would impact the grass, said his daughter, Kristy, who now manages the land with . . . Complete story »
Minimizing yaw brake noise in wind turbines
Yaw noise is a significant contributor to the noise produced by wind turbines. It is the result of contact between the yaw brake pads and the disc when nacelle adjustments are made to optimize wind generation. The brakes are released to let the yaw motors turn the nacelle sufficiently into the optimal wind direction, and then reapplied to the hold position. Research has found that there is a direct relationship between the amount of noise caused by the brakes and . . . Complete story »
Falmouth selectmen hear Vineyard Wind update
Vineyard Wind aims to turn on its proposed offshore wind farm in 2021. Nathaniel Mayo, manager of policy and development for Vineyard Wind, appeared before the Falmouth Board of Selectmen on Monday, September 24, to outline the company’s plan to bring offshore wind into the power grid. “Our construction is slated to begin in 2019,” Mr. Mayo said. “We’re well into permitting the plan. We plan to flip the switch on in 2021.” Vineyard Wind leased 160,000 acres of ocean . . . Complete story »
Knockendurrick windfarm near Twynholm rejected by Dumfries and Galloway councillors
A controversial proposal for seven wind turbines near Twynholm has been turned down. Councillors spent more than three hours hearing from supporters and opponents of Banks’ Renewables plans for Knockendurrick before unanimously rejecting the bid. The firm said they were “obviously disappointed” and were considering their options. Thursday’s meeting of the planning applications committee was preceded by objectors gathering outside the council HQ in Dumfries with placards urging councillors to reject the proposal. Officials had recommended refusal of the plans . . . Complete story »
