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Wind Power News: Meteorology
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Are the wind turbines at Lake George messing with the BOM’s weather radar?
Ever checked Canberra’s weather radar on the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) website and wondered why there’s always a patch of heavy rain just above Bungendore on the map? Chances are, residents in the area are actually looking up into a clear blue sky because of a phenomenon known as “false echoes”. Here’s what’s going on … But first, where is Canberra’s radar station? The primary weather radar station for Canberra is based at Captains Flat, a dish mounted to the . . . Complete story »
Doppler dispute: Public weighs in on controversial wind farm proposal that could affect weather services
Lincoln, Ill. (NEXSTAR) – Chris Miller spent 20 years at the Lincoln National Weather Service office. He’s seen the impact that wind farms can have on doppler radar data. But one instance stands out in particular. The storm that made the 2018 Taylorville tornado passed right through a wind farm in northwest Macon county. “When it did that the doppler radar velocity images were corrupted, they were unusable for 15 minutes,” Miller said. Those fifteen minutes can make all the difference . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine wakes can impact downwind vegetation
Denver, CO. – The trails of disturbed air produced by wind turbines—known as wakes—can alter downwind temperatures and humidity, and a new U.S. Geological Survey study has demonstrated for the first time that wakes can impact vegetation in the vicinity. The study’s insight into the effects of wakes from wind turbines on vegetation is an important first step to understanding how wind energy affects terrestrial ecosystems. Wind energy is rapidly and globally expanding, with five-fold increases since 2010 and predictions of . . . Complete story »
Communities located near wind farms may see some subtle changes in their climates
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Recently, wind farms have been a major topic for communities in northeast Missouri. There is now a wind farm located in northern Adair County and southern Schuyler County. There is also plans for a wind farm to possibly be constructed in Knox County. However, meteorologists have conducted research over the past few years to determine if there are big changes in the climate for communities near wind farms. In particular, they have found that there are some subtle . . . Complete story »
Kann das wirklich sein: Windräder als Klimakiller?
Vogel-, Fledermaus -und Insektenschlag, Schattenwurf und Infraschall sind bislang die bekanntesten Argumente gegen Windkraftanlagen. Und jetzt auch das noch: Forscher in den Niederlanden, den USA, in Kanada und China haben, war in einer überregionalen Zeitung zu lesen, ermittelt: Große Windturbinen sind mitverantwortlich für Dürre und Erderwärmung… Unter ihnen die profilierte US-amerikanische Geo-Ingenieurin Christine L. Archer und der kanadische Wissenschaftler David W. Keith. Sie und andere Wissenschaftler hätten den Dürre-Effekt durch Verwirbelung hinter den Windrädern nachgewiesen, was als Nachlauf oder wie . . . Complete story »
Texas wind farm affects land temperature
A Texas region containing four of the world’s largest wind farms showed an increase in land surface temperature over nine years that researchers have connected to local meteorological effects of the turbines. The land surface temperature around the west-central Texas wind farms warmed at a rate of 0.72 degrees Celsius per decade during the study period relative to nearby regions without wind farms, an effect most likely caused by the turbulence in turbine wakes acting like fans to pull down . . . Complete story »
Wind and wave farms could affect Earth’s energy balance
The idea that we can draw endless supplies of clean energy from the wind and waves just doesn’t add up. Witness a howling gale or an ocean storm, and it’s hard to believe that humans could make a dent in the awesome natural forces that created them. Yet that is the provocative suggestion of one physicist who has done the sums. He concludes that it is a mistake to assume that energy sources like wind and waves are truly renewable. . . . Complete story »
