Wind%20Energy%20Myths%20and%20Facts

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Wind Energy Myths and Facts

• Brian Antonich
• Windustry Program Analyst
• Great Lakes Regional Wind Institute
• Webinar 1 Windy Landowner Education
• September 13th, 2007

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Wind Energy Potential20 Plan From the U.S. DOE

• 20 of the
• nations electrical
• needs can be
• provided by
• wind!
• Currently the US supplies just under 1 of its
  electrical energy needs from wind

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Radar and Wind Turbines
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(No Transcript)
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Additional InformationWind and Radar

• Wind projects close to operating radar sites
• F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming two 660-kW
  turbines http//www.afcee.brooks.af.mil/ms/msp/cen
  ter/Vol11No3/10.asp
• U.S. Navy at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba four 950-kW
  turbines http//www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2005/2
  0050329_342.html
• U.S. Air Force Space Command on Ascension Island
  four 225-kW and two 900-kW turbines
  http//www.inl.gov/powersystems/ascension_island.s
  html
• U.S. Navy at San Clemente Island Base three
  225-kW turbines http//www.nelp.navy.mil/pdf_cases
  /Conservation_Wind_Power_SCI.pdf
• Logan International Airport in Boston,
  Massachusetts near Hull, MA turbines
  http//www.ceere.org/rerl/publications/whitepapers
  /AWEA_Hull_2003.pdf
• Experts and resources
• Gary Seifert Idaho National Laboratory
  Presentation on Wind Radar Interference
  http//www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweri
  ngamerica/pdfs/workshops/2006_summit/seifert.pdf
• Laurie Jodziewicz Communications and Policy
  Specialist American Wind Energy Association

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Wind Energy andAscetics/Property Values

• Concerns brought up at public hearings
• Important to understand the underlying issues
• property values,
• perceived public health risks,
• visual nuisance,
• or money
• Land use plays a large factor
• Agriculture traditionally low opposition
• Forested wildlife impacts
• Mountain top strong visual concerns
• Recreational property values and visual
  concerns
• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

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Proper Siting Can Balance a Wind Projects Visual
Impact

• Communities can develop policies to safely and
  appropriately site projects based on community
  values and appropriate use of wind systems

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Excellent ResourcesWind Project Siting Issues

• Siting and Permitting Publications National Wind
  Coordinating Collaborative
• http//www.nationalwind.org/publications/siting.ht
  m
• Ryan Wiser Laurence Berkeley National
  Laboratory Do Wind Facilities Affect Local
  Property Values?
• http//www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweri
  ngamerica/pdfs/workshops/2007_summit/wiser.pdf

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Wind Energy and Sound

• Wind systems are typically sited in windy areas
  where the sound of the wind generally masks noise
  from the machines.

Chart shows noise from wind turbine at
approximately 1,000 feet from the machine.
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Wind Energy and Sound

• Today's turbines are much quieter than older
  technology.
• Sound proofing of nacelle
• More efficient blades
• Quieter gear boxes
• Slower moving rotors

Gearbox and generator in a 1.65 MW wind turbine
owned by Iowa Lakes Community College in
Estherville, Iowa.
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Excellent ResourcesWind Energy and Sound

• British Wind Energy Association
• Noise From Wind Turbines The facts
  http//www.britishwindenergy.co.uk/ref/noise.html
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
• A Guide to Noise Control in Minnesota Acoustical
  Properties, Measurements, Analysis, Regulation
  http//proteus.pca.state.mn.us/waste/pubs/noise.pd
  f
• Wind Turbine Manufactures
• Provide sound emission information for turbines
  http//www.windustry.org/your-wind-project/wind-en
  ergy-companies/wind-energy-companies

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Wind Turbines and Safety

• Epileptic Seizures
• Modern wind turbine blades generally rotate
  between 10-22 rpm, which is slow.  Epileptic
  seizures for photosensitive people are triggered
  by rates of 5 to 30 flashes per second.  The
  blades of today's wind turbines do not spin
  quickly enough to cause seizures. At maximum
  rotational speed, there would be a little more
  than 1 flash per second.

For more information about photosensitivity and
epilepsy visit the Epilepsy Foundations
website http//www.epilepsyfoundation.org/about/t
ypes/triggers/photosensitivity.cfm
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Wind Turbines and Safety

• Ice Throw
• Ice throw, while it can occur under certain
  conditions, is of little danger. Setbacks
  typically used to minimize noise are sufficient
  to protect against danger to the public. In
  addition, ice buildup slows a turbine's rotation
  and will be sensed by a turbine's control system,
  causing the turbine to shut down.

Source American Wind Energy Association Wind
Energy Myths vs. Facts http//www.awea.org/pubs/fa
ctsheets/050629_Myths_vs_Facts_Fact_Sheet.pdf
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Wind Turbines and Safety

• Blade Throw
• Blade throws were common in the industry's
  early years, but are unheard-of today because of
  better turbine design and engineering. There are
  thousands of turbines installed in Europe andin
  the U.S. - wind turbine standards ensure a high
  level of operational reliability and safety in
  the U.S. and worldwide.

Source American Wind Energy Association Wind
Energy Myths vs. Facts http//www.awea.org/pubs/fa
ctsheets/050629_Myths_vs_Facts_Fact_Sheet.pdf
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Wind EnergyAvian Impacts

• Significant expansion of renewable energy
  sources such as wind power is needed to reduce
  pollution from fossil fuels and address global
  warmingto protect birds, wildlife, and habitat
  from global warming. Fossil fuel power plants
  account for more than one third of the carbon
  dioxide emitted by the United States.
• Mike Daulton
• Director of Conservation Policy,
• National Audubon Society

Erickson, et al, 2002, A Summary and Comparison
of Bird Mortality from Anthropogenic Causes with
and Emphasis on Collisions http//www.awea.org/pub
s/factsheets/050629_Myths_vs_Facts_Fact_Sheet.pdf
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Wind Turbines and Bats

• Wildlife experts are perplexed about the cause of
  bat fatalities inflicted by wind turbines.
• The National Wind Coordinating Collaborative is
  actively studying the issue.
• For more information about the efforts to
  understand this problem and other wind/wildlife
  issues visit the NWCC Wildlife Workgroup website
• http//www.nationalwind.org/workgroups/wildlife/

Photos of Bats Edward B. Arnett Bat
Conservation International
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Cost of Wind Energy

• Wind energy typically offsets higher cost natural
  gas fired peaking plants.
• Large penetrations of wind complement hydro
  electric dams in the NW very well.

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Cost of Wind Energy
Source US Department of Energy Annual Report of
U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost and
Performance Trends2006 http//www.nrel.gov/docs/f
y07osti/41435.pdf
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Cost of Wind Energy
Source U.S. Department of Energy, Annual Report
of U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost and
Performance Trends2006 http//www.nrel.gov/docs/f
y07osti/41435.pdf
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Cost of Wind EnergyMinnesota Wind Integration
Study
Full study report and results of other U.S. Wind
Integration Studies can be found by visiting the
Utility Wind Integration Group Website
http//www.uwig.org/
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Wind Energy and Subsidies

• Every energy technology is subsidized. Wind
  energy is no exception. Wind receives a tax
  credit that provides an inflation-adjusted 1.5
  cents for each kilowatt-hour generated, over the
  first ten years of the project. This credit
  reduces the tax liability of a wind farm, but is
  not a subsidy of public money flowing to the wind
  farm owner.
• Subsidies that other energy sources receive
• tax deductions
• loan guarantees
• liability insurance
• leasing of public lands at below market prices.
• Additional indirect subsidies include federal
  money for research and development programs and
  policy provisions in federal legislation.

Source American Wind Energy Association Wind
Energy Myths vs. Facts http//www.awea.org/pubs/fa
ctsheets/050629_Myths_vs_Facts_Fact_Sheet.pdf
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Thanks and Questions?

• Brian Antonich
• Windustry Program Analyst
• Brians email brian_at_windustry.org
• Phone [phone]
• www.windustry.org