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Table of Contents
Life Expectancy: 20-30 years.
Pro: Turbines can be places in wide open places, or out at sea. Some companies have found ways to make wind energy quiet and with
Con: Can be noisy, some designs can harm birds, intermittent energy as wind speeds and durations fluctuate, can be damaged by storms.
Solution: Bubble curtains can help reduce or even eliminate marine noise pollution during the construction process.
Fuel/Materials: Wind
Introduction
Introduction
"Wind energy has the potential to provide 10 to 15 percent of future world energy requirements, according to Paul Dimotakis, chief technologist at JPL. If ocean areas with high winds were tapped for wind energy, they could potentially harvest up to 500 to 800 watts of wind power per square meter, according to Liu's research. Dimotakis notes that while this is less than peak solar power, which is about 1000 watts per square meter on Earth's surface when the sky is clear and the sun is overhead at equatorial locations, the average solar power at Earth's mid-latitudes under clear-sky conditions is less than a third of that. Wind power can be converted to electricity more efficiently than solar power and at a lower cost per watt of electricity produced." - https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/ocean-wind-power-maps-reveal-possible-wind-energy-sources
Job Opportunities
Job Opportunities
Occupational Outlook Handbook: Wind Turbine Technicians by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says that "The median annual wage for wind turbine technicians was $56,260 in May 2021." and "Employment of wind turbine technicians is projected to grow 44 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.
About 1,900 openings for wind turbine technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire."
Types of Wind Power
Types of Wind Power
The Drawdown Project's "mission is to help the world reach “drawdown”—the point in the future when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline, thereby stopping catastrophic climate change—as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible." The following links explore how different types of wind power will support our transition to renewable grids while reducing atmospheric GHG emissions. Their main focus is carbon, but with the methane, small particle pollution, and other dangerous leaks from the fossil fuel industry, there will be additional benefits from making this switch.
Utility-Scale
Utility-Scale
This type of wind energy capture requires technical knowledge, industrialization, factories for parts, legislative and monitoring requirements, not to mention large investments of money, however they benefit entire communities giving them massive potential against climate change.
Emerging Wind Technology
Emerging Wind Technology
Roof top wind turbines present a few problems according to the link to the right. For example, "The smaller devices do not produce enough energy to be cost-effective. Plus, their quickly spinning blades create noisy vibrations, and their many moving parts are more prone to breakage. Compared with passive rooftop solar panels, wind turbines have the potential to be quite high-maintenance. " However new technology may make roof-top wind a better choice than with previous models.
Passive Cooling for Buildings
Passive Cooling for Buildings
Using ancient (eco-friendly) technology such as stone or plant-based building materials, and modern technological advances such as aerodynamics modeling with computers before committing to a building design is making this option more appealing than ever. This passive cooling opportunity is suddenly seeing a resurgence of use around the world, after it's historical decline of jaali and windcatchers in Asia and the Middle East after the introduction of glass windows.
Modern A/C systems work by pushing hot air outside, ironically heating the outside area, which both increases global warming, while making their communities more dangerous for people and animals who don't have the luxury of inside cooling. By switching to passive cooling, we cut our energy bills, and stop creating inhospitable temperatures for those without access to A/C.
Romans and many other cultures have found incredible ways to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures, and in the Mediterranean today you can still see white painted homes designed to reflect sunlight. This section explores both historical solutions as well as modern advancements and data.
Jali / Jaali
Jali / Jaali
Wind Towers
Wind Towers
Passive Laundry Drying
Passive Laundry Drying
We often think of line drying laundry to be a solar-powered technique, but it's good to know that this method still works at night and indoors. Sunlight will speed the drying process and has antibacterial benefits, it'll help with bleaching too! However on rainy days or nights you can bring laundry in and dry it on a rack or line. A window cracked open to encourage air movement will help speed up the drying process compared to an enclosed space with no air movement.
Resources for Line Drying Laundry
Resources for Line Drying Laundry
The Science of Drying - How to be a Clothes Line Ninja "A June 2017 Canstar Blue survey showed that 75% of New Zealanders have a clothes line, yet 20% of those admit to using a drier even when it was sunny outside. The benefits of hanging washing outdoors are well known, so the reason for this is presumably uncertainty in the weather. In this blog post we explain the science of drying clothes, and how to feel confident in your free and natural laundry service."
Wind Powered Transport: Sails
Wind Powered Transport: Sails
"Around 90 per cent of world trade is carried by sea, and the French Association of Shipowners has predicted that five per cent of this could be carried by wind-powered ships in future. Clearly, sail ships cannot match the speed of modern cargo vessels, but there are many types of goods which are not perishable and where speedy delivery could be of secondary importance." - Sustainable Build: Sail Power for Ships
Windmills for Farms/Small Scale
Windmills for Farms/Small Scale
Windmills were first used in places like Persia and China, with historical examples still found in Iran, Europe, the Americas, and elsewhere.
Today farmers can still use wind, but may need to check with their local authorities or deed restrictions about the legality and requirements for building or installing turbines. Turbine-free options are also available, but sound generation and repair/maintenance costs will generally be among the top concerns.
Impact of Wind Power
Impact of Wind Power
Benefits
Benefits
Drawdown: Solutions Table Cost Per Tonne "* Gigatons CO2 Equivalent Reduced / Sequestered (2020–2050) " Click the tabs at the top of the chart to see the environmental solutions listed according cost or reduced/sequestered CO2 equivalent GHG emissions.
Sail powered boats are much quieter than boat engines, making them much more wildlife friendly. There is also no danger of whales, manatees or other endangered animals being sliced by rotating blades.
Wind can provide power even at night, when solar panels can't.
Solar is quickly becoming more affordable.
Neutral or Negative
Neutral or Negative
Bats
Bats
"Data suggests that millions of bats die each year at wind energy facilities
Bat species that make long distance seasonal migrations are the most vulnerable to fatalities
High fatality rates at wind energy facilities have raised concerns about rapid and severe population declines of the Hoary Bat in North America"
"Most bat fatalities are caused by bats colliding with rotating blades of wind turbines. Fatalities are highest during autumn migration and on nights with low wind speeds. Some bats may be attracted to wind turbines, increasing risk of impacts to bat populations." - Bat Conservation International: Research and Scalable Solutions: Wind Energy
"BCI has been a pioneer in using thermal imaging to learn how bats interact with wind turbines. In this video, thermal imaging reveals how a bat explores and then is struck by rotating blades of a wind turbine. The bat is the small white object that is first seen moving behind the turbine in the lower right of the screen. The bat maneuvers around the rotating blades before being struck. As it falls, it is hit by another blade. Bats dying from collisions like these are a growing threat to populations with expanding wind energy development. Our work to understand and monitor flight behavior of bats at turbines is helping develop bat friendly wind power." - Bat Conservation International: Research and Scalable Solutions: Wind Energy
Birds
Birds
Birds can be injured when flying between turbines, particularly when turbines are put in a migratory flight path, and when they above certain speeds. Scientists have been working on models that are less harmful to birds, or that are totally incapable of harming birds.
Noise
Noise
Turbines can create noise pollution, which is particularly noticeable in otherwise quiet locations. Some people find the noise annoying while others are not bothered.
Marine Noise Pollution
Marine Noise Pollution
8:04 minute video explores the Fossil Fuel Industry's claims that wind turbines are killing whales.
Noise pollution from construction can massively impact aquatic species from glass sponges and the plankton their consume to marine mammals such as whales.
On solution for this is the use of bubble curtains which can dampen the noise to prevent harm to some species, though not all are benefited equally.
Click the Noise Pollution button to learn more.
1:09 minute video showing bubble curtains in use during marine construction and while measuring the effects on the area outside the dual-line bubble screen.
Storm Damage
Storm Damage
The most common type of storm damage comes from lightning strikes which can damage the blades.
Infrastructural Needs & Solutions
Infrastructural Needs & Solutions
Organizations
Organizations
North America
North America
USA
USA
The Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative (BWEC) "is an alliance of experts from government agencies, private industry academia, and non-governmental organizations that cooperate to advance and disseminate science-based solutions to cost effectively quantify and mitigate the impact of wind turbines on bats."
The Clean Energy States Alliance "is a national, nonprofit coalition of public agencies and organizations working together to advance clean energy.
CESA works with state leaders, federal agencies, industry representatives, and other stakeholders to develop clean energy programs and inclusive renewable energy markets. CESA members—mostly state agencies—include many of the most innovative, successful, and influential public funders of clean energy initiatives in the country."
Maps & Site Selection
Maps & Site Selection
Maps and tools like these can help us make informed decisions about where to install wind, and where to avoid installing. Wind Project Site Selection covers various issues concerning site selection, wildlife, local communities, zoning and ordinances.
Financial & Funding
Financial & Funding
North America
North America
USA
USA
The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) Program "provides $5 billion in grants to states, local governments, tribes, and territories to develop and implement ambitious plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution. Authorized under Section 60114 of the Inflation Reduction Act, this two-phase program provides $250 million for noncompetitive planning grants, and approximately $4.6 billion for competitive implementation grants."
Self-Help Credit Union "Our mission is creating and protecting ownership and economic opportunity for all, especially people of color, women, rural residents and low-wealth families and communities.
Self-Help Credit Union has branches in NC, SC, FL and VA, and we offer remote services like online and mobile banking to make joining us easy no matter where you live." "We're poised to use a major funding award from the EPA to help create a clean energy future for all."
Turbine Parts, Manufacturers & Installers
Turbine Parts, Manufacturers & Installers
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