Author Topic: Wind Power (Read 977 times)

Natsinpwc · « **Topic Start:** August 07, 2017, 02:06:07 PM »

I had seen wind turbines before but never so many as over the weekend. I-65 runs right through a wind farm north of Lafayette. Goes on for about ten miles.

http://meadowlakewindfarm.com

mitlen · « **Reply #1:** August 07, 2017, 02:09:57 PM »

Quote from: Natsinpwc on August 07, 2017, 02:06:07 PM

I had seen wind turbines before but never so many as over the weekend. I-65 runs right through a wind farm north of Lafayette. Goes on for about ten miles.

http://meadowlakewindfarm.com

Sure you've seen 'em on your journeys but I'm always fascinated by the turbines around Somerset, PA. Not only the science but they're also a familiar landmark ... and mileage marker.

varoadking · « **Reply #2:** August 07, 2017, 02:12:11 PM »

Quote from: Natsinpwc on August 07, 2017, 02:06:07 PM

I had seen wind turbines before but never so many as over the weekend. I-65 runs right through a wind farm north of Lafayette. Goes on for about ten miles.

http://meadowlakewindfarm.com

There's a fair number of them on two farms on the north shore of Oahu...

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #3:** August 07, 2017, 02:12:57 PM »

Quote from: mitlen on August 07, 2017, 02:09:57 PM

Sure you've seen 'em on your journey but I'm always fascinated by the turbines around Somerset, PA. Not only the science but they're also a familiar landmark ... and mileage marker.

Don't think I have seen that one but I have seen them in VA and WV. However these went on and on and as far as I could see on the one side of the highway. The other side was sloped so county see too far.

I had not realized that Neil Atmstrong went to Purdue until I saw his statue in front of the engineering building named after him.

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #4:** August 07, 2017, 02:13:39 PM »

Quote from: varoadking on August 07, 2017, 02:12:11 PM

There's a fair number of them on two farms on the north shore of Oahu...

Interesting. How long have they been there?

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #5:** August 07, 2017, 02:14:30 PM »

One would think there would be an extensive wind farm in DC with the hot air from the politicians and lobbyists.

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #6:** August 07, 2017, 02:14:38 PM »

There are a few in central New York, I always thought they added to the scenery

mitlen · « **Reply #7:** August 07, 2017, 02:14:50 PM »

Quote from: Natsinpwc on August 07, 2017, 02:12:57 PM

Don't think I have seen that one but I have seen them in VA and WV. However these went on and on and as far as I could see on the one side of the highway. The other side was sloped so county see too far.

I had not realized that Neil Atmstrong went to Purdue until I saw his statue in front of the engineering building named after him.

Next time you're on the PA Pike comin' in from Cincy .... just east of the Somerset exit on the south side of the Pike.

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #8:** August 07, 2017, 02:17:24 PM »

Quote from: HalfSmokes on August 07, 2017, 02:14:38 PM

There are a few in central New York, I always thought they added to the scenery

Yes. I thought it was very cool.

varoadking · « **Reply #9:** August 07, 2017, 02:17:42 PM »

Quote from: Natsinpwc on August 07, 2017, 02:13:39 PM

Interesting. How long have they been there?

Oh, geeze...30 years or so?

The MOD-5B, a 3.2MW wind turbine, on Oahu was the largest in the world in 1987.

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #10:** August 07, 2017, 02:18:07 PM »

Quote from: mitlen on August 07, 2017, 02:14:50 PM

Next time you're on the PA Pike comin' in from Cincy .... just east of the Somerset exit on the south side of the Pike.

I always take I79. Is that why I miss that?

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #11:** August 07, 2017, 02:18:45 PM »

Quote from: varoadking on August 07, 2017, 02:17:42 PM

Oh, geeze...30 years or so?

The MOD-5B, a 3.2MW wind turbine, on Oahu was the largest in the world in 1987.

I should have seen it then. Must have been stoned.

varoadking · « **Reply #12:** August 07, 2017, 02:19:41 PM »

Quote from: Natsinpwc on August 07, 2017, 02:18:45 PM

I should have seen it then. Must have been stoned.

Did Rusty vacation there?

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #13:** August 07, 2017, 02:20:14 PM »

Quote from: varoadking on August 07, 2017, 02:19:41 PM

Did Rusty vacation there?

I bet he did.

mitlen · « **Reply #14:** August 07, 2017, 02:20:43 PM »

Quote from: Natsinpwc on August 07, 2017, 02:18:07 PM

I always take I79. Is that why I miss that?

Yep ...

Somerset is 4 or 5 exits east of the Pittsburgh exits on the Pike maybe 9 exits east of 79. I often exit at I-79/Cranberry TWP headin' west.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #15:** August 07, 2017, 02:29:08 PM »

thing is, those old models are tiny in comparison to the newer ones. They have 10 megawatt turbines now. 40 stories high. I think they are mostly for offshore.

GuyFromCO · « **Reply #16:** August 07, 2017, 11:27:23 PM »

Quote from: Natsinpwc on August 07, 2017, 02:06:07 PM

I had seen wind turbines before but never so many as over the weekend. I-65 runs right through a wind farm north of Lafayette. Goes on for about ten miles.

http://meadowlakewindfarm.com

Drive through the Southwest...

DPMOmaha · « **Reply #17:** August 07, 2017, 11:31:02 PM »

Drive through Iowa. They're everywhere. Starting to pop up in farm country all over the country. Have a friend who farms in Northern Missouri near the Iowa boarder. He rents the land necessary for the turbine to the power company.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #18:** August 08, 2017, 08:06:25 AM »

I think right now there are states that draw 20%+ of their electricity off of wind. Kansas or Iowa, I'm pretty sure.

Texas is into it heavy. The funny thing about the reliability argument, at least in Texas, it turns out that coastal wind is more reliable than coal and gas during summer peaks. There's less maintenance and fewer operating caps (water temperature can affect cooling and steam generation), and one thing that is pretty reliable is on-shore breezes being generated by the heating of the land on peak demand days.

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #19:** August 08, 2017, 08:51:03 AM »

I hope to be driving out west and in the southwest in the next couple of years so will check that out.

mitlen · « **Reply #20:** August 08, 2017, 09:26:35 AM »

Glad I drove cross country before the great expansion of wind farms.

imref · « **Reply #21:** August 08, 2017, 09:28:54 AM »

Quote from: Natsinpwc on August 07, 2017, 02:06:07 PM

I had seen wind turbines before but never so many as over the weekend. I-65 runs right through a wind farm north of Lafayette. Goes on for about ten miles.

http://meadowlakewindfarm.com

There's around a 3k turbine farm west of Palm Springs that's impressive. Also a large one near Davis WV.

dcpatti · « **Reply #22:** August 08, 2017, 10:05:55 AM »

I wish I had the room for a turbine. I have a small solar array that produces enough juice so that I don't get an electric bill 8 months out of the year. In the months where I do get a bill (summer with the AC cranking) it's 1/5 of what it used to be pre-solar. I'd love to have the kind of output where you actually get paid for sending your surplus back to the grid rather than credits off the bill. Alas, I only have so much roof.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #23:** August 08, 2017, 12:51:11 PM »

Quote from: dcpatti on August 08, 2017, 10:05:55 AM

I wish I had the room for a turbine. I have a small solar array that produces enough juice so that I don't get an electric bill 8 months out of the year. In the months where I do get a bill (summer with the AC cranking) it's 1/5 of what it used to be pre-solar. I'd love to have the kind of output where you actually get paid for sending your surplus back to the grid rather than credits off the bill. Alas, I only have so much roof.

what kind of storage do you have?

dcpatti · « **Reply #24:** August 08, 2017, 02:01:23 PM »

Quote from: JCA-CrystalCity on August 08, 2017, 12:51:11 PM

what kind of storage do you have?

I actually have a non-storage array; my house draws from the solar array first to power itself and anything left over afterwards goes back into the grid. There's a separate meter and I get a line item on my bill for what I send back to the grid. Pepco gives me a rolling credit to the account. Then in high demand months if the house doesn't have enough to power itself, it draws back from the grid and the payment due is just taken out of my credit. I had to get a special electric meter and the connection between my house and the grid is different than my neighbors, to allow the excess power to get sent back to the grid.

Also I get a check every quarter (well it's direct deposit now) for selling the SREC (Solar Renewable Energy Credit) and don't ask me to explain it because I can't. All I know is it's magic pixie dust that gets me $1500 a year.