By TOM ZELLER Jr.
Published: October 5, 2010
VINALHAVEN, Me. — Like nearly all of the residents on this island in Penobscot Bay, Art Lindgren and his wife, Cheryl, celebrated the arrival of three giant wind turbines late last year. That was before they were turned on.
Matt McInnis for The New York Times
Residents living less than a mile from the $15 million wind facility in Vinalhaven, Me., say the industrial whoosh-and-whoop of the 123-foot blades is making life unbearable.
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“In the first 10 minutes, our jaws dropped to the ground,” Mr. Lindgren said. “Nobody in the area could believe it. They were so loud.”
Now, the Lindgrens, along with a dozen or so neighbors living less than a mile from the $15 million wind facility here, say the industrial whoosh-and-whoop of the 123-foot blades is making life in this otherwise tranquil corner of the island unbearable.
They are among a small but growing number of families and homeowners across the country who say they have learned the hard way that wind power — a clean alternative to electricity from fossil fuels — is not without emissions of its own.
Lawsuits and complaints about turbine noise, vibrations and subsequent lost property value have cropped up in Illinois, Texas, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Massachusetts, among other states.
In one case in DeKalb County, Ill., at least 38 families have sued to have 100 turbines removed from a wind farm there. A judge rejected a motion to dismiss the case in June.
Like the Lindgrens, many of the people complaining the loudest are reluctant converts to the antiwind movement.
“The quality of life that we came here for was quiet,” Mrs. Lindgren said. “You don’t live in a place where you have to take an hour-and-15-minute ferry ride to live next to an industrial park. And that’s where we are right now.”
The wind industry has long been dogged by a vocal minority bearing all manner of complaints about turbines, from routine claims that they ruin the look of pastoral landscapes to more elaborate allegations that they have direct physiological impacts like rapid heart beat, nausea and blurred vision caused by the ultra-low-frequency sound and vibrations from the machines.
For the most extreme claims, there is little independent backing.
Last year, the American Wind Energy Association, a trade group, along with its Canadian counterpart, assembled a panel of doctors and acoustical professionals to examine the potential health impacts of wind turbine noise. In a paper published in December, the panel concluded that “there is no evidence that the audible or sub-audible sounds emitted by wind turbines have any direct adverse physiological effects.”
A separate study financed by the Energy Department concluded late last year that, in aggregate, property values were unaffected by nearby wind turbines.
Numerous studies also suggest that not everyone will be bothered by turbine noise, and that much depends on the context into which the noise is introduced. A previously quiet setting like Vinalhaven is more likely to produce irritated neighbors than, say, a mixed-use suburban setting where ambient noise is already the norm.
Of the 250 new wind farms that have come online in the United States over the last two years, about dozen or so have generated significant noise complaints, according to Jim Cummings, the founder of the Acoustic Ecology Institute, an online clearinghouse for information on sound-related environmental issues.
In the Vinalhaven case, an audio consultant hired by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection determined last month that the 4.5-megawatt facility was, at least on one evening in mid-July when Mr. Lindgren collected sound data, in excess of the state’s nighttime sound limits. The developer of the project, Fox Island Wind, has contested that finding, and negotiations with state regulators are continuing.
In the moonlit woods behind a neighbor’s property on a recent evening, Mr. Lindgren, a retired software engineer, clenched a small flashlight between his teeth and wrestled with a tangle of cables and audio recording equipment he uses to collect sound samples for filing complaints.
At times, the rustle of leaves was all that could be heard. But when the surface wind settled, a throbbing, vaguely jetlike sound cut through the nighttime air. “Right there,” Mr. Lindgren declared. “That would probably be out of compliance.”
Maine, along with many other states, puts a general limit on nighttime noise at 45 decibels — roughly equivalent to the sound of a humming refrigerator. A normal conversation is in the range of 50 to 60 decibels.
In almost all cases, it is not mechanical noise arising from the central gear box or nacelle of a turbine that residents react to, but rather the sound of the blades, which in modern turbines are mammoth appendages well over 100 feet long, as they slice through the air.
Turbine noise can be controlled by reducing the rotational speed of the blades. But the turbines on Vinalhaven already operate that way after 7 p.m., and George Baker, the chief executive of Fox Island Wind — a for-profit arm of the island’s electricity co-operative — said that turning the turbines down came at an economic cost.
“The more we do that, the higher goes the price of electricity on the island,” he said.
A common refrain among homeowners grappling with sound issues, however, is that they were not accurately informed about the noise ahead of time. “They told us we wouldn’t hear it, or that it would be masked by the sound of the wind blowing through the trees,” said Sally Wylie, a former schoolteacher down the road from the Lindgrens. “I feel duped.”
Similar conflicts are arising in Canada, Britain and other countries. An appeals court in Rennes, France, recently ordered an eight-turbine wind farm to shut down between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. so residents could get some sleep.
Richard R. James, an acoustic expert hired by residents of Vinalhaven to help them quantify the noise problem, said there was a simpler solution: do not put the turbines so close to where people live.
“It would seem to be time for the wind utility developers to rethink their plans for duplicating these errors and to focus on locating wind turbines in areas where there is a large buffer zone of about a mile and one-quarter between the turbines and people’s homes,” said Mr. James, the principal consultant with E-Coustic Solutions, based in Michigan.
Vinalhaven’s wind farm enjoys support among most residents, from ardent supporters of all clean energy to those who simply say the turbines have reduced their power bills. Deckhands running the ferry sport turbine pins on their hats, and bumper stickers seen on the island declare “Spin, Baby, Spin.”
“The majority of us like them,” said Jeannie Conway, who works at the island’s ferry office.
But that is cold comfort for Mrs. Lindgren and her neighbors, who say their corner of the island will never be the same.
“I remember the sound of silence so palpable, so merciless in its depths, that you could almost feel your heart stop in sympathy,” she said. “Now we are prisoners of sonic effluence. I grieve for the past.”
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: October 7, 2010
An article on Wednesday about the noise of wind turbines misstated the material of which turbine blades are made. They are typically made of fiberglass or plastic reinforced with carbon fiber, not steel.
Showing posts with label American Wind Energy Association. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American Wind Energy Association. Show all posts
Friday, October 8, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
When Wind Works, There's Lots of Work in Wind
Posted on July 1, 2010 NewEnergyNews
Wind energy is not only the most mature and capable of the New Energies right now, it is also the leading voice of the New Energy industries.
That is why it is so interesting to see that, in response to the U.S. New Energy industries’ currently slowing momentum, wind is reaching out, forming alliances and pushing harder than ever for the federal policies that will matter.
Late in 2009, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and the other New Energy industries reached out to the natural gas industry in an attempt to find common ground in the nation's fight against coal dependence and the fight against greenhouse gas emissions (GhGs).
Early in June, 2010, AWEA and the United Steelworkers Union (USW) formed a Partnership for Progress and called for a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES). Shortly after that, AWEA joined the Alliance to Save Energy, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, the Biomass Power Association, Growth Energy, the Energy Recovery Council, the Geothermal Energy Association, the National Hydropower Association, and the Solar Energy Industries Association to declare THE TIME IS NOW for a national RES.
Now AWEA has joined the USW and its labor union and environmentalist partners in the Blue-Green Alliance to release "Winds of Change: A Manufacturing Blueprint for the Wind Industry. The Blueprint calls for an RES requiring U.S. utilities to obtain 25% of their power from New Energy sources by 2025.
Wind, the ultimate American can-do energy industry, can and is doing what it has to. That it created a boom from 2004 to 2008, rose to a pinnacle of accomplishment and took over international leadership in wind energy production despite shoddy and inconsistent federal policy support means nothing now. That it went from 2,500 U.S. jobs in 2004 to 18,500 jobs in 2009 means nothing now. That it quadrupled its yearly capacity additions to 10 gigawatts in 2009 and finished the year with a world-leading 35+ gigawatts of cumulative U.S. capacity means nothing now.
What matters now is that the New Energies – and their new allies – be heard.
Political leaders in Washington, D.C., will – when they finish eulogizing Senator Byrd and tormenting Ms. Kagan – go to work on legislation in response to the April coal mine cave-in disaster that killed 29 miners and the even worse Gulf oil spill that killed 11 offshore oil platform workers and resulted in an environmental and economic atrocity for the region.
What matters now is that those political leaders get the message that fossil fuel-perpetrated devastations will only come to an end when the nation turns with all its might to New Energy.
What matters now is that those political leaders come to understand there is a choice in the kind of energy they subsidize and there are real and devastating consequences when they subsidize dirty and dangerous energies.
What matters now is that those political leaders also come to understand there is a huge opportunity for the nation in New Energy. It is an opportunity to staunch the flow of U.S. treasure to profoundly troubled places and people, to enhance the nation’s energy security, to invest in domestic sources of power generation in a way that will rehabilitate its economy and to get the nation on the world’s side in the fight against climate change and killer air pollution.
So the wind industry is speaking out. It is calling for federal policies that will give it a level playing field against its Old Energy competitors. Industries like nuclear energy, natural gas and coal have long had support in the form of federal subsidies, guarantees and incentives. The Old Energies, in fact, could not exist without such support. Wind and the other New Energies aske only that the rules be fair. Either take away their competitors’ advantages or give them long term policies like:
(1) A national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) requiring U.S. utilities to obtain 25% of their power from New Energy sources by 2025,
(2) An extension of the Recovery Act's 1603 convertible tax credit,
(3) A cap and price on greenhouse gas emissions (GhGs) with protections for vulnerable domestic industries,
(4) Legislation to facilitate extensive development of new transmission infrastructure,
(5) Expanded funding for the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit to subsidize the building and renovation of manufacturing capacity,
(6) Further loan guarantees for new and renovated New Energy manufacturing capacity,
(7) Enactment and funding of the Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology (IMPACT) and Renewable Energy Market Access Program (REMAP) Acts to grow the domestic manufacturing supply chain,
(8) Funding for the Green Jobs Act to insure a trained job force, and
(9) Support for states to further develop similar subsidies, guarantees and incentives.
During the press conference held to announce the release of Winds Of Change, one of the speakers intended to say that not backing U.S. turbine makers with strong policies could result in the “cessation” of manufacturing activity and the wealth of economic benefits that come with it. He inadvertently said “secession” instead. But his malapropism was closer to the truth.
Turbine manufacturing will not cease. It will secede from the U.S. and move to other countries, countries like Turkey and China and India where they are backing their New Energy industries because they see what the fossil fuel addicts in U.S. political power centers refuse to see. They see that New Energy is the future and no matter how hard they try to stop it, it is coming. It is coming and it is bringing enormous opportunities for those countries smart enough to seize them. The time is now. NOW.
This post is based on New Report Provides Blueprint for Building Domestic Wind Energy Component Supply Chain; BlueGreen Alliance, American Wind Energy Association, and USW Provide “Manufacturing Blueprint” to Build Out Domestic Wind Energy Supply Chain and Create U.S. Manufacturing Jobs (June 28, 2010, American Wind Energy Association.
Wind energy is not only the most mature and capable of the New Energies right now, it is also the leading voice of the New Energy industries.
That is why it is so interesting to see that, in response to the U.S. New Energy industries’ currently slowing momentum, wind is reaching out, forming alliances and pushing harder than ever for the federal policies that will matter.
Late in 2009, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and the other New Energy industries reached out to the natural gas industry in an attempt to find common ground in the nation's fight against coal dependence and the fight against greenhouse gas emissions (GhGs).
Early in June, 2010, AWEA and the United Steelworkers Union (USW) formed a Partnership for Progress and called for a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES). Shortly after that, AWEA joined the Alliance to Save Energy, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, the Biomass Power Association, Growth Energy, the Energy Recovery Council, the Geothermal Energy Association, the National Hydropower Association, and the Solar Energy Industries Association to declare THE TIME IS NOW for a national RES.
Now AWEA has joined the USW and its labor union and environmentalist partners in the Blue-Green Alliance to release "Winds of Change: A Manufacturing Blueprint for the Wind Industry. The Blueprint calls for an RES requiring U.S. utilities to obtain 25% of their power from New Energy sources by 2025.
Wind, the ultimate American can-do energy industry, can and is doing what it has to. That it created a boom from 2004 to 2008, rose to a pinnacle of accomplishment and took over international leadership in wind energy production despite shoddy and inconsistent federal policy support means nothing now. That it went from 2,500 U.S. jobs in 2004 to 18,500 jobs in 2009 means nothing now. That it quadrupled its yearly capacity additions to 10 gigawatts in 2009 and finished the year with a world-leading 35+ gigawatts of cumulative U.S. capacity means nothing now.
What matters now is that the New Energies – and their new allies – be heard.
Political leaders in Washington, D.C., will – when they finish eulogizing Senator Byrd and tormenting Ms. Kagan – go to work on legislation in response to the April coal mine cave-in disaster that killed 29 miners and the even worse Gulf oil spill that killed 11 offshore oil platform workers and resulted in an environmental and economic atrocity for the region.
What matters now is that those political leaders get the message that fossil fuel-perpetrated devastations will only come to an end when the nation turns with all its might to New Energy.
What matters now is that those political leaders come to understand there is a choice in the kind of energy they subsidize and there are real and devastating consequences when they subsidize dirty and dangerous energies.
What matters now is that those political leaders also come to understand there is a huge opportunity for the nation in New Energy. It is an opportunity to staunch the flow of U.S. treasure to profoundly troubled places and people, to enhance the nation’s energy security, to invest in domestic sources of power generation in a way that will rehabilitate its economy and to get the nation on the world’s side in the fight against climate change and killer air pollution.
So the wind industry is speaking out. It is calling for federal policies that will give it a level playing field against its Old Energy competitors. Industries like nuclear energy, natural gas and coal have long had support in the form of federal subsidies, guarantees and incentives. The Old Energies, in fact, could not exist without such support. Wind and the other New Energies aske only that the rules be fair. Either take away their competitors’ advantages or give them long term policies like:
(1) A national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) requiring U.S. utilities to obtain 25% of their power from New Energy sources by 2025,
(2) An extension of the Recovery Act's 1603 convertible tax credit,
(3) A cap and price on greenhouse gas emissions (GhGs) with protections for vulnerable domestic industries,
(4) Legislation to facilitate extensive development of new transmission infrastructure,
(5) Expanded funding for the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit to subsidize the building and renovation of manufacturing capacity,
(6) Further loan guarantees for new and renovated New Energy manufacturing capacity,
(7) Enactment and funding of the Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology (IMPACT) and Renewable Energy Market Access Program (REMAP) Acts to grow the domestic manufacturing supply chain,
(8) Funding for the Green Jobs Act to insure a trained job force, and
(9) Support for states to further develop similar subsidies, guarantees and incentives.
During the press conference held to announce the release of Winds Of Change, one of the speakers intended to say that not backing U.S. turbine makers with strong policies could result in the “cessation” of manufacturing activity and the wealth of economic benefits that come with it. He inadvertently said “secession” instead. But his malapropism was closer to the truth.
Turbine manufacturing will not cease. It will secede from the U.S. and move to other countries, countries like Turkey and China and India where they are backing their New Energy industries because they see what the fossil fuel addicts in U.S. political power centers refuse to see. They see that New Energy is the future and no matter how hard they try to stop it, it is coming. It is coming and it is bringing enormous opportunities for those countries smart enough to seize them. The time is now. NOW.
This post is based on New Report Provides Blueprint for Building Domestic Wind Energy Component Supply Chain; BlueGreen Alliance, American Wind Energy Association, and USW Provide “Manufacturing Blueprint” to Build Out Domestic Wind Energy Supply Chain and Create U.S. Manufacturing Jobs (June 28, 2010, American Wind Energy Association.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Good data needed for small-wind turbines to spin
May 12, 2010 8:27 AM PDT
Massachusetts has revamped its small-wind rebate program with more stringent requirements, a reflection of how important brisk wind is to small-wind turbine installations.
Dozens of companies have developed turbines designed to supply a portion of a home or business' electricity, which has fueled a surge in small-wind turbine installations over the past three years. Now, installers and consumers are being nudged toward picking only the best locations, a shift that is being aided by the emergence of better online tools.
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, which administers renewable energy grants, temporarily suspended the state's small-wind program to phase in measures, expected in the coming weeks, that include a more rigorous assessment of available wind.
The state now demands a wind assessment be done at the tower height of the turbine the customer plans to install, rather than a single height for all grant applicants. That change, which follows others instituted last year, is meant to better reflect the actual wind conditions at a given location, rather than the general wind resource in a region.
Small-wind turbines pick up steam (photos)
"At the end of the day, wind speed is the critical factor that determines performance, so we want to be focused on that," said Andy Brydges, program director in the renewable energy division of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. "We think it's a viable market. We just want to do everything we can to protect consumers and pick good projects."
Massachusetts decided it first needed to stiffen the wind resource requirements after a review it did last summer of small-wind turbines in the state. It found the actual performance was disappointing, with about one-third generating the expected output. A U.K. review of roof-mounted microturbines found disappointing results as well.
Massachusetts homeowners, small businesses, or communities exploring wind turbines now need to use an online software program, developed for the state, to assess the available resource. Also, the rebate is based partly on ongoing performance, which is another way to ensure good locations are being chosen.
"The difficulty has been that it's very hard to model the wind. It's not that people were intentionally picking locations that didn't work," Brydges said.
Growing pains
Most wind turbine manufacturers provide a required speed, typically a minimum of 10 miles per hour, for turbines to generate at their stated capacity. Distributors of the home Swift turbine, for example, says it can generate 1,200 kilowatt-hours a year with average wind speed of 11.2 miles per hour and that it starts generating at 7 miles per hour. The Helix wind turbine, meanwhile, recommends 14 mile-per-hour wind, preferably gusty wind, and an electricity rate of over 15 cents per kilowatt-hour. One company, Windtronics, this year plans to release a small-wind turbine optimized for very low wind speeds.
More available products and interest in on-site energy have led to a steady rise in sales the past three years. Sales of small-wind turbines, defined as 100 kilowatt capacity and less, grew 15 percent in 2009, representing $82.4 million in sales and almost 10,000 new units, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Sales were aided by a 30 percent federal tax credit for renewable energy investments and state incentives.
Often installers and homeowners have relied on satellite data to get an idea of the available wind resource. Data from wind maps is typically given at 80 meters, and installers need to extrapolate available wind at the height of towers, which are usually 20 meters to 30 meters, said Ron Stimmel, the manager of legislative affairs and small systems at AWEA.
But now the tools for measuring wind are improving, one of the factors that are making small wind more viable, according to AWEA.
Small-wind turbine maker Southwest Windpower last month launched an online wind assessment tool that uses data from 3Tier, which provides data to estimate wind, solar, and hydro power potential. The tool is designed as a way to quickly separate locations into three types: high potential, moderate, and those not worth pursuing.
"We're trying to make it with a very high degree of probability that when you install a wind turbine, it works," said Ken Westrick, the CEO of 3Tier, which sells its weather data and makes it available through a Web service. "It's a tremendous leap forward from what the industry was doing even a year ago."
The data, which is accurate within about 1 mile per hour for a 3-mile square region, should improve over time, said Westrick.
Site-specific
These online tools are an improvement over wind maps that classify regions based on available wind, said Westrick. They are also significantly less expensive than installing a meteorological, or "met," tower to gather data over several months, said Stimmel.
Small wind turbines for homes need to be above nearby obstructions, making them best suited for rural areas of plots with a significant amount of land.
(Credit: American Wind Energy Assocation)
But a good installer is also needed to check out location conditions, including understanding where the prevailing wind is from. The placement and the height of a turbine can make a significant difference in performance, say experts. For example, there should be no obstructions, such as trees, nearby. Roof-mounted turbines are often plagued by turbulent and unpredictable wind around rooftops.
The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners is establishing a certification for wind site assessors, a move that should help homeowners make better decisions on turbine location. AWEA has also created a set of safety and reliability standards for small turbines.
There are other barriers to small-wind installations besides getting good wind data, including zoning laws that limit the height of towers, or even finding qualified installers. Massachusetts is particularly strict in its requirements, said AWEA's Stimmel, but it's part of the maturing that industry is going through in the U.S.
"The market has grown exponentially in the last three years, so these issues are coming to the fore and how to optimize for turbine productivity is certainly an important one," he said.
Massachusetts has revamped its small-wind rebate program with more stringent requirements, a reflection of how important brisk wind is to small-wind turbine installations.
Dozens of companies have developed turbines designed to supply a portion of a home or business' electricity, which has fueled a surge in small-wind turbine installations over the past three years. Now, installers and consumers are being nudged toward picking only the best locations, a shift that is being aided by the emergence of better online tools.
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, which administers renewable energy grants, temporarily suspended the state's small-wind program to phase in measures, expected in the coming weeks, that include a more rigorous assessment of available wind.
The state now demands a wind assessment be done at the tower height of the turbine the customer plans to install, rather than a single height for all grant applicants. That change, which follows others instituted last year, is meant to better reflect the actual wind conditions at a given location, rather than the general wind resource in a region.
Small-wind turbines pick up steam (photos)
"At the end of the day, wind speed is the critical factor that determines performance, so we want to be focused on that," said Andy Brydges, program director in the renewable energy division of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. "We think it's a viable market. We just want to do everything we can to protect consumers and pick good projects."
Massachusetts decided it first needed to stiffen the wind resource requirements after a review it did last summer of small-wind turbines in the state. It found the actual performance was disappointing, with about one-third generating the expected output. A U.K. review of roof-mounted microturbines found disappointing results as well.
Massachusetts homeowners, small businesses, or communities exploring wind turbines now need to use an online software program, developed for the state, to assess the available resource. Also, the rebate is based partly on ongoing performance, which is another way to ensure good locations are being chosen.
"The difficulty has been that it's very hard to model the wind. It's not that people were intentionally picking locations that didn't work," Brydges said.
Growing pains
Most wind turbine manufacturers provide a required speed, typically a minimum of 10 miles per hour, for turbines to generate at their stated capacity. Distributors of the home Swift turbine, for example, says it can generate 1,200 kilowatt-hours a year with average wind speed of 11.2 miles per hour and that it starts generating at 7 miles per hour. The Helix wind turbine, meanwhile, recommends 14 mile-per-hour wind, preferably gusty wind, and an electricity rate of over 15 cents per kilowatt-hour. One company, Windtronics, this year plans to release a small-wind turbine optimized for very low wind speeds.
More available products and interest in on-site energy have led to a steady rise in sales the past three years. Sales of small-wind turbines, defined as 100 kilowatt capacity and less, grew 15 percent in 2009, representing $82.4 million in sales and almost 10,000 new units, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Sales were aided by a 30 percent federal tax credit for renewable energy investments and state incentives.
Often installers and homeowners have relied on satellite data to get an idea of the available wind resource. Data from wind maps is typically given at 80 meters, and installers need to extrapolate available wind at the height of towers, which are usually 20 meters to 30 meters, said Ron Stimmel, the manager of legislative affairs and small systems at AWEA.
But now the tools for measuring wind are improving, one of the factors that are making small wind more viable, according to AWEA.
Small-wind turbine maker Southwest Windpower last month launched an online wind assessment tool that uses data from 3Tier, which provides data to estimate wind, solar, and hydro power potential. The tool is designed as a way to quickly separate locations into three types: high potential, moderate, and those not worth pursuing.
"We're trying to make it with a very high degree of probability that when you install a wind turbine, it works," said Ken Westrick, the CEO of 3Tier, which sells its weather data and makes it available through a Web service. "It's a tremendous leap forward from what the industry was doing even a year ago."
The data, which is accurate within about 1 mile per hour for a 3-mile square region, should improve over time, said Westrick.
Site-specific
These online tools are an improvement over wind maps that classify regions based on available wind, said Westrick. They are also significantly less expensive than installing a meteorological, or "met," tower to gather data over several months, said Stimmel.
Small wind turbines for homes need to be above nearby obstructions, making them best suited for rural areas of plots with a significant amount of land.
(Credit: American Wind Energy Assocation)
But a good installer is also needed to check out location conditions, including understanding where the prevailing wind is from. The placement and the height of a turbine can make a significant difference in performance, say experts. For example, there should be no obstructions, such as trees, nearby. Roof-mounted turbines are often plagued by turbulent and unpredictable wind around rooftops.
The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners is establishing a certification for wind site assessors, a move that should help homeowners make better decisions on turbine location. AWEA has also created a set of safety and reliability standards for small turbines.
There are other barriers to small-wind installations besides getting good wind data, including zoning laws that limit the height of towers, or even finding qualified installers. Massachusetts is particularly strict in its requirements, said AWEA's Stimmel, but it's part of the maturing that industry is going through in the U.S.
"The market has grown exponentially in the last three years, so these issues are coming to the fore and how to optimize for turbine productivity is certainly an important one," he said.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
In Wyoming, Debate Swirls on Taxing Wind Industry
In Wyoming, Debate Swirls on Taxing Wind Industry
By DAN FROSCH
Published: February 20, 2010
With currents of powerful wind gusts whipping across its plains and plateaus, Wyoming has become a new frontier for the wind industry — the latest energy development for a state that only recently experienced a natural gas boom.
Associated Press
Turbines in Wyoming, where a bill under consideration in the Legislature would levy an excise tax on wind energy production.
But in a place that is both cautious about such growth and interested in the potential benefits, some believe that those behind the wave of wind farms and turbines need to pay their fair share.
A new bill being pushed by Gov. Dave Freudenthal would change the state’s renewable energy landscape by levying an excise tax on wind energy production, the first tax of its kind in the United States, energy experts say.
The proposal, which was approved by the Wyoming House of Representatives on Thursday and is headed to the State Senate for a vote, would impose a $1-per-megawatt-hour tax on wind energy production. Revenue from the tax is projected at a minimum of $4 million annually, to be divided between the counties where the wind projects are located and the state. The tax would go into effect in 2012.
“We want to make sure that wind developers pay their way in Wyoming and that the tax burden isn’t shifted to the taxpayers,” said Ryan Lance, deputy chief of staff for Mr. Freudenthal, a Democrat. “These guys are making a lot of money, and we get all the impact — environmental and socioeconomic.”
But wind energy industry leaders in Wyoming worry that the tax will scare off developers at a critical time in the industry’s genesis, particularly when other states are taking the opposite tack and creating incentives to lure wind projects and jobs.
“We’re very much against this,” said Cheryl Riley, executive director of the Wyoming Power Producers Coalition, a group of 15 wind and transmission developers. “We think this sends a negative message that Wyoming may not want wind development.”
“I think there’s great potential for wind energy development here, but until some of these issues, specifically that of taxation, are worked out, Wyoming won’t see its full potential reached,” Ms. Riley said.
Wyoming is the eighth-windiest state in the country — Texas is the windiest — and gusts here are renowned for their strength and duration. According to the American Wind Energy Association, or AWEA, Wyoming ranks 12th nationally in wind power installations, and the electricity it generated from wind projects in 2009 was nearly double that of the previous year.
But with the recent sunset of a sales tax exemption for the industry and no property tax exemptions, the excise tax could cripple Wyoming’s competitiveness for wind energy projects, Ms. Riley said.
“Putting a tax on the air really makes Wyoming an unfriendly state for wind energy,” said Denise Bode, chief executive for AWEA. “We urge them to take some time to work with the industry to try and address any concerns. Being No. 1 in something is not necessarily the best way to go, particularly when it comes to increasing taxes in a promising new industry.”
But State Senator Jim Anderson, a Republican from Converse and Platte Counties who was chairman of a state legislative task force on wind energy, said the tax could be imposed at a low level and could always be adjusted later.
“We recognize that Wyoming has some of the best wind in the world,” said Mr. Anderson, who supports the legislation. “We feel in comparison with the way we’ve taxed the petroleum and extractive industries, the wind industry needs to pay its fair share.”
Other supporters have said the tax offers a rare opportunity to diversify Wyoming’s tax base. Mr. Lance, of Mr. Freudenthal’s office, said the governor was particularly swayed by constituents who spoke of the potential impacts of wind development on the state’s economy.
“You have the governor going to Home Depot and people coming up to him saying: ‘You’re darn right you better tax those guys. They need to pay their own way,’ ” Mr. Lance said.
By DAN FROSCH
Published: February 20, 2010
With currents of powerful wind gusts whipping across its plains and plateaus, Wyoming has become a new frontier for the wind industry — the latest energy development for a state that only recently experienced a natural gas boom.
Associated Press
Turbines in Wyoming, where a bill under consideration in the Legislature would levy an excise tax on wind energy production.
But in a place that is both cautious about such growth and interested in the potential benefits, some believe that those behind the wave of wind farms and turbines need to pay their fair share.
A new bill being pushed by Gov. Dave Freudenthal would change the state’s renewable energy landscape by levying an excise tax on wind energy production, the first tax of its kind in the United States, energy experts say.
The proposal, which was approved by the Wyoming House of Representatives on Thursday and is headed to the State Senate for a vote, would impose a $1-per-megawatt-hour tax on wind energy production. Revenue from the tax is projected at a minimum of $4 million annually, to be divided between the counties where the wind projects are located and the state. The tax would go into effect in 2012.
“We want to make sure that wind developers pay their way in Wyoming and that the tax burden isn’t shifted to the taxpayers,” said Ryan Lance, deputy chief of staff for Mr. Freudenthal, a Democrat. “These guys are making a lot of money, and we get all the impact — environmental and socioeconomic.”
But wind energy industry leaders in Wyoming worry that the tax will scare off developers at a critical time in the industry’s genesis, particularly when other states are taking the opposite tack and creating incentives to lure wind projects and jobs.
“We’re very much against this,” said Cheryl Riley, executive director of the Wyoming Power Producers Coalition, a group of 15 wind and transmission developers. “We think this sends a negative message that Wyoming may not want wind development.”
“I think there’s great potential for wind energy development here, but until some of these issues, specifically that of taxation, are worked out, Wyoming won’t see its full potential reached,” Ms. Riley said.
Wyoming is the eighth-windiest state in the country — Texas is the windiest — and gusts here are renowned for their strength and duration. According to the American Wind Energy Association, or AWEA, Wyoming ranks 12th nationally in wind power installations, and the electricity it generated from wind projects in 2009 was nearly double that of the previous year.
But with the recent sunset of a sales tax exemption for the industry and no property tax exemptions, the excise tax could cripple Wyoming’s competitiveness for wind energy projects, Ms. Riley said.
“Putting a tax on the air really makes Wyoming an unfriendly state for wind energy,” said Denise Bode, chief executive for AWEA. “We urge them to take some time to work with the industry to try and address any concerns. Being No. 1 in something is not necessarily the best way to go, particularly when it comes to increasing taxes in a promising new industry.”
But State Senator Jim Anderson, a Republican from Converse and Platte Counties who was chairman of a state legislative task force on wind energy, said the tax could be imposed at a low level and could always be adjusted later.
“We recognize that Wyoming has some of the best wind in the world,” said Mr. Anderson, who supports the legislation. “We feel in comparison with the way we’ve taxed the petroleum and extractive industries, the wind industry needs to pay its fair share.”
Other supporters have said the tax offers a rare opportunity to diversify Wyoming’s tax base. Mr. Lance, of Mr. Freudenthal’s office, said the governor was particularly swayed by constituents who spoke of the potential impacts of wind development on the state’s economy.
“You have the governor going to Home Depot and people coming up to him saying: ‘You’re darn right you better tax those guys. They need to pay their own way,’ ” Mr. Lance said.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Wind power growth gated by radar conflicts
February 4, 2010 9:43 AM PST
by Martin LaMonica
WASHINGTON--The most well known obstacles to installing wind turbines are complaints over their visual impact and the potential for birds and bat deaths. But conflict with radar systems have derailed over 9,000 megawatts worth of wind capacity--nearly as much as was installed in the U.S. last year.
(Credit: U.S. Air Force) "We're not going to put up more wind (in many locations) without conflict because radar systems and wind systems love exactly the same terrain... which is where the wind is at," said Gary Seifert, a program manager for renewable energy technologies at the Idaho National Laboratories during a presentation at the RETECH conference here on Thursday. "It's really causing a challenge to meeting long-term goals."
The problem is wind farms create "cones of silence" above them, making it difficult for primary radar systems to detect airplanes when they fly over them, Seifert explained. Planes with transponders can communicate with air traffic control towers, but smaller planes don't all have transponders.
Because of radar issues, 2,100 megawatts of wind projects were held up, 5,100 megawatts were deferred, and 2,100 megawatts were abandoned, he said, citing data from a survey done by the American Wind Energy Association. Last year, 10,000 megawatts were installed in the U.S.
Seifert said research could lead to technical fixes to address the problem, including upgrading the software within radar systems to better discern between a spinning turbine blade and an airplane. Turbine blades can also become more "stealthy," or less reflective and detectable by radars systems, he added.
Working with stakeholders early on in a wind development project can also address issues.
But the problem is that it's unclear "who owns the liability of the sky," he said. Homeland Security, the Department of Defnese, and the Federal Aviation Authority could all be involved in addressing the situation.
The fear for wind developers is that a delay to study radar-related complications could make a project unprofitable, he said.
by Martin LaMonica
WASHINGTON--The most well known obstacles to installing wind turbines are complaints over their visual impact and the potential for birds and bat deaths. But conflict with radar systems have derailed over 9,000 megawatts worth of wind capacity--nearly as much as was installed in the U.S. last year.
(Credit: U.S. Air Force) "We're not going to put up more wind (in many locations) without conflict because radar systems and wind systems love exactly the same terrain... which is where the wind is at," said Gary Seifert, a program manager for renewable energy technologies at the Idaho National Laboratories during a presentation at the RETECH conference here on Thursday. "It's really causing a challenge to meeting long-term goals."
The problem is wind farms create "cones of silence" above them, making it difficult for primary radar systems to detect airplanes when they fly over them, Seifert explained. Planes with transponders can communicate with air traffic control towers, but smaller planes don't all have transponders.
Because of radar issues, 2,100 megawatts of wind projects were held up, 5,100 megawatts were deferred, and 2,100 megawatts were abandoned, he said, citing data from a survey done by the American Wind Energy Association. Last year, 10,000 megawatts were installed in the U.S.
Seifert said research could lead to technical fixes to address the problem, including upgrading the software within radar systems to better discern between a spinning turbine blade and an airplane. Turbine blades can also become more "stealthy," or less reflective and detectable by radars systems, he added.
Working with stakeholders early on in a wind development project can also address issues.
But the problem is that it's unclear "who owns the liability of the sky," he said. Homeland Security, the Department of Defnese, and the Federal Aviation Authority could all be involved in addressing the situation.
The fear for wind developers is that a delay to study radar-related complications could make a project unprofitable, he said.
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