Wind power

I'd like to talk a bit about wind power.

I was reading that one of the various pros and cons about this technology, as I live in area where we have little wind, therefore no installation of this kind.

But what makes me wonder are the aesthetics concerns. A lot of experts are contrary to the installation of these mills, saying that they ruin the "panorama", but I disagree!

I've recently visited the french region of the AUVERGNE, where there are a lot of these mills, and I thought they were beautiful to see, a truly awesome view.

I'm obviously talking about the modern windmills, surely not the old types.

What do you think about them?

Tags: power, wind, windmill

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lennon Berndt on August 15, 2007 at 7:22am: Well wind power is an obvious source of power that is clean and efficient. But i belive not many people take notice, because modern day wind mill are an investment. (And a big one at that). So instead of using pure renewable energy, they spend there money on coal. Which is cheap at first but in a couple years will add up to the price of 75-100 windmills. So if you look at it in my perspective wind power is possibly the best source of pure energy.

:) - Lennon .B.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mattia F on August 15, 2007 at 7:50am: Well, that's true. Plus now the costs are going down!

But what do you think of them from an aesthetic point of view? I think they're beautiful and they DO NOT ruin the vista.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Joshua on August 15, 2007 at 8:00am: Hi Mattia

Great Photo! I agree.. we have a wind plant outside of Los Angeles.. (actually closer to Palm Springs) and although they are gigantic..they really are amazing to see. There is also a number of them next to the freeway a little ways before you enter San Francisco.

(Video shows the innerworking of a wind turbine)

Perhaps if they looked more like the Dutch Windmills people would not have such a problem or would there still be a heated debate like the one going on in New England.

Would love to see people discuss and show videos on windpower on the Mix Ecolosophy Group!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mattia F on August 15, 2007 at 8:21am: You know, as much as they are big and invasive, I think they're actually are pretty sleek, elegant and beautiful to see.

It's like to see a gigantic sail in the middle of the countryside.

Post Scriptum: Yes, beautiful photo, I wish I were the one who took that.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lukewh on August 15, 2007 at 9:25am: They are the Apple Macs of the Energy Source world! I think they're sleek and not at all bad to look at. Imagine sitting and watching the blades turn, hypnotic.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mattia F on August 15, 2007 at 1:11pm: "They are the Apple Macs of the Energy Source world! I think they're sleek and not at all bad to look at. Imagine sitting and watching the blades turn, hypnotic."

I'm thinking about buying a Mac in the next future, but you guys simply scare me at times. I wouldn't be surprise to know that there are people actually sitting and watching the white led of a Mac blinking, hypnotic ain't it?

You act like a sect! I even had a friend of mine who was willing to help me pay for a Macbook, rather than letting me buy a pc.

SCARY!!!!!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lukewh on August 26, 2007 at 1:26pm: I don't own an Apple product, never have. But a lot of people agree, they're the best looking pieces of hardware you can buy. If wind turbines were computers, these super powerful stylish ones would be Macs, and the DIY ones you get in some parts of rural America would be the old Amstrad's. Surely?
Amstrad: http://www.ubergizmo.com/photos/wind_small.jpg
Apple: http://www.ourworldfoundation.org.uk/turbine.jpg; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Derek on August 26, 2007 at 1:53pm: Let your friend do that! Do be afraid. At the very least you'd get some experience with it.

A computer is a computer, at least now a days. Use MS Word? It's run on Windows and Mac. Like Photoshop? Same.

Always buy a computer for the software you need. If the software runs on many computers, then buy the cheapest. Very old adage.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lukewh on August 30, 2007 at 10:22am: Come again?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Derek on August 30, 2007 at 6:40pm: Sorry, I thought you said that a friend almost bought you a Mac. I mis-read your comment.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by B Mel on August 15, 2007 at 10:04am: I've always thought that wind generated energy was something we should spend a lot more money investing in. Aside from the obvious advantages - as Mattia says - they are pretty easy on the eyes as well. Compare the photo you see above to a nuclear power plant or coal factory and I think it's a much better 'panorama' than giant smoke stacks. Some interesting reading on the subject as well below...

http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=16801

http://xahlee.org/Whirlwheel_dir/windturbine.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/somerset/5007564.stm; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mattia F on August 15, 2007 at 1:38pm: Exactly!!!!

As the article in the first link says, windmill farms can also be built off-shore and even at 10kms from the coast.
Then there, you wouldn't even have the excuse of the fact that they can be "not nice to see" anymore.
I was reading reports on the fact that the impact on wildlife (birds and fish) is basically negligible.

Plus I think that concerns raised by certain people are to be linked to interests' of big oil corporations.

According to Wikipedia this is a list of the first 10 country's total installed windpower capacity.

Total installed windpower capacity
(MW, end of year data)[10][11]
Rank Nation 2005 2006 Latest
1 Germany 18,415 20,622 21,283
2 Spain 10,028 11,615 12,801
3 United States 9,149 11,603 12,634
4 India 4,430 6,270 7,113
5 Denmark (& Færoe Islands) 3,136 3,140
6 China 1,260 2,604 2,956
7 Italy 1,718 2,123
8 United Kingdom 1,332 1,963 2,186
9 Portugal 1,022 1,716 1,874
10 France 757 1,567

INCREDIBLY ENOUGH, Italy is at the 7th place. Considering how slowly things advance in my country, I'm quite amazed.; ▶ Reply to This