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Wind Energy Looks Bad
 

BCbanker's picture
IB
(Gorilla, 633
 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 5:00am
windtower

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. I just rolled back into town after breaking away for a day to the lake house in Vermont. While stuffing my face for a few days and spending some time on the lake, I couldn’t help but notice a small wind farm built on a ridge near the house. For 20 years I enjoyed the view without the "green" additions, but I can certainly say I am not a fan of the behemoths sticking out of the mountainside. NIMBY

The farm consists of about 15 1.5-3.0 megawatt turbines. During the day they provide a type of sleek modernism to the mountains but at night the towers start to piss me off. Large blinking red lights on the top of each tower ward off aircraft but provide an annoying, unsolicited light show for anyone in the area. I made an appearance at the one bar in town and the consensus among the locals was anti towers. Keep in mind that this is a hippie bar (complete with bare feet, serious BO and apparently an absence of a razor within 50 miles).

This got me thinking. If hippie Vermonters don’t want wind energy, then who the hell really thinks wind should be part of a green energy transition in the U.S? Please factor in my decreased property value and personal disgust with the view next time you run a DCF for one of these. When you breakdown the financing for these projects, it's clear that they only exists through some significant government funding. Why don't we just concentrate these things in a few central locations instead of polluting everyone's view?

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Comments

BTbanker's picture

Has anybody ever thought of

IB
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:00pm

Has anybody ever thought of placing some type of turbine underwater, where strong currents can spin those things? They already have ugly offshore wind turbines, why not underwater turbines that generate energy from a constant, strong current that runs on gravity?

Seems like an unlimited supply of clean energy to me, unlike wind, as that is dependent on the weather.

"A man generally has two reasons for doing anything. One that sounds good, and the real one." - J.P. Morgan

jaschen27's picture

Connor: Has anybody ever

AM
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:02pm
Connor:

Has anybody ever thought of placing some type of turbine underwater, where strong currents can spin those things? They already have ugly offshore wind turbines, why not underwater turbines that generate energy from a constant, strong current that runs on gravity?

Seems like an unlimited supply of clean energy to me, unlike wind, as that is dependent on the weather.

yeah, tidal turbines are astronomically expensive...

BTbanker's picture

I could imagine. Oh well, we

IB
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:08pm

I could imagine. Oh well, we should be more focused on Nat Gas rather than building some giant pinwheels in the sky.

"A man generally has two reasons for doing anything. One that sounds good, and the real one." - J.P. Morgan

Dying&#039;s For Fools's picture

jaschen27: Connor: Has

O
(Gorilla, 529
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:09pm
jaschen27:
Connor:

Has anybody ever thought of placing some type of turbine underwater, where strong currents can spin those things? They already have ugly offshore wind turbines, why not underwater turbines that generate energy from a constant, strong current that runs on gravity?

Seems like an unlimited supply of clean energy to me, unlike wind, as that is dependent on the weather.

yeah, tidal turbines are astronomically expensive...

A big chunk of the expense that is often overlooked is figuring out how to get the generated electricity to the mainland power grid. The future doesn't look good for tidal generation. The only viable "green" alternative (besides hydroelectric) is space-based solar or nuclear fusion (way less likely).

"Well make more fuckin' money. This is America. You don't make money, then you're a fuckin' douchebag." - Mr. French

RGE's picture

Connor: Has anybody ever

IB
(Orangutan, 315
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:09pm
Connor:

Has anybody ever thought of placing some type of turbine underwater, where strong currents can spin those things? They already have ugly offshore wind turbines, why not underwater turbines that generate energy from a constant, strong current that runs on gravity?

Seems like an unlimited supply of clean energy to me, unlike wind, as that is dependent on the weather.

You mean tidal power and yes.

Nation’s First ‘Underwater Wind Turbine’ Installed in Old Man River
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/12/hydrokin...

New York City's East River Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) Project
http://verdantpower.com/what-initiative/

Giant tidal turbine 'performing well' in tests off Orkney
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18096372

London Tidal Turbine To Undergo ‘Proof-of-Concept’ Testing
http://cleantechnica.com/2011/06/07/london-tidal-t...

jaschen27's picture

Connor: I could imagine. Oh

AM
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:11pm
Connor:

I could imagine. Oh well, we should be more focused on Nat Gas rather than building some giant pinwheels in the sky.

wind energy is actually among the most effective green energies in existence. wtf does "we should be more focused on Nat Gas" even mean?

RGE's picture

Dying's For

IB
(Orangutan, 315
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:12pm
Dying's For Fools:
jaschen27:
Connor:

Has anybody ever thought of placing some type of turbine underwater, where strong currents can spin those things? They already have ugly offshore wind turbines, why not underwater turbines that generate energy from a constant, strong current that runs on gravity?

Seems like an unlimited supply of clean energy to me, unlike wind, as that is dependent on the weather.

yeah, tidal turbines are astronomically expensive...

A big chunk of the expense that is often overlooked is figuring out how to get the generated electricity to the mainland power grid. The future doesn't look good for tidal generation. The only viable "green" alternative (besides hydroelectric) is space-based solar or nuclear fusion (way less likely).

Or we could figure out how to harness the energy from mouse/ key board clicks, and refrigerator doors opening and closing. Imagine the possibilities.

jaschen27's picture

RGE: Dying's For

AM
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:15pm
RGE:
Dying's For Fools:
jaschen27:
Connor:

Has anybody ever thought of placing some type of turbine underwater, where strong currents can spin those things? They already have ugly offshore wind turbines, why not underwater turbines that generate energy from a constant, strong current that runs on gravity?

Seems like an unlimited supply of clean energy to me, unlike wind, as that is dependent on the weather.

yeah, tidal turbines are astronomically expensive...

A big chunk of the expense that is often overlooked is figuring out how to get the generated electricity to the mainland power grid. The future doesn't look good for tidal generation. The only viable "green" alternative (besides hydroelectric) is space-based solar or nuclear fusion (way less likely).

Or we could figure out how to harness the energy from mouse/ key board clicks, and refrigerator doors opening and closing. Imagine the possibilities.

can't tell if serious. they are working on stuff like this though:

http://inhabitat.com/award-winning-pavegen-floor-t...

converting taxis/cars to hybrids that store kinetic energy makes a lot of sense in the city

sadboy's picture

investing in renewables is

IB
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:24pm

investing in renewables is awful, especially if you need subsidies to survive. if you need government help, stay away, its not a viable business.

RGE's picture

jaschen27: RGE: Dying's

IB
(Orangutan, 315
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:26pm
jaschen27:
RGE:
Dying's For Fools:
jaschen27:
Connor:

Has anybody ever thought of placing some type of turbine underwater, where strong currents can spin those things? They already have ugly offshore wind turbines, why not underwater turbines that generate energy from a constant, strong current that runs on gravity?

Seems like an unlimited supply of clean energy to me, unlike wind, as that is dependent on the weather.

yeah, tidal turbines are astronomically expensive...

A big chunk of the expense that is often overlooked is figuring out how to get the generated electricity to the mainland power grid. The future doesn't look good for tidal generation. The only viable "green" alternative (besides hydroelectric) is space-based solar or nuclear fusion (way less likely).

Or we could figure out how to harness the energy from mouse/ key board clicks, and refrigerator doors opening and closing. Imagine the possibilities.

can't tell if serious. they are working on stuff like this though:

http://inhabitat.com/award-winning-pavegen-floor-t...

converting taxis/cars to hybrids that store kinetic energy makes a lot of sense in the city

My comment was supposed to be snarky, on account of all the baby boomer fatys and lazy gen y kids, but yeah kinetic energy can be captured in serious applications. But damn, seriously imagine if it was possible to capture enough energy from your mouse/ key board to assist in powering a laptop.

jaschen27's picture

sadboy: investing in

AM
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:27pm
sadboy:

investing in renewables is awful, especially if you need subsidies to survive. if you need government help, stay away, its not a viable business.

corn, soy, petroleum...

jaschen27's picture

RGE: jaschen27: RGE: Dy

AM
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:31pm
RGE:
jaschen27:
RGE:
Dying's For Fools:
jaschen27:
Connor:

Has anybody ever thought of placing some type of turbine underwater, where strong currents can spin those things? They already have ugly offshore wind turbines, why not underwater turbines that generate energy from a constant, strong current that runs on gravity?

Seems like an unlimited supply of clean energy to me, unlike wind, as that is dependent on the weather.

yeah, tidal turbines are astronomically expensive...

A big chunk of the expense that is often overlooked is figuring out how to get the generated electricity to the mainland power grid. The future doesn't look good for tidal generation. The only viable "green" alternative (besides hydroelectric) is space-based solar or nuclear fusion (way less likely).

Or we could figure out how to harness the energy from mouse/ key board clicks, and refrigerator doors opening and closing. Imagine the possibilities.

can't tell if serious. they are working on stuff like this though:

http://inhabitat.com/award-winning-pavegen-floor-t...

converting taxis/cars to hybrids that store kinetic energy makes a lot of sense in the city

My comment was supposed to be snarky, on account of all the baby boomer fatys and lazy gen y kids, but yeah kinetic energy can be captured in serious applications. But damn, seriously imagine if it was possible to capture enough energy from your mouse/ key board to assist in powering a laptop.

All joking aside, heat loss is a huge detractor in terms of energy efficiency. Car engines run at something like <20% efficiency, and ditto for central heating, appliances, etc. Converting residual heat to energy is pretty much impossible given our current tech, but storing/transferring the heat is not.

sadboy's picture

jaschen27: sadboy: investin

IB
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:34pm
jaschen27:
sadboy:

investing in renewables is awful, especially if you need subsidies to survive. if you need government help, stay away, its not a viable business.

corn, soy, petroleum...

worded wrong, i meant subsidies to turn a profit. Look at the PPAs renewables need to operate. oil does not get a lot compared to the renewables, i dont know about corn or soy

kingb's picture

BCbanker: For 20 years I

PE
(Baboon, 135
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:38pm
BCbanker:

For 20 years I enjoyed the view without the "green" additions, but I can certainly say I am not a fan of the behemoths sticking out of the mountainside. NIMBY

Have you ever enjoyed the view of an open-cut coal mine?

MezzanineBrentCrude's picture

Connor: Has anybody ever

(Chimp, 2
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:40pm
Connor:

Has anybody ever thought of placing some type of turbine underwater, where strong currents can spin those things? They already have ugly offshore wind turbines, why not underwater turbines that generate energy from a constant, strong current that runs on gravity?

Seems like an unlimited supply of clean energy to me, unlike wind, as that is dependent on the weather.

They already do that. Its called "hydroelectricity".

Be extraordinary

sadboy's picture

kingb: BCbanker: For 20

IB
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:45pm
RGE's picture

jaschen27: RGE: jaschen27

IB
(Orangutan, 315
 
Points)
 on 5/28/12 at 11:50pm
Angus Macgyver's picture

If I'm not mistaken, wind

IB
(Gorilla, 716
 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 12:26am
skrap's picture

I agree in that Wind or Solar

(Chimp, 11
 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 1:00am
mhurricane's picture

FSLR, 'nough said. most of

 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 1:13am

The difference between successful people and others is largely a habit - a controlled habit of doing every task better, faster and more efficiently.

RGE's picture

Angus Macgyver: If I'm not

IB
(Orangutan, 315
 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 1:58am
ViscountViscous's picture

Offshore wind farms - large

 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 5:48am
Relinquis's picture

sadboy: investing in

RE
(Neanderthal, 2,186
 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 7:16am

relinquis... Killing the GMAT this December; Over/Under set at: 725 GMATs.

Maximus Decimus Meridius's picture

It's hard to concentrate wind

ST
(Gorilla, 631
 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 7:34am
Dying&#039;s For Fools's picture

Angus Macgyver: If I'm not

O
(Gorilla, 529
 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 9:24am

"Well make more fuckin' money. This is America. You don't make money, then you're a fuckin' douchebag." - Mr. French

Angus Macgyver's picture

RGE: Angus Macgyver: If I'm

IB
(Gorilla, 716
 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 9:55am
RGE's picture

Observation. Both

IB
(Orangutan, 315
 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 10:20am
IlliniProgrammer's picture

Angus

ST
(Almost Human, 9,244
 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 11:03am

Work hard, play hard.

Mufassa's picture

I have an idea for all of the

IB
(Chimp, 2
 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 12:27pm
physconomist's picture

I think the idea here is that

CO
(Monkey, 58
 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 2:21pm
blackrainn's picture

http://blakemasters.tumblr.co

O
(Orangutan, 354
 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 3:20pm
PetEng's picture

Angus

O
(Gorilla, 747
 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 3:35pm
bullbythehorns's picture

.

O
 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 3:52pm

Here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, you are the sucker.

marcellus_wallace's picture

Not only is it ugly it also

ST
(King Kong, 1,617
 
Points)
 on 5/29/12 at 10:35pm
IlliniProgrammer's picture

jaschen27: All joking aside,

ST
(Almost Human, 9,244
 
Points)
 on 5/30/12 at 9:06am

Work hard, play hard.

Gomez Addams's picture

RGE: Angus Macgyver: If I'm

CO
 
Points)
 on 5/30/12 at 12:15pm
Cola Coca's picture

Am I the only one who thinks

O
(Orangutan, 321
 
Points)
 on 5/30/12 at 12:31pm
IlliniProgrammer's picture

The biggest advantage to

ST
(Almost Human, 9,244
 
Points)
 on 5/30/12 at 12:40pm

Work hard, play hard.

Gomez Addams's picture

Great points...

CO
 
Points)
 on 5/31/12 at 2:29pm
jaschen27's picture

IlliniProgrammer: jaschen27

AM
 
Points)
 on 5/31/12 at 8:58pm
jaschen27's picture

IlliniProgrammer: jaschen27

AM
 
Points)
 on 5/31/12 at 8:58pm
goldmanslacks's picture

Get ready for the IPO, this

(Monkey, 41
 
Points)
 on 6/2/12 at 7:45pm
Gomez Addams's picture

IlliniProgrammer: The

CO
 
Points)
 on 6/5/12 at 5:15pm
WreckEmFinance's picture

this thread is dead so

O
(Baboon, 144
 
Points)
 on 8/29/12 at 3:16am

"Everything comes to those who hustle while they wait."
-Thomas Edison

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