The Myths of Wind Turbine Syndromes

December 3, 2012 at 4:26 pm

Although wind turbines are unarguably much more environmental friendly than diesel fuel or natural gas, why isn’t the entire American costal shores cramped with this seemingly harmless and profitable source of renewable energy? Surely the cost of constructing this intricate and gigantic piece of machinery plays a major role in this setback. Even though this source of energy is “feasible to meet its goal of 20% of the total energy requirements by 2030, [it] will involve extensive research programs in various aspects such as design, manufacturing, installation, and operation & maintenance” (Lapire). In the end, however, it is an investment that is worth the American’s tax dollars in the long run. The biggest fear that is keeping Americans away from fully embracing wind turbines is actually the fear of the potential and unknown health-related effects of wind turbine farms to its nearby citizens. Although wind turbines obviously produce many “unwanted” by-products, these by-products do not harm the human body in any proven and scientific manner and they are also much healthier and harmless compared to the large amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by the burning of diesel and natural gas.

The major concerns caused by wind turbines can be divided into four categories: noise, vibration, and light flicker. Furthermore, the magnitude of these side effects varies depending on the type and location of the wind turbines. “While noise levels for small wind turbines are typically much lower than for large wind turbines, their closer proximity to dwellings and business properties may increase the likelihood of noise annoyance resulting in reported physical and psychological ill-health” (Taylor). Therefore the size of the wind turbine can alter the noise level that it produces, with its volume directly relating to its size; at the same time, its distance away from the surrounding people also play a role, with its volume inversely proportional to the distance away. While this is only addressing the noise aspect of the wind turbine, all of the features I mentioned previously also behave similarly, including vibration and light flicker. This increases the complexity of measuring the amount of disturbance caused by the wind turbines in the different regions of the country. To further complicate the issue, different individuals are affected in different manners when in the presence of such disturbances. Some tend to believe that people’s well-beings can be somehow damaged by the mere presence of wind turbines, and they coined such “damage” as the Wind Turbine Syndrome (Pederson).

The most obvious and, arguably, the most damaging by-product of wind turbines and wind farms is the unwanted sound generated by the turbine during its operation. Even though “the sound power level of a typical modern utility scale wind turbine is on the order of 103 dB,” “at distances larger than 400 m, sound pressure levels for modern wind turbines are less than 40 dB” (Ellenbogen). Sounds with pressure levels of around 40 dB is “below the level associated with annoyance in the epidemiological studies reviewed” (Ellenbogen). This means people living at least four hundred meters away from the turbines cannot be disturbed by it at all. This can easily be arranged so that all wind turbines are built at least four hundred to five hundred meters away from the nearest household.

The kind of vibration produced by wind turbines is called infrasound, which are vibrations with frequencies below 20 Hz. Out of these types of vibrations, only the ones with amplitudes higher than 100 dB can be heard or felt. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, “the highest infrasound levels that have been measured near turbines and reported in the literature near turbines are under 90 dB at 5 Hz and lower at higher frequencies for locations as close as 100 m” (Ellenbogen). This means only people living within one hundred meters of the wind turbine can feel the infrasound produced by the wind turbine. This, again, can easily be solved if we simply secure more than four hundred meters of space between the turbines and the nearest housings.

Shadow flicker, the last major concern for nearby wind turbine dwellers, is believed by many to have the potential to cause epileptic seizures. Several reports of seizures have indeed been reported by people living within close proximity of wind farms. However, there is absolutely no proof been collected by researchers that state these cases are indeed related to the shadow flicker caused by the wind turbines. In fact, the opposite has been proven by many studies, including the one conducted by Mass Gov and another by Andrew Smedley, of University of Manchester. According to Smedley, “large wind turbines rotate at a rate below that at which the flicker is likely to present a risk,” and even though small blades rotating at a faster pace pose a threat to people’s health,  the risk is “negligible at a distance more than about nine times the maximum height reached by the turbine blade” (Smedley). Once again, the problem can easily be avoided by building turbines at a certain distances away from its citizens.

Even though it is nearly impossible to “measure” the amount of damage wind turbines can potentially cause to its nearby dwellers, it is clear that most of the concerns that lead to the potential causes of Wind Turbine Syndromes are completely negligible when the turbines are built within an appropriate distance. The side effects of a wind turbine experienced by a typical and common household near the facility, at its worst, “is not sufficient to cause hearing impairment or other direct health effects, although some people may find it annoying” (Havas). The laws and regulations made in the future regarding to the constructions of wind turbines, therefore, must take into account of this distancing in order to fully make sure windiness are not only environmentally friendly, but also safe for everyone.

Work Cited:

Lapira, Edzel. “Wind Turbine Performance Assessment Using Multi-regime Modeling Approach.” Renewable Energy. Cincinnati: Elsevier, 2012. N. pag. Print.

Taylor, Jennifer. “The Influence of Negative Oriented Personality Traits on the Effects of Wind Turbine Noise.” Personality and Individual Differences. Vol. 54. Nottingham: Elsevier, n.d. 338-43. Print. Ser. 3.

McCubbin, Donald, and Benjamin K. Sovacool. “Quantifying the Health and Environmental Benefits of Wind Power to Natural Gas.” Energy Policy (2012): n. pag. Elsevier. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.

Havas, Magda, and David Colling. “Wind Turbines Make Waves : Why Some Residents Near Wind Turbines Become Ill.” Http://bst.sagepub.com/ Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society 31.5 (2011): 414-26. Sage. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.

Pederson, Eja. “Health Aspects Associated with Wind Turbine Noise: Results from Three Field Studies.” Institute of Noise Control Engineering 59.1 (2011): 47-53. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.

Ellenbogen, Jeffrey M. “Wind Turbine Health Impact Study: Report of Independent Expert Panel.” Massachusetts Department of Public Health (2011): n. pag. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.

Kusiak, Andrew, and Wenyan Li. “The Prediction and Diagnosis of Wind Turbine Faults.”Renewable Energy 36.1 (2011): 16-23. Elsevier. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.

Smedley, Andrew R.D. “Potential of Wind Turbines to Elicit Seizures under Various Meteorological Conditions.” Webofknowledge.com. Web of Science, July 2010. Web. 03 Dec. 2012. <http://apps.webofknowledge.com/InboundService.do?SID=3BgIbpagiLDm1E2ehO@>.

 

By jxu852 | Posted in Research findings | Comments (0)

To what extent can we deem wind turbines harmful to human health?

December 3, 2012 at 4:23 pm

There has been much agitation about climate change and the immediate need to revert our growing use and rapid depletion of natural resources. In effect, wind power has become the ‘supposedly free, renewable and carbon-friendly’ solution to help alleviate global warming, but what goes unnoticed are the potential risks associated with the use of wind turbines for energy. While there is certainly not enough evidence to prove a number of health concerns such as the wind turbine syndrome or the production of unwanted noise/shadow flickers, it is still imperative that awareness be raised about them.

Firstly, the unwanted noise generated by wind farms has led to reports of “annoyance” and “disturbance” especially during sleep, which can lead to potential heart rate increases and awakening. However, for a noise level that is never below a threshold level of 40 dB, it is hard to take such health effects into serious consideration. On another note, low-frequency noise produces vibrations that cause suffering to those who are sensitive to it, leading to chronic psychophysiological damage from long-term exposure to it. However, there is limited evidence to determine whether or not there is a direct relationship between wind turbines and an increase in noise, for reported symptoms of dizziness and insomnia could be due to the psychological knowledge that a wind turbine is present.

Moreover, the shadow flicker that occurs when the sun is located behind a wind turbine that flicks on and off when the turbine blades rotate has been attributed to photic stimulation seizures. In other words, it has been claimed that the repeated shuttering of light leads to a brain disorder and repeated seizures over time i.e.: epilepsy. However, it appears that approximately “5% of people have this epilepsy, and should be already taking antiepiepetic medication” (massDEP, 2012). Furthermore, for those who have claimed to feel nausea and disorientation due to the shadow flicker, there is limited evidence even after a government-sponsored
study in Germany (Phl et al., 1999) that shadow flickers cause transient
stress-related effects on cognition and the automatic nervous system.

The wind turbine syndrome has been an issue over recent years as 38 individuals, 38 claimed and reported to have suffered insomnia, tinnitus, nausea and dizziness (Paulman, 2011). Nina Pierpont, a pediatrician with both an M.D and PHD, stated the wind turbine syndrome to be a “communicated disease” that was supposedly spread via the nocebo effect by being talked about, therefore being described as a psychogenic condition (Kloor, 2012). As a strong opponent to wind turbines, Pierpont believes that the psychological effect that the presence of turbines has on people is enough to drive them to delusion. A meta-study released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (Kloor, 2012) thus proved a ‘mere but strong belief’ by Pierpont wrong that there was no correlation. Furthermore, in early 2012, a group of teenagers in New York were suddenly afflicted with these ‘syndrome-like’ symptoms, however a doctor later diagnosed them with a psychological condition called “conversion disorder” (Plumer, 2012). Furthermore, those who claim to have panic symptoms due to the surrounding wind turbines were muted when it was proven that these symptoms were in fact linked to previous history of motion sensitivity (Pierpont, 2012).

With that in mind, the aforementioned does not give us the ability to disregard the idea that exposure to wind turbines may have health impacts. Wind turbines release infrasound that is around 60-63 dB(G) and people who live in cities are normally exposed to 50-60 dB(G). Dr. Salt, a cochlear psychologist, found out after that turbines stimulate the outer hair cells of the cochlea (Quora, 2012).The outer hair cells contribute to making hearing sensitive by contracting and thus counteracting low frequency, infrasound vibrations - to help make sure one doesn’t hear them. Thus, infrasound from turbines give hair cells a “good workout”, so that any disturbance said to be caused by the wind turbine noise is prevalent; and related to the long-term stimulation of outer hair cells. However, there needs to be more direct evidence from humans in order to determine whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship. Moreover, Dr. Salt’s research was conducted on guinea pigs, which have different sensitivities and hearing thresholds, whose effects cannot be directly compared to those of humans.

Slightly less important but still worth considering are risks associated with the installation of the turbine. According to David Craig (2007), there have been approximately 40 fatalities of workers due to construction and maintenance of wind turbines, including falls or tie-ups within the machinery whilst performing maintenance inside ‘turbine housings’. Furthermore, although not common, the possibility of a turbine break failure can cause a fire (due to the uncontrolled/free spinning), which cannot be extinguished due to the height, thus generating toxic fumes and fires within the fields (and living area). Similarly, ice may be formed on the turbine and thrown off during operation – dangerous for passerby’s.

In conclusion, there is often speculation about supposed health risks associated with the implementation of wind turbines such as the unwanted noise, shadow flickers, the wind-turbine syndrome, its effect on outer hair cells and problems associated with it’s maintenance. While some of these effects may be strongly opinion-based and hyped up, such as Pierpont’s theory of the wind turbine syndrome, it is still important to look for evidence that either proves a theory right or wrong. So far however, there is not enough evidence, as seen above, that can clearly deem wind turbines health impacting, but this doesn’t mean that we must stop looking.

Bibliography:

1)     "Caithness
Windfarm Information Forum ." Caithness Windfarm Information Forum .
(2012): n. page. Print. < http://www.caithnesswindfarms.co.uk/page4.htm
>.

2)    "MassDEP."
MassDEP. (2012): n. page. Print. http://www.mass.gov/dep/energy/wind/impactstudy.htm.

3)    Paulman,
Ken. "Midwest Energy News." Midwest Energy News. (2011): n.
page. Print.
http://www.midwestenergynews.com/2011/09/28/analysis-deflates-wind-turbine-health-claims/.

4)    Pierpont,
Nina. "k-selected books." k-selected books (2010):. n. page.
Print.
http://www.windturbinesyndrome.com/2010/wind-turbine-syndrome-and-the-brain-pierpont/.

5)    Plummer,
Brad. "The Washington post." Washington post. (2012): n. page.
Print. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/10/23/are-wind-turbines-making-people-sick-or-is-it-all-just-psychological/.

6)    Salt,
Alec. "SAGE publications." SAGE publications. (2011): n. page.
Print. <http://www.townoflenox.com/Public_Documents/LenoxMA_Wind/Salt.pdf>.

By ebatra | Posted in Research findings | Comments (0)

Wind Turbines: Not the Worst Thing Ever, Actually Pretty Cool

December 3, 2012 at 4:15 pm

Richard Poirier

Professor Grace

EK 132

November 28 2012

Wind Turbines: Not the Worst Thing Ever, Actually Pretty Cool

People complain about everything, literally. Wind turbines, and specifically the noise they generate, are no exception to the rule. Some people have legitimate qualms with the fast growing, renewable energy source that is wind, but for the majority of the population the positives of wind energy far outweigh the negatives.

Massachusetts could be the state to lead the way on offshore wind turbine installations, but of course public opinion is split between being for and against. “The first U.S. developer proposes to build 130 large (40 story tall) wind turbines in Nantucket Sound, just outside Massachusetts state waters. These would provide 420 MW at market prices, enough electricity for most of Cape Cod. The project is opposed by a vigorous and well-financed coalition. Polling shows local public opinion on the project almost equally divided” (Kempton). Our state could be leading the way on this front, powering most of Cape Cod without burning fossil fuels, but still a loud opposition seems to be holding the project back. Wind energy is the most obvious future energy source we have, and it’s only a matter of time before public opinion shifts strongly in favor of offshore turbines.

The major complaint with wind turbines is the noise generated, and the health implications resulting from that. There is no concrete evidence that wind turbines specifically cause any problems, but many reports of medical problems including “sleep disturbance, Headache, including migraines, tinnitus, ear pressure (often described as painful), balance problems, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, visual blurring, irritability, problems with concentration and memory, panic episodes, and tachycardia (fast heart rate)” (Laurie). Unfortunately in our country, people will feign diseases to profit economically, and I think that was the intention of numerous medical problems reported. You simply can’t take people at their word. What you can trust at face value is documented proof, provided by Caithness Windfarm Information Forum. Since 1975 they have documented almost 1300 accidents due to wind turbines. The majority did not involve human injury at all, and very few were fatal accidents. Wind energy is relatively safe, especially when you consider the pollution caused by fossil fuels and their impact on our atmosphere and the air we breathe. Compared to the energy sources we use the most, wind energy causes many less fatalities and medical conditions, all the more reason for it to be promoted and implemented more across the country.

Wind energy is a controversial topic, and as it becomes a more widely used and talked about resource the controversy will only continue. Just look at the last presidential election to see how divided our country is. People will always complain about change, but change is inevitable. The transition to renewable energy sources will be led by wind energy, and though it might take a while and face much opposition, we will use wind energy more and more in the future. For the people who complain about the noise from wind turbines and are not willing to move, the solution is simple: prove that the wind turbines caused the problem or deal with it. This is America. Deal with it.

 

Sources

By: Kempton, Willett; Firestone, Jeremy; Lilley, Jonathan; Rouleau, Tracy; Whitaker, Phillip. Coastal Management. Apr-Jun2005, Vol. 33 Issue 2, p119-149. 31p. DOI: 10.1080/08920750590917530. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=a2ae9c4c-39ec-43e6-86a6-18357f19a802%40sessionmgr115&vid=2&hid=127

 

By: Matheson, George; Giroux, Laurie. OECD Environment Working Papers. 2/10/2011, Issue 25-26, p25-28. 4p. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=0cffa28f-81ef-42bd-bc29-8467b390347f%40sessionmgr110&vid=2&hid=127

 

By: Gohlke, Julia M.; Hrynkow, Sharon H.; Portier, Christopher J. Environmental Health Perspectives. Jun2008, Vol. 116 Issue 6, pA236-A237. 2p. 1 Diagram, 1 Chart. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=c8e1ffbc-2957-4f3d-b57b-9dd8bd3e0cbb%40sessionmgr113&vid=2&hid=127

 

By: Heintzelman, Martin D.; Tuttle, Carrie M. Land Economics. Aug2012, Vol. 88 Issue 3, p571-588. 18p. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=91bebe4d-3377-4a7f-90c6-25de7ad1e8ff%40sessionmgr115&vid=2&hid=127

 

Laurie, Sarah. http://docs.wind-watch.org/Laurie-List-of-symptoms.pdf

 

http://www.noiseandhealth.org/article.asp?issn=1463-1741;year=2012;volume=14;issue=60;spage=237;epage=243;aulast=Nissenbaum

 

http://www.caithnesswindfarms.co.uk/fullaccidents.pdf

 

http://www.windturbinesyndrome.com/img/WindTurbineNoise.pdf

 

By rpoirier | Posted in Research findings | Comments (0)

THE “OBAMA EFFECT” ON CLEAN ENERGY

December 3, 2012 at 4:04 pm

With the conclusion of the 2012 Presidential Election, there are many parts of the American society that need addressing. Looking back at the major talking points of this election, the issues of Energy and Clean Energy Production were among the most important. With Obama securing his reelection a pertinent question is begging to be asked: What has Obama done so far to address the energy crisis in America? In order to answer this question one must first look at the state of the Energy industry at the beginning of his first term as President.

During 2008(Bush’s last year in office), “non-hydro” resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass, accounted for a mere 3 percent of total energy generation(about 10,500 GWh). In addition, the total amount of renewable energy generated accounted for about 10 percent of total energy generated(417.72 TWh). Even more troubling was our dependence on foreign oil being as high as 58 percent. Obama took office in a nation with an energy industry that was making very little progress.

As Obama took office, he called for a shift in focus to decreasing the nation’s dependence on foreign energy resources by increasing the use of renewable energy resources produced domestically. As a part of accomplishing the goals of this clean energy initiative, Obama more than tripled the government’s investment in clean energy sectors such as smart power grids, renewable power, energy efficiency, and electric cars. These investments accounted for the generation of about 225,000 new jobs. In 2009, Obama also gained approval from the Department of Interior for 29 onshore renewable energy projects(7 of which were designated for wind energy).

Obama Oil Independence Graph Invitations

Figure 1: Obama Energy Agenda

As is shown by Figure 1, strides and major improvements to the clean energy sector have been made since Obama initially took office. As a result of Obama’s clean energy initiative, U.S dependence on foreign oil has dropped from about 56 percent in 2008 to 45 percent in 2011, and is expected to only keep dropping. Also, electricity generation from wind and solar energy has increased by nearly 71 and 40.3 percent, respectively, between 2008 and 2010. Also, U.S renewable energy generation has increased from 417.72 TWh in 2008 to 520.07 TWh in 2011. So, to answer the question posed initially, the U.S has made significant strides to increasing energy production by renewable sources(wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, etc). under the Obama administration. And it only expected to get even better.

 

 

 

Works Cited:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_the_United_States

http://www.whitehouse.gov/energy/gasprices

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2012/08/obamas-we-cant-wait-initiative-will-power-1-5-million-homes1

http://www.barackobama.com/energyfacts/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/10/04/a-closer-look-at-obamas-90-billion-for-clean-energy/

http://www.zazzle.com/obama_oil_independence_graph_invitations-161481370676347855

By dejorh | Posted in Research findings | Comments (2)

Healthy for the Planet, Unhealthy for its People?

December 3, 2012 at 3:52 pm

By: Jeffrey Zurita

Wind-Turbines have been sprouting up all over the world in an attempt to become less dependent on methods that contribute to Global Warming and the greenhouse effect. Yet, the adverse health effects that a wind turbine may have on the people located near it greatly outweigh our need to install this renewable resource. Is it really worth placing people at risk when we have yet to fully understand the problems these turbines may bring?

Read More »

By Zurita Jeffrey | Posted in Research findings | Comments (0)

Wind Farms & Health Impact

December 3, 2012 at 3:01 pm

EK 132 Wind Energy

Professor Grace

Marta Mota

 

Wind Farms & Health Impact

Although more people are turning to wind turbines as a source of renewable and green energy, many concerns about the health of the people who live close to wind farms have been brought up.

Wind turbines emit noise, impacting the health of the people living near them. This is considered one of the causes for the many health impact related with wind energy that people complaint. There are two kinds of noise: mechanical noise, which comes from the nacelle, and aerodynamic noise, which comes from the movement of the blades (Ramachandran). Examples of mechanical sound sources include the gear box, the engine, and the consistent movements of other parts of the machine. There are two mechanisms responsible for the aerodynamic noise. The first one is the inflow turbulence noise which is due to the interaction of turbulence in the atmosphere with the edge of the blades; this mechanism emits a low frequency noise (around 200 Hz). The second one is the airfoil self-noise arises when an airfoil section encounters a steady, non- turbulent flow field.

The vibration of the wind turbines is also another source for the health impact related with wind energy. Infrasound, a type of vibration, at amplitudes over 100–110 dB can be heard and felt; according to some researches, all the vibrations under these amplitudes are not felt. The highest infrasound levels that have been measured near turbines and reported are below 90 dB at 5 Hz and lower at higher frequencies for locations as close as 100 m (Ellenbogen). Even though this type of sound is not heard it can still be felt through vibration.

The most frequent health impacts related with the noise, infrasound, vibration and light flicker of the wind turbines are annoyance, stress, sleep disturbance, headaches, difficulty concentrating, irritability, fatigue, dizziness or vertigo, tinnitus, heart ailments anxiety, stitch and beating palpitation. According to the World Health Organization, “health effects due to low-frequency components in noise are estimated to be more severe than for community noises in general”(1).

Although some health problems are proven to come from the wind turbines’ effect, people sometimes believe they are ill and actually start to feel sick. This happens because they are convinced that the wind turbines cause harmful symptoms (Simon). The sickness of these people is real, however the cause comes from their minds and not from anything related with wind turbines. A lot of debate is ongoing with respect to the relationship between reported health effects and wind turbines. Wind energy has an undeniable positive effect in our environment due to its ecologically friendly component. However, health effects have been conflicting with the benefits of wind energy. There are many people who assume that some diseases are associated with the infrasound emitted by the wind turbines, and this is a very plausible fact. However, there is no scientific consensus that infrasonic noise below the threshold of hearing will have no effect on health (Tuttle). For this reason the challenge of finding a balance between minimizing the health problems of the people who live close by wind plants and maximizing the production of energy through a sustainable way is still far to accomplish, but solutions like setting a minimum distance between the wind plants and the population has started to be implemented in some regions of the US.

 

 

 

Works Cited

  • "Low Frequency Noise, Infrasound and Wind Turbines - The Society for Wind Vigilance." Low Frequency Noise, Infrasound and Wind Turbines - The Society for Wind Vigilance. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2012. <http://www.windvigilance.com/about-adverse-health-effects/low-frequency-noise-infrasound-and-wind-turbines>. (1)
  • Heintzelman, Martin D.; Tuttle, Carrie M. Land Economics. Aug2012, Vol. 88 Issue 3, p571-588. 18p.
  • Noise Control Engineering Journal; Mar/Apr2011, Vol. 59 Issue 2, p135-157, 23p
  • Thermal Engineering (English translation of Teploenergetika), v 58, n 11, p 962-969, November 2011;  ISSN: 00406015;  DOI: 10.1134/S0040601511110127; Publisher: Maik Nauka-Interperiodica Publishing
  • Chain Reaction; Aug2012, Issue 115, p38-39, 2p, 1 Black and White Photograph
  • Wind Engineering; Dec2010, Vol. 34 Issue 6, p721-731, 11p
  • "Health Effects and Wind Turbines: A Review of the Literature." Environmental Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2012. http://www.ehjournal.net/content/10/1/78
  • "Do Wind Turbines Cause Health Problems?" HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2012 .<http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/wind-turbines-health.htm>.

 

By msqmota | Posted in Research findings | Comments (0)

How Many Birds Do Turbines Really Kill?

December 3, 2012 at 2:43 pm

Hate Windows, Not Wind Turbines

Windows kill over one hundred million birds each year in the United States alone, that’s over ninety nine million nine hundred and eighty thousand more than wind turbines, yet you don’t see people protesting the use of windows.1

In fact, a study conducted by the AWEA in 2006 concluded that less than “0.003% (3 of every 100,000) of bird deaths caused by humans and pets” is caused by wind power.2 A study published in Renewable Energy: An International Journal states that “wind farms . . . are responsible for between 0.3 and 0.4 fatalities per gigawatt-hour (GWh) of electricity while fossil fueled power stations are responsible for about 5.2 fatalities per GWh.”1

Read More »

By Daniel Schwartz | Posted in Research findings | Comments (0)

Wind Energy: Why Bother?

December 3, 2012 at 2:26 pm

Finding the most reliable, efficient source of energy is quite possibly the most important challenge that we face today.  Currently, fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal dominate the energy market.  Why is this?  Simply put, they’re cheaper.  If history has taught us one thing, it’s that newer technology is always more expensive.8

However, according to recent polls, nine out of ten Americans want to see an increase in the amount of electricity we produce from wind.  Regardless of their political standing, it seems that the desire for clean energy is increasing.1

Meanwhile the nation possesses practically boundless land-based wind resources that it’s only begun to tap. Wind farms in 30 states currently provide less than 1 percent of the nation’s total electricity demand.  But, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, there’s enough harvestable wind to light up the whole country.5

Therein lies the debate.  Are the benefits of wind energy significant enough to justify the higher cost and expensive government subsidies?

Free, Green, and Flexible

Building and maintaining wind turbines costs money but no one pays for the wind itself. Since wind is a “free” fuel, wind power prices do not go through the kind of price fluctuations consumers experience with fossil fuels, making it the cheapest renewable resource currently available.

Some carbon dioxide is released during manufacture and maintenance of wind turbines, but wind turbines themselves emit no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases while they are producing electricity. That means users of wind energy have smaller carbon footprints.

The towers and turbines that turn wind into electricity come in different sizes to meet different needs. The biggest wind turbines use rotors spanning more than 100 yards mounted on towers higher than 20-story buildings. One of these turbines can generate enough power to support 1,400 homes. A unit designed to make electricity for a single house might have blades with a diameter as small as 8 feet atop a 30-foot tower.7

Along the lines of a dynamic tower, offshore wind energy is also an upcoming possibility in the United States.  Although we currently do not support this type of wind energy, the adaptability of our machines to harness this energy helps to promote the cause of pro-wind regulation.  If subsidies are passed to allow for installation of off shore wind, it would create thousands of new jobs and help eliminate dependence on un-clean energy.6

According to Mark Muro, “The ultimate reward is cheaper, cleaner energy and greater energy diversity, which will help guard against price shocks, keep energy costs down through competition and lessen the damage our energy consumption does to the environment, among other things.” The benefits are well worth the cost of temporarily extending government subsidies, which are such a small portion of the federal budget.4

Current Regulations

Current Federal policy, such as the Federal Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit (PTC), provides an income tax credit of 2.2 cents/kilowatt-hour for the production of electricity from utility-scale wind turbines, and is set to expire on December 31, 2012.

In terms of these federal regulations, we experienced an over 90% drop in the price of wind power since 1980, benefiting utilities and consumers, and providing a compelling argument for subsidizing wind energy.1

According to a study done on the energy incentives in Turkey and the EU, the Governments’ energy policies play important roles to create more investments in renewable energies. Increasing incentives, notably feed-in tariffs, direct subsidies, and tax credits can make the risk/revenue view of renewable energy investments more attractive.3

Limits

Like all things, wind energy has limits. The real limit to wind power expansion is the proximity to the power grid, not the output of the generator. “Countless remote locations that possess good wind lie far off the grid, leaving wind farm developers, governments and utility companies to squabble over who will pick up the tab to string a high-voltage connection to civilization.”5

The need to connect our machines to the grid brings with it a host of new problems.  Who will pay to build this new infrastructure?  If tax dollars are spent to subsidize wind energy and used for this new task, it may not be worth the gains to the average tax payer.

This leads us to yet another unaddressed issue: can we store this energy?  As of now, the wind turbines feed the electricity directly into the grid.  Without the ability to store the energy, and lack of a grid to use it, subsidizing wind energy seems hard to justify.

Common Misconceptions

Aside from the well-voiced complaints concerning aesthetics and noise pollution, it is often over-looked that this energy isn’t actually “free”.  When we think of wind energy, the words, renewable, clean, and free come to mind.  The wind exists, it cannot be taxed or monopolized or controlled.  However, a deeper look into the preparation for wind farms reveals hidden costs in blade manufacturing, testing, land clearing, amongst other typical costs of business, such as labor.2

The Costs

Along with the limitations surrounding wind energy, there are several other major costs that need to be assessed.

Quite possibly the strongest arguments for wind energy at this time encompasses its environmental benefit as well as its economic boost supported by the creation of new jobs.  However, when it comes down to it, many of the “facts” put out by supporters of wind energy are misleading.

Numerous studies show that energy subsidies will stimulate the economy by creating jobs. But these studies consistently ignore the fact that draining taxes out of the general economy to pay for those subsidies runs the broader job-creating mechanism in reverse. The net effect is to shrink the economy, not grow it.4

Another assertion is that subsidies will save the planet. According to David Kreutzer, “agreement that man-made carbon-dioxide emissions warm the Earth doesn't mean we are headed to environmental catastrophe. Even the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, for instance, projects a sea-level rise of about seven to 24 inches over the next century—not 20 feet. Recent trends argue more strongly for the lower end of that range.”4

Scholars agree that the carbon cutting policy (of which wind and solar are only a small part) in the U.S. would have no real effect on global warming.  This is because the majority of future carbon emissions will come from the developing world, which most likely will choose economic growth over environmental consciousness.4

From this argument, we can deduce that building utility-scale solar and wind creates expensive environmentally intrusive and undependable eight-hour power that can't replace 24-hour coal, gas and nuclear power.

Conclusion

The debate for wind energy is highly controversial, as the risks and rewards for this endeavor are high.  In the very near future we will see if there will be continued subsidies for wind energy.  This will determine the importance of renewable energy in our lives for the years to come.

 

Works Cited

1"AWEA - American Wind Energy Association." Federal Policy. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://www.awea.org/issues/federal_policy/index.cfm>.

2"For the Wind." For the Wind. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://forthewind.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/cartooning-about-change/>.

3Kaya, Durmuş, and Fatma Çanka Kılıç. "Renewable Energies And Their Subsidies In Turkey And Some EU Countries-Germany As A Special Example." Journal Of International Environmental Application & Science 7.1 (2012): 114-127. Environment Complete. Web. 28 Nov. 2012.

4Muro, Mark, and David Kreutzer. "Do We Need Subsidies for Solar and Wind Power?" The Wall Street   Journal. N.p., 8 Oct. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444032404578008183300454400.html?KEYWORDS=renewable+energy>.

5Tompkins, Joshua. "Wind Power Reconsidered." Popular Science. N.p., 13 Oct. 2004. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2004-10/wind-power-reconsidered>.

6"Why Offshore Wind - Offshore Wind Development Coalition." Offshore Wind Development Coalition RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://offshorewinddc.org/why-offshore-wind/>.

7Williams, Mike. "Positive & Negative Facts About Wind Energy." Green Living on National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/positive-negative-wind-energy-2715.html?source=glhottopic>.

8Wilson, Charlie, and Arnulf Grubler. "Lessons From The History Of Technological Change For Clean Energy Scenarios And Policies." Natural Resources Forum 35.3 (2011): 165-184. Environment Complete. Web. 28 Nov. 2012.

 

 

By ryflare | Posted in Research findings | Comments (0)

Wind Turbine Syndrome

December 3, 2012 at 1:42 pm

Do wind turbines have any negative effects on human health? This is a subject that has been debated and so far, the results have been split. There have been many reports about how people living near wind turbines have been getting sick because of it. However, there have been some that argue that maybe many of these symptoms may not have to do with wind turbines after all.

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By eacoyle | Posted in Research findings | Comments (0)

Why is the United States not Considered a Global Wind Energy Forerunner?

December 3, 2012 at 12:29 pm

 

Many countries and people around the world give America a bad rap when it comes to renewable energy. The according to the German Wind Energy Association, the EU, a group of 26 countries, produces 100GW of power from wind energy; America, a single country, produces 50GW of wind energy annually (Energy Report). Why then is the U.S. not considered one of the world leaders when it comes to green energy?

This perception partially comes from the sheer amount of energy that America uses. Even though America produces the second most wind energy behind Germany, according to “Renewable and Alternative Fuels", the United States had only 2.3% of its total energy come from wind energy, while Germany has 9.2% of its energy comes from wind energy(Baetz). For the amount of energy that America is using, we do not have nearly enough of our energy coming from wind energy. This would not be the issue if the US would take advantage of its full potential.

The United States has historically had the greatest capacity for progress in the world. During World War 2, America almost singlehandedly funded and supplied the alliance troops. In the twenty first century we don’t have a world war to inspire people’s productivity. Instead we have tax incentives. The American people are motivated by money. The Production Tax Credit (PTC) is the incentive that motives the American people to produce wind energy. This is a great method… except for one little problem. The policy that awards PTC is voted on every year.  As this chart shows, the years that the PTC was allowed to expire resulted in a direct reduction of new energy production in the following year. In 2008 the 30% ITC was allowed as an alternative (Business Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC)). It is very evident that this did not stimulate growth; in fact it drastically reduced new wind energy capacity. The problem is not whether or not certain policies work or not. The real problem is that America creates new rules and guidelines far too frequently. Germany, the world leader in wind energy, “has policies that do not shift wildly when a new coalition comes into power. This creates a less risky environment for investors” (Laird).

"Wind energy tax credit set to expire at the end of 2012"

This however is not the only problem that is leading to the failure for the United States to reach its full wind energy potential. According to American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) “Currently, about 200,000 megawatts of proposed wind projects, more than enough to almost 15% of our electricity needs, are waiting in line to connect to the grid because there is not enough transmission capacity to carry the electricity they would produce.” If the U.S, one of the top economic and technologically advanced countries in the world, would invest in the power grid and bring it into the twenty first century, the United States would be a much more influential authority on wind energy in the world.”

 

Sources

AWEA. American Wind Energy Association, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://www.awea.org/issues/federal_policy/index.cfm>.

Baetz, Juergen. “German wind power installation up 26 percent.” Associated Press 1 Aug. 2012: n. pag. Print.

"Business Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC)." DSIRE. U.S. Department of Energy,
13 Nov. 2012. Web. 2 Dec. 2012. <http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/
incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=US02F>.

“Energy Report: U.S. Wind Energy Production and Manufacturing Surges, Supporting Jobs and Diversifying U.S. Energy Economy.” Energy.gov. U.S. Department of Energy, 14 Aug. 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://energy.gov/articles/energy-report-us-wind-energy-production-and-manufacturing-surges-supporting-jobs-and>.

“The European Union has passed the milestone of 100 gigawatt (GW) of installed wind power capacity.” BWE. German Wind Energy Association, 28 Sept. 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2012.

Laird, Frank N. “Renewable energy lessons from Europe.” Environment Complete. EBSCO Industries, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/ehost/detail?sid=17ec67e7-91d4-446d-b82c-f308bdba9ec3%40sessionmgr112&vid=1&hid=106&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=eih&AN=45459075>.

“RENEWABLE & ALTERNATIVE FUELS.” EIA. US Energy Information Administration, Jan. 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://www.eia.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/wind/wind.html>.

“Wind energy tax credit set to expire at the end of 2012.” eia. U.S. Energy Information Administration, 21 Nov. 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=8870>.

 

By bertocci | Posted in Research findings | Comments (0)