In Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, in spite of what wind developers and wind lobbyists say, the 1000 foot setback is not a sufficient distance between homes and wind turbines that are 40 stories tall. There are indeed problems with noise and shadow flicker at this distance. Ask people in the town of Byron in Fond du Lac what they think of the 1000 foot setback.
Video Rating: 0 / 5
Question by WindTurbines.net: What is the most durable and quality BRAND of wind turbines?
Most brands of wind turbines are named after their manufacturers. What brand do you think is the most durable among them all?
Best answer:
Answer by Lorenzo
The market (usually) answers that question, and the market in the US answers that the most durable and quality turbine is made and manufactured by General Electric. Their GE 1.5 MW turbine has sold more than 12,000 units since its introduction in 1999. The GE turbine was originally designed by a German company (Tacke) that went bankrupt, sold to an American company (Zond) which had built smaller (read that unprofitable) turbines. Zond was sold to Enron (American) when Enron went bankrupt the assets of Enron wind were traded to GE for the debts that Enron owed GE. This 1.5 MW turbine originally designed by Tacke became the first turbine that didn’t need government subsidies to work. At 1.5 megawatts of power, and with blades over 100′ long, the turbine made money for its investors.
Other major manufacturers are Mitsubishi (Japan); Gamesa (Spain); Vestas (Denmark); Clipper (US); Suzlon (India); and GoldWind (China).
But, again, in specific answer to your question, I like GE best. (Their 2.5 MW on-shore product is the best I’ve worked on, in, and around.) All the components–towers, blades, nacelles–of a GE turbine are built in the US (except, interestingly, the actual electric generator.)
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
In the 100 years or so since wind turbines were first used to produce electricity, they have seen many alterations, resulting in more effective and versatile units. Despite being superior in every measurable way, they’re also now more affordable than ever. Wind turbines generally fall into a few basic categories, each of which is intended to serve a specific purpose and will likely be more or less appropriate depending on the potential buyer’s needs.
Since they were introduced around 1930, large-scale commercial wind generators have improved in a number of ways. Enhanced blade design, more durable materials, and more efficient and reliable performance are some of the areas in which they’ve gotten better. In order to handle high winds consistently and thus generate a large amount of energy, these turbines are usually made from super-heavy duty materials.
As the strongest and most relentless winds are mostly in remote areas like shorelines, large-model wind turbines usually need to be located in these areas. Being “out of the way” like this means that it would be expensive to have to repair them all the time, so it’s a must that these units are especially reliable. Large-scale turbines often exceed 0,000 in price, which is due in large part to these factors.
Wind turbines for use in a residential environment are essentially scaled-down versions of those larger, commercial units. The most common problem encountered by the first generation of wind turbines for residential use was that they weren’t able to easily adjust to shifting wind patterns, which are especially common amid the buildings and other obstacles that are typical of residential settings.
Weight was also a problem for the first generation of residential-use wind turbines. It would usually be necessary to have a strong, purpose-built tower to support them. Ultimately, the drawbacks and costs were usually too much for many homeowners to really consider.
Micro turbines, the latest phase in the evolution of residential-use wind turbines, rectify the problems that plagued earlier versions. The main improvement with these turbines is their capacity to produce power from lower winds, which allows them to be used even without being mounted on towers. In some instances, it’s even possible to set up a micro turbine directly on your roof. These compact turbines are turning at all times, and this makes up for the fact that they don’t have the maximum power generating capacity of some of the larger models. With a price range of about 0 to ,000, these micro turbines are also relatively inexpensive and are well within the area in which the electrical bill savings they provide will almost immediately justify the investment
Wind turbines vary significantly in terms of their size and power, and the price tends to vary accordingly as well. By building a wind turbine yourself, you can bring the cost down even more. All you need are some common tools and the right instructions, and just about anyone can build a wind turbine, and get the lifelong savings that come with it.
For information about the pros and cons of wind power, read Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Power.
For the greatest guide to making your own wind turbine, including step by step videos, go to Earth4Enegry Review.
For another guide to building your own solar panel, go to How to Build a Wind Turbine.