Quote:
Originally Posted by agrarian
Folks who defend wind typically fail to mention the lifespan issues related to wind turbines.
Folks on here who relentlessly attack wind never bring up this issue.
They attack wind using lame rationale, like bird strikes or lubricant leaks. Bird strikes?
If you're concerned about birds you'd better start comparing the bird killing done by fossil fuels versus bird strikes caused by turbine blades. Lubricant leaks? Practically zero problems. There are other problems related to wind, like noise or looks or down time. Wind will fill a niche, especially in windy regions, but should never be looked at as a primary source.
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I agree. We kill hundreds of thousands of birds each year with automobiles alone. We never hear anything about it.
The truth is, there is no free lunch.
I know a maintenance supervisor of one of the larger wind farms in south Texas. In the past 10 years, they have grown like huge weeds down there. What is becoming apparent is these huge and very complicated pieces of machinery need regular maintenance and care just like any other.
Most people have no clue wat is inside a typical wind turbine, all they see are the huge blades. The rotor is connected to a huge planetary gear box that steps the RPM up to the desired speed of the generator. Between these is a sophisticated clutch/Governor/ brake assembly. There is a huge slewing motor and gear assembly that keeps the blades pointed at optimum wind direction at all times.
All of this is controlled by computers.
Maintenance is of prime concern.
What we need to do is utilize all of our energy resources. Wind, hydro, nuclear, solar, and yes, fossil.
It will take an effort. I will not live to see the day when we figure out how to convert fossil fuels to energy with no side affects. I will not live to see battery technology offset the virtual strip mining of huge areas to obtain the needed resources. I will not live to see the day when huge dams do not kill fish and disrupt entire eco systems. And I will not live to see the day when huge windfarms don’t create a whole new set of undesirable problems.
But somebody will.