I'm doing a project on Wind farms and would like peoples view on them, do you like or hate them and why??

Answer 1

I have a wind turbine on my property. It generates enough energy to power all my needs, and those of my immediate neighbours who operate large farms as I do. I have horses and dairy cows, my neighbours have cattle, sheep, crops and other considerations. I also have smaller turbines located around the buildings on my property, just in case. I have run my farm this way for two years now, and even though the initial outlay was quite impressive, I am offline, do not give money to a large corporation that cares little for my needs, and my neighbours enjoy the benefits of free clean energy. I also use solar panels for heating the pools and hot water tanks. I am working on a design for dual purpose energy sails, and water turbines. I also have designed walls that are my water storage tanks, that insulate and soundproof my home.

Answer 2

I think that wind farms are fantastic ideas, especially in very windy areas (ie at the ocean, on the plains, etc).

They provide cheap easy renewable power.

The problem is they are not efficient enough to compete vs traditional power generations methods. As was mentioned, the gear boxes often wear out, on the bigger wind turbines they can cost more electricity to start than they produce, they are limited in the amount of time and wind they can use.

And they take up tremendous amounts of physical space. There is a really interesting study under way placing wind generators at the ocean to harness that wind
http://www.state.nj.us/njwindpanel/ to look at the report from New Jersey

I think they offer a non polluting method of power generation for developing nations, and as such should be used and implimented in the developing world.

that being said, i have 2 small wind turbines on my home, and solar cells that provide power to my battery pack.

Answer 3

The problem with wind farms is that you’d need one the size of Greater Manchester to replace just one power station. Oh and you won’t get a single watt when the wind doesn’t blow.

Sadly, people have a somewhat rose-tinted view of wind power. Unfortunately, the reality doesn’t match the dream.

Answer 4

Here is one you won't hear from anyone - - - but based on the ideas of a Dutch engineer/architect - - - Why Wind Farms? Why take stretches of perfectly wonderful land and populate it with windmills so that a single corporation profits? Guess what? A steady source of wind is the air above cities .... This terrific Dutch engineer/architect whose name I apologize for not remembering, he designed these wonderful twenty to fifty story builds with windmills incorporated in the design the idea being that buildings can generate their own power and sell surplus to the neighborhood. He even had designs for retrofitting existing buildings.
Once upon a time factories & office complexes & homes had their own sources for power, then the idea of centralized power seized the Planet, with modern technology, by harnessing the wind along with solar & other technologies, people can return to to self reliance even on a cooperative level - - - in your own neighborhood, supposing you live in a burb with single family homes & duplexes, why not a wind generator on your roof or one large turbine serving a dozen homes?
Thus, farms not so much, I think 'we' can do better.

Peace...

Answer 5

The electricity that I use at home is generated by a wind farm, so I am for them. If I could afford to have one installed on my home, I would. There is a renewable energy source that is waiting to be harnessed, so much better than burning fossil fuels.

However, I can respect the fact that most windfarms are in the countryside and most of the energy is used in towns and cities, so people who live in the countryside may not be happy about having them "spoiling" their views. But when I see them, I think there is a graceful beauty in them and so much nicer than the alternative.

Answer 6

The current wind farms are just plain stupid.

Either you put small wind turbines everywhere (roofs, lamposts etc.), or the land used in a 'wind farm' must be ecologically protected.
Land is too precious to waste. We need it either for ourselves or for nature. We need to be a lot cleverer about finding multiple ways to use land.

Answer 7

Having spent a lot of time in the south west, (england) I have seen hundreds of them. I think they look very majestic and dont spoil the landscape, and of course, they save an enormous amount of energy. But, on the other hand, would I want a wind turbine in my back garden....?

Answer 8

both .... think they are great but don't want in my backyard .... I know ....... but they are more eco friendly unless you live in an area of outstanding beauty think they should be in sea many miles from land and you could string the wave power generators in between each mast generating even more power for us to waste ...better than power station so cant please all of the people all of the time

Answer 9

Ugly, expensive and inefficient. The gearboxes break for a past time and they can't operate when there is no wind or too much wind.

Answer 10

Good idea but can be a blot on the landscape. Are they a cost efficient way of producing energy?