Solar Panel per-Watt Cost Drops over 57 years

1954         $250

1960's      $100

1970's       $20

1990          $7

2005        $3.50

2011        $1.48

                  (numerous sources, panel costs only, not-installed, averaged)

(NectarDesign solar panel sculpture)

Growth of Wind-Power Industry

A sampling of states and countries  to show  9-year change in installed Wind Power Capacity:   
                                 ( millions of watts )

                                2001                       2010 

Texas                      1096                     10,085
Washington              180                      2104
Oregon                    157                       2104
California                 1683                     3177
Utah                         0                          223
Iowa                         324                       3675
Colorado                 61                         1299
New York                 48                        1275

China                      400                        41,800             
India                        236                       13,000
United States           4275                     40,181
Germany                 8754                      27,214


                                                                           (windpoweringamerica.gov)
                                                                           (lmwindpower.com)
                                                    (wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_by_country)  

Problems Reported with Wind-Power

Here are the objections to Wind-Power and Wind Turbines that are tossed around by groups opposing the industry.  All should be discussed at length.    


They look bad.
They're unreliable.
They kill birds.
Vegetation is destroyed.
Access roads and sites cause erosion problems.
Leakage of oil.
Wind turbulence affects local climate.
Noise.
CO2 emissions from the production of the concrete.
Bright navigation safety lights atop towers.
Consumption of water in production.
Adverse effects on land value.
Wind tower litter.
Adverse effect on tourism.
Social conflict is created.
They are inefficient.
They are a fire hazard.
They mess with TV reception.
They cause sunlight flicker.
Flying ice comes off the blades. 
Electric bills will increase.
Ground wildlife is displaced.
New roads constructed through wilderness.
Existing roads damaged during construction phase.
Wind is unreliable.
Industry is subsidized by the taxpayer.
Desecration of sacred areas.
Disrupts radar and shipping lanes ( offshore wind )
Construction of massive new high-voltage transmission lines.
Farm animals are disturbed.
It doesn't make economic sense.
Greenhouse gas benefit overstated.
Price of coal-generated power goes up. 

For some fascinating more detailed analysis of many of these objections see
http://ramblingsdc.net/Australia/WindProblems.html#Wind_is_intermittent

Noisy Wind Turbines

Distance guidelines and proposals for locating wind turbines away from homes include such recommendations as these:

1.  1.5x tower height
2.  3x  blade height tip
3. 1000 feet
4. 2500 feet
5. 1 mile
6. 2 kilometers ( 1.24 miles )
7.  whatever the complex computer models recommend

   Noise is a REAL issue that affects enough people to be a serious concern - the sound is relentless and inescapable, and the annoyance levels, sleep disturbance, headaches and dizziness are concerns.   Actual noise levels are affected by terrain, noise frequency, turbine model, wind direction and of course, distance.   Perception of noise is affected by the personality of the person, the existing attitude about wind-power and the underlying ambient noise.

  While many people aren't bothered, protecting the rights of even the minority who are is important to consider for something like this that bombards people 24 hours a day.   

        ( see: www. windturbinenoises.org for one perspective )
  

Wind and Nuclear reality check

    1      Nuclear Power Plant         generates      12.3 million Megawatt-hrs/year
2708   Wind Turbines (1.8mw)       generate     12.3 million Megawatt-hrs/year
975   Wind Turbines (4mw)     generate            12.3 million Megawatt-hrs/year



    ( calculation based on a 28.8% capacity factor on a typical 1.8MW wind turbine   /   new 4mw offshore turbines with optimistic 36% capacity  factor   /   average U.S. nuclear output 2009 - US Dept. of Energy stats.)

Wind Turbine Capacity

    A 1.8 Megawatt Wind Turbine does not generate 1.8 MW 24-hours a day, 365 days a year!  If it did, it would generate 15,768 Megawatt-Hours per year.    On average in the U.S., wind turbines generate only 28.8% ( the capacity factor) of that amount, or 4541 MWh ( 4,541,000 KWh ) per year.   There are wind-speed and direction variations and down-times for maintenance or excessive wind speed all of which combine to prevent the turbine from reaching even near full capacity.  With the average home consuming  11,040 Kilowatt-hours per year (2008) assuming a 28.8% capacity factor, ...

   ...a 1.8 MW turbine will fully power 411 homes even with the down-time and wind variations.    On average.

Our Sources of Electrical Energy in the U.S.

Source                                   Millions of Megawatt-Hours (MWH)

Wind                                             71
Solar                                                .8

Fossil Fuels                                  2734
Nuclear                                         799
Hydro-electric                               272
Bio-mass                                       52
Geothermal                                   15

                                                                       (U.S. Dept. of Energy, 2009 stats)

100% Renewables?

The Scottish National Party has set a goal to achieve 100% of electricity generated in Scotland by renewable sources in 9 years ( 2020 ).  The economic and technological challenges are immense, but many say it could happen, others are skeptical. The Labour Party says that to go above 80% is unrealistic.  Others say that 185% is achievable by 2030. 


http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=8505

Recent Solar Industry Growth -

2009      20 billion Dollars
2010      90  billion Dollars  - a gigantic change for one year.....considering that.....

...solar Industry growth rate averaged 30% for the last 20 years, still strong growth by any definition.      (solarbuzz.com)

State and Federal incentives account for the huge increase in 2010.  (solar energy industries assoc)

Wind Turbines Kill Birds

                                                  # of birds killed ( U.S.) annually

Wind Turbines                    .075 million  - .25 million            

Flying into windows         100 million  - 900 million +
Auto/truck collisions             50 million - 100 million
Hunting                                  100 million+
Communication Towers        4 million - 10 million
Electrical Lines                      67 million
Chickens killed for food        8395 million  ( 8.4 billion )
Turkeys killed for food         5.3 million
Pesticide poisoning               67 million
Killed by Cats                        100 million

  (sources:    US Fish and Wildlife, Smithsonian Inst., Nat Institute for Urban Wildlife, Am. Bird Conservancy, CurryKerlinger.com., Nat Audobon Society)

Cost of Wind Turbines

Most of the commercial-scale turbines installed today generate 2 MegaWatts of electrticity and cost roughly $3.5 Million installed.
                                                                                                   (windustry.org)

Wind Power in 2030 and beyond

Wind power could realistically handle 20% of electrical needs in the U.S. by 2030.
                                                                                ( US Dept of Energy )
.....and up to 30% by 2050.
                           (industry experts as quoted in environment.nationalgeographic.com)

To achieve the 20% goal, the wind power industry would have to multiply its current output by a factor of 11.

               ( see 5/24/2011 post )

Wind Turbine Power Output

Utility-scale wind turbines ( large wind-farm type turbines)  EACH generate  0.9-2.0  Megawatts of electricity.
                                                                                                           (powernaturally.org)

The largest current models can generate more than 5.0 Megawatts, with  10-15 year projections for 8-10 Megawatt machines.            
                                                                                                   (environmentalresearchweb.org)

There is a cutting edge 10 Megawatt  floating turbine currently being installed off the coast of Norway.

Blade Speed vs Wind Speed

The blade tip of a high-efficiency wind turbine moves 6-7 times faster than the wind  that pushes it.    (wiki-wind turbine design)

Wind Turbines for Many Homes

A single 1.8 MW wind-turbine can power 520 homes.     (energyeducation)



   ( note: this figure depends on the "capacity-factor"  which varies with location and  consumption averages. Another source puts this figure at 411 homes.  See later posts.)

ElectricalGrid upgrade cost

$60 billion:  To upgrade the electrical transmission grid to accommodate anticipated alternative sources.   (wiki)

$3000+ billion:  To pay for the Iraq war.       (Washington post)

Worldwide Wind Power

Wind-power generated 430 Terrawatt-Hours ( in 2010) ---- 2.5 percent of worldwide electrical power consumption