wind farms

Google's Finnish Data Center

The renewable energy world was abuzz last week with news that Google has just nailed down an exclusive agreement with a Swedish wind farm developer to provide its Finnish data center with wind power for the next ten years.[read more]

wind farm/shutterstock

How many people support renewables or nuclear energy, or for that matter fracking? A closer to look at polls shows that support numbers should be treated with caution.[read more]

energy scare tactics

Do wind farms make you sick? Not so, according to new research out of Australia. It's more likely that “wind farm syndrome” is caused not by the turning of wind turbines, but by scaremongering about wind turbines.[read more]

wind energy emissions

“Wind farms do not reduce emissions.” A commonly used talking point by those opposed to wind farms. The gist of this argument is that wind farms have an average capacity factor of 25%.[read more]

UK renewable energy trade organisation RenewableUK told its members this week that anti- wind farm campaigners could cost the country £1.3bn. A report, produced by Garrard Hassan and commissioned by RenewableUK says that England has the potential to see £1.3bn in investment that will directly create jobs and opportunities for local...[read more]

Given current technology offshore wind turbines are feasible to a depth of 30 meters. New technology exists to site wind turbines to a depth of 50 meters while 100 meter technology is on the horizon. Considering this, offshore wind turbines are feasible from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The benefits and...[read more]

Newly announced Conservative proposals for the UK Planning system would make it harder for wind energy companies to build wind farms without the support of immediate neighbours. The Tories say that on-shore wind farms are not appropriate in all settings: local community consent is vital, and applications will need to be considered in...[read more]

The European Wind Energy Association has claimed that offshore wind power is vital for Europe’s future in a new report published this month. The report “The European Offshore Wind Industry – key trends and statistics” confirms that a total of eight new wind farms comprising 199 offshore wind turbines were connected to the grid in 2009...[read more]

There’s an article in the Toronto Star today by real-estate lawyer Bob Aaron about the impact of stupidly planned wind projects (or any electricity project for that matter) on nearby property values. A resident in Ontario complained that his property taxes were too high because the assessed value of his property didn’t take into account...[read more]

A new study released by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory reveals that the view of wind farms does not appear to have a significant effect on the sale of houses. The study investigated the sales of 7,500 homes between 1996 and 2007 located within 10 miles of 24 operational wind farms. These sales...[read more]

A new study by the Department of Energy found that wind farms have no impact on property values. Central leg in the NIMBY platform takes a hit as Department of Energy study shows property values unaffected by presence of commercial wind farms. Economists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) have...[read more]

With many people and organisations concerned about potential bird and bat kills from wind turbines, could radar be the answer? Radar specialist company DeTect has developed and manufactured a new Avian Radar System ‘Merlin‘ which is aimed at protecting birds and bats from colliding with wind turbines. The company believes the technology...[read more]

The Conservatives have announced proposals that will make it more difficult for UK wind farms to be built on land if they win an election next year. The Shadow Local Government Minister, Bob Neil visited East Riding Council last week to discuss the topic of wind farms in the district. Although the area is ideal for wind farms the...[read more]

REW reports that planning approval has been granted for the first stage of Australia's largest wind farm - Planning Approval Granted for Australia's Largest Wind Project. The state government of New South Wales has granted approval for the first phase of the Silverton Wind Farm, set to be the biggest wind farm in Australia.Planning...[read more]

Atlantic wind farms alone could meet 25% of US electricity needs [From my post at Red, Green, and Blue] According to a new report released by the Interior Department, shallow-water offshore wind farms could supply as much as 20% of the electricity in most coastal states. The report, released last week by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar...[read more]