VA offshore wind turbine pilot project

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
How long before they're get too expensive to maintain, and they are just rotting rusting eyesores that boaters go out to fish around?

Beats me. The data is all over the map... In Europe, they've "bet the farm" on wind and have reached such a high percentage of it in their power mix that going back would be pretty tough. Meaning that the hardware is going to have to maintained and replaced when necessary. Here?..different story. So much of our alternative energy sector is for liberal show-and-tell and does not pass the economic smell tests. We'll see...the LCOE for alternative power is indeed dropping steadily..
 

black dog

Free America
Its seems here in the eights at least, maybe longer,,, the Government gave huge rebates to about any junk that would stand up, And now no one wants to own up to who actually owns some of these architectural museums that we are left with. We should just call it Worhols Field Art..
 

Clem72

Well-Known Member
I believe it took less than 25 years in Hawaii, they have at least 6 derelict wind farms the last time I looked.

View attachment 119205

I think that's more an issue of Hawaii not caring enough to upkeep the turbines. They already have more renewables than they know what to do with (everyone going to solar to get away from the crazy expensive electric co).

There are wind farms outside riverside California that have been in use continuously for 20+ years.
 

itsbob

I bowl overhand
I think that's more an issue of Hawaii not caring enough to upkeep the turbines. They already have more renewables than they know what to do with (everyone going to solar to get away from the crazy expensive electric co).

There are wind farms outside riverside California that have been in use continuously for 20+ years.

Drive out to Stockton from San Fran.. you'll pass through HUGE wind farms where the majority are broke.. inoperative.. just standing, stationary, producing nothing.
 

black dog

Free America
I think that's more an issue of Hawaii not caring enough to upkeep the turbines. They already have more renewables than they know what to do with (everyone going to solar to get away from the crazy expensive electric co).

There are wind farms outside riverside California that have been in use continuously for 20+ years.

I didn't know that the State owned any of them? My understanding is they were all privately owned then.
 

itsbob

I bowl overhand
Could it be that at times each turbine consumes more than 50% of its rated capacity in its own operation?! If so, the plant as a whole -- which may produce only 25% of its rated capacity annually -- would be using (for free!) twice as much electricity as it produces and sells. An unlikely situation perhaps, but the industry doesn't publicize any data that proves otherwise; incoming power is apparently not normally recorded.

Interesting thought from:

http://www.aweo.org/windconsumption.html

Also stated in other articles.. MOST wind farms produce less than 20% of their capacity.. many much less than 20% of their capacity..

If you want to produce X of kWh you need at LEAST 4 times the production capacity to meet that goal.

You need 10 kWh of power, and you find a Wind Turbine rated at 10kWh capacity, you'll need more than 4 of them to get what you want.
 

black dog

Free America
Could it be that at times each turbine consumes more than 50% of its rated capacity in its own operation?! If so, the plant as a whole -- which may produce only 25% of its rated capacity annually -- would be using (for free!) twice as much electricity as it produces and sells. An unlikely situation perhaps, but the industry doesn't publicize any data that proves otherwise; incoming power is apparently not normally recorded.

Interesting thought from:

http://www.aweo.org/windconsumption.html

Also stated in other articles.. MOST wind farms produce less than 20% of their capacity.. many much less than 20% of their capacity..

If you want to produce X of kWh you need at LEAST 4 times the production capacity to meet that goal.

You need 10 kWh of power, and you find a Wind Turbine rated at 10kWh capacity, you'll need more than 4 of them to get what you want.

Interesting that you talk about capacity, We have a farm about 8 miles west of me. It seems that the windmills produce only so much power each month and you will see many of them stand [ not spinning ] still for weeks at a time while ones all the way around it will be spinning with the 15 kt wind at the time you look at them.
I have a windmill on my sailboat, it spins 24-7 while underway with 4 kts of wind or more. but it only produces power when the controller / regulator tells it to.
 

Clem72

Well-Known Member
I didn't know that the State owned any of them? My understanding is they were all privately owned then.

Which, the ones in Hawaii or the ones in Riverside. Guess it doesn't matter, I think they are both private (with lots of state subsidies) I am fairly sure the Riverside ones are PG&E, the other is HEI.
 

black dog

Free America
Good read, depending on how brainwashed you are by the alternative energy fanatics..

http://www.aweo.org/problemwithwind.html

Thanks, I'm a coal guy myself...burn baby burn. I'm a wind believer for certain things. Like lights in a remote polebarn, A remote property or cabin, its works well on my boat for better than 20+ years with just normal maintenance. It can easily produce more juice that i can use as long as there is wind. And with no wind, I fire that diesel up and charge the house battery bank.
I would bet that if everyone in the USA were to upgrade their home insulation, new furnace. tankless water heater and add air to there car tires alot of this green would not be on the table.
 

black dog

Free America
Which, the ones in Hawaii or the ones in Riverside. Guess it doesn't matter, I think they are both private (with lots of state subsidies) I am fairly sure the Riverside ones are PG&E, the other is HEI.

I was talking about Hawaii..
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
Thanks, I'm a coal guy myself...burn baby burn. I'm a wind believer for certain things. Like lights in a remote polebarn, A remote property or cabin, its works well on my boat for better than 20+ years with just normal maintenance. It can easily produce more juice that i can use as long as there is wind. And with no wind, I fire that diesel up and charge the house battery bank.
I would bet that if everyone in the USA were to upgrade their home insulation, new furnace. tankless water heater and add air to there car tires alot of this green would not be on the table.

100% spot on.

But I'm a whore, too. A large part of our vessel-build business right now is for wind farm vessels. So I'm like ""oh hells yeah,,,love me some more wind farms baby..bring 'em!"
 
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