SPOTLIGHT FEATURE - WIND POWER
In July of 2009, Denny was invited to play at a local Farmer's Market in Euclid, Ohio. Merchants wanted to sell their goods, and there was nothing unusual about that - well, almost nothing.
The one thing that did stand out was a stick with with some funky looking wings on it, called a windmill. OK, so that might be a bit different, but no big deal, right? As it turns out, this was a special windmill - actually a wind turbine and this wind turbine powered the entire concert! It was quite a surprise and quite a treat for the vendors, customers, artists and spectators alike. It certainly isn't something you would expect to see at a Farmer's Market, but then again, it seems to make some sense.
Taking the concept a step further, one of Denny's students wrote a report on the benefits of a wind turbine. This youngster is a sophomore in high school and did quite a nice job. His name is Alex Hughes. Give it a read...
Great Lakes Wind Farms: Blowing in Change or a Blown Opportunity?
A wind turbine is a machine that has a rotor with blades that are driven by the momentum of the wind (“dictionary.com”). While wind turbines have existed for centuries, there has been a strong resurgence in interest in this technology in recent years as America searches for clean, renewable, and efficient energy sources. The Great Lakes region, and Cleveland in particular, is poised to be a leader in this energy opportunity. Research has shown that wind turbines will create manufacturing jobs and help the local economy, potentially produce huge amounts of electricity, and provide long-term financial savings by avoiding increasing coal costs and a potential carbon tax.
Wind turbines have existed for many centuries and have been used for a number of different tasks. The earliest invention date of the vertical-axis windmill was in China around 1219 A.D by Yehlu Chhu-Tshai (“Wind Power’s Beginning”). In this culture, the windmill was used to grind grain and pump water. From 1300 to 1875 windmills appeared in Western Europe and were a horizontal-axis design. The Dutch became known for their windmills that contained separate floors for grinding grain, removing chaff, storing grain and providing living quarters for the farmer’s family. Ironically, as Cleveland looks to be a 21st century leader in wind energy, it was Clevelander Charles F. Brush (1849-1921) who was a wind turbine pioneer and one of the founders of the American electrical industry. Charles Brush was an extraordinary thinker and made numerous discoveries such as DC dynamo, which is used in the public electrical grid, the very first commercial electrical arc light, and an efficient method for manufacturing lead-acid batteries. During the winter of 1887-1888, Brush made the first automatically operating electrically generating wind turbine. This turbine was 50 feet tall and had 144 rotors. (“A Wind Energy Pioneer: Charles F. Brush”) Even though the turbine was enormous, its generator was only a 12 KW model. This was due to the fact that slowly rotating wind turbines are not highly efficient (“A Wind Energy Pioneer: Charles F. Brush”). Over the next decades the design of wind turbines was enhanced. Modern offshore wind turbines can now reach 12 stories in height with a 72-meter rotor diameter (“Multi-Sized Wind Turbines”).
Building the wind turbines in the Great Lakes will create manufacturing and research jobs for many people, and position northeast Ohio as a leader in this growing field. Aaron Godwin, a Cleveland Wind Power Task Force member and wind power developer states, “In the last five years we’ve seen tremendous growth in the desire for wind power. Ohio is in a strong position to capitalize on the newfound interest” (Lefkowitz). Godwin also cities the 2004 Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP) Report which showed 12,000 jobs could be created in Ohio from the wind industry (Lefkowitz). Cleveland has always been a very big manufacturing city and the manufacturing supply chain can be reconfigured to build wind components like the blades or towers. More than 90 companies in Ohio already crank out many of the 8,000 parts needed to build a wind turbine (Breckenridge). Ed Weston a force member on Ohio’s wind energy supply chain stated, “We have companies making bearings, generators, electronics, and fasteners within a half-hour drive of Terminal Tower.” Another unique feature making Cleveland a prime location for an offshore wind farm is the Cargill salt mines, which stretch for 14 miles under Lake Erie. The mines could act as a storage area for compressed air—the excess energy produced by wind turbines (Lefkowitz). Finally, the proposed R&D facility, the Lake Erie Wind Energy Center, would create jobs, offset the cost of the turbines and serve as an attraction and position Northeast Ohio as a hub for research and development of offshore wind power. Richard Steubi of the Cleveland Foundation says, “It will be the first of its kind in the U.S.”
If the turbines were built, they would create huge amounts of clean, renewable electricity. A Michigan State Land Policy Institute report released in October 2008 showed that 100,000 turbines off Michigan’s coasts could produce 321,000 megawatts of energy (Lyderson). These turbines would produce enough electricity for the entire Upper Midwest (Lyderson). However, experts believe a project this big is unlikely because of the cost and environmental concerns. Ohio’s proposed project, including two to ten wind turbines and a research station, could be implemented by the end of 2010. Offshore wind farms have been successfully producing renewable energy in European countries such as Germany, Denmark and Great Britain. Each of these countries has found a great deal of success with their wind farms. As of 2003, Denmark had approximately 3,000 MW wind power, which was supplied by 5,500 wind turbines (“Modern Wind Turbines”). Tuno Knob, the world’s second offshore wind farm in Denmark has shown production results substantially higher than expected (“Offshore Wind Turbines”)The Great Lakes Region needs to now bring this technology to the U.S. and harness this natural resource to produce electricity.
Building wind turbines would also provide long-term financial savings by avoiding increasing coal costs and a potential carbon tax. David Marvin, a shareholder and chair of the Energy, Utilities, and Telecommunications Law department at Fraser Trebilcock & Dunlap in Lansing, Michigan states, “ According to an economist at Tufts University, a carbon tax of 20 percent would double the cost of coal and increase the cost of coal-generated electricity 40 percent” (Stevens). He continues by saying, “I think we’re headed for a real crisis if we just sit around enjoying the status quo while we wait for a carbon tax to hit” (Stevens). The Public Service Commission in Michigan is already considering double digit increases in rates for electric power. At the same time, demand for wind energy will be growing. A new state law in Ohio requires that 25 percent of Ohio’s energy needs must come from advanced-energy sources by 2025 (Breckenridge). In the 1980’s wind generated electricity was around 35 cents per kilowatt-hour. That number has rapidly decreased; today it is around 9 cents per kilowatt-hour. Additionally, modern wind turbines quickly—usually within two to three months--recover all the energy spent in manufacturing, installing, maintaining, as well as scrapping them (“Energy Payback Period for Wind Turbines”). Once installed, an offshore wind turbine can be expected to exist for twenty-five to thirty years. This stands in contrast with David Marvin’s observation when he stated, “It’s time for Michigan to move beyond the ‘Age of Fire—we dig stuff up and burn it. Michigan currently imports 90 percent of its fuel, exporting $18 billion annually to pay for it” (Stevens).
Some arguments exist that wind turbines may be bad for the environment causing harm to birds and fish, creating noise pollution, and appearing ugly on the landscape while casting unwelcome shadows as they spin. Fortunately, the U.S. has the benefit of information from existing European wind farms in order to calm some of these fears. The Ohio project would sink 260-foot tall wind turbines into bedrock and lay electrical cable below Lake Erie (Lyderson). This construction could disrupt fish breeding and the ecology of the lake floor, including the consequences from electromagnetism, noise and vibrations. However, in Europe, the wind turbine foundations have actually become a habitat for the fish. The welfare of birds is also a concern. Birds currently collide with many of man’s creations such as high voltage wires, masts, poles, windows of tall buildings cars and airplanes. A Dutch study shows that, interestingly, wind turbines rarely bother birds. Radar studies were conducted where a two-megawatt wind turbine with a sixty-meter diameter rotor was installed. The study showed that the birds changed their flight route by 100-200 meters whether it was day or night, in order to pass safely over the turbine (“Birds and Wind Turbines”). There are also several examples of birds such as falcons nesting in cages that were mounted on the turbines. A separate study revealed the turbines had no effect on water birds (“Birds and Offshore Wind Turbines”). The Danish Wind Industry Association has also studied noise levels from the wind turbines. The Association concluded that noise is not a major problem for the industry it is also reasonably easy to predict the sound effect from wind turbines in advance of building them. Wind turbines are a very visible part of the landscape. They have to be visible in order to be placed in the best possible position to function at peak efficiency. However, the U.S. can benefit from European studies showing ways that turbines can be placed in what is considered the most pleasing visual pattern. Depending on the uniqueness of each particular area, it might be best to place the turbines in a layout to mimic the coastline or in a simple geometric pattern. Lastly, concerns about the shadows made from the turbines can be put to rest by once again learning from the experience of the Europeans. Experts can use astronomy and trigonometry and compute a “worst case” scenario for shadows to flicker. This should not be a problem for off shore turbines being planned for the Great Lakes, since they would not be near any residential areas.
It’s time for the Great Lakes Region to seize this economic and environmental opportunity and build wind turbines. While offshore wind is a new concept in the U.S., it has a proven track record in Europe. It’s time, especially for Ohio, to use the information available from Europe and take a leading role in this important industry. The wind industry will create numerous jobs, provide huge amounts of electricity, and allow for long-term financial savings by avoiding increasing coal costs and a carbon tax. Wind turbines do not harm natural wildlife such as birds or fish. All these reasons prove that wind turbines would be a great product for the Great Lake Region and for the country. The time to act is now.
The owner of this windmill is AZ Renewable Energy.