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Archive for November 26th, 2012

Nov 26

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Vermont — Snow on turbine blades creates excessive noise

Associated Press – November 26, 2012

LOWELL, Vt. — Vermont’s largest electric utility says snow stuck to turbine blades caused a roaring sound that drew noise complaints shortly after the Lowell Mountain turbines started operating.

At least 21 neighbors complained about the noise, which began on the morning of Nov. 3 and lasted into Nov. 4.

The neighbors complained to the Vermont Department of Public Service.

GMP spokesman Robert Dostis says the excess noise was caused by the weather conditions.

Dostis tells the Caledonian Record (http://bit.ly/WrE0to ) neighbors should call the utility when they have noise complaints so technicians can modify the operation of the turbines or shut them down.

GMP just completed construction of its 21-turbine project on Lowell Mountain.

Nov 26

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Lots of news coming out of Ireland lately about wind energy opposition

Marie Madden — Galway Independent — November 24, 2012

Connemara residents ‘have had enough’ of wind turbines

Connemara residents have hit out against the introduction of wind turbines in their area, saying they’ve “had enough”.

The group said they are so concerned about the impacts of wind farms that are currently under construction in the area, they will hold a protest outside the County Buildings on Monday 26 November at 1pm.

A spokesperson said that the resident feel that “this is the only way” for the local authority to address the issues as they have been “fobbing us off” for months.

“Our issues are the fact that so many turbines are being constructed in close proximity to people’s homes with little or no consultation with the communities who are affected.

“With the extensive amount of research now available (including papers published by the British Medical Journal) proving without doubt that there are repercussions to public health as a result of living too close to a turbine, you would think that Galway County Council would be interested in protecting its constituents.”

(To continue reading, click here)

Nov 26

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U. of W. offers Samsung tablet as prize for completing wind health survey?

(Seriously?  Not sure if they thought that one through. — DQ)

Orangeville Banner — November 26, 2012

Residents of Dufferin County who live within five kilometres of a wind turbine can expect to receive a survey in their mailboxes in the coming weeks.

The survey, titled the Quality of Life and Renewable Energy Technologies Study, contains a portion investigating wind power. Professor Phil Bigelow, an epidemiologist at the University of Waterloo, is using the research to examine the specific relationship between reported health effects and living near renewable energy technologies.

Upon completing the survey, participants will be entered into a draw to win a $250 gift certificate to Canadian Tire or a Samsung Galaxy tablet, valued at $250. Selected participants will also be invited to take part in the second part of the study, which involves a more in-depth health assessment.

For more information on the Ontario Research Chair program in Renewable Energy Technologies and Health, visit orc-reth.uwaterloo.ca. For more information on study participation, call Tanya Christidis at 519-888-4567 ext. 31342 or email tchristi@uwaterloo.ca.

 

Nov 26

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Computer simulation shows the wakes created by industrial wind turbines

Nov 26

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Ontario helps kill green plan

Thomas Walkom — KW Record — November 23, 2012

Say goodbye to Dalton McGuinty’s green industry strategy for jobs and manufacturing.

The World Trade Organization may have put the boots to it. But the Ontario premier and his government were unwitting accomplices.

Critics are already denouncing the trade body for vetoing a Buy Ontario plan designed to revitalize the province’s manufacturing base.

Communications Energy and Paperworkers union president Dave Coles called the recent decision by a WTO dispute panel “blatantly undemocratic” — which, of course, it was.

But, strangely, the other villain in the piece is Ontario’s Liberal government. By its decision to quietly privatize big chunks of the province’s electrical generating industry, it left itself wide open to a trade challenge.

The story began in 2009 when Ontario passed the Green Energy and Green Economy Act.

For the McGuinty government, it was an unusually bold effort aimed at meeting two urgent needs.

The first was to reduce carbon emissions by moving away from coal-fired electrical generation.

The second was to encourage new kinds of manufacturing that could revitalize Ontario’s hard-hit industrial base.

The mechanism was simple. Consumers would subsidize producers of solar and wind power through higher electricity rates. But to qualify for these subsidies, power producers would have to ensure that up to 60 per cent of their equipment was manufactured in Ontario.

The idea was to give a boost to Ontario windmill and solar panel factories. And it was starting to work.

But in a move that would prove fatal to their industrial plans, the Liberal government was also moving away from public power generation.

(To continue reading, click here)