Posted 21 January 2012 - 07:31 PM
Great posting I read the news article and was very happy to see that they have started using some of the new three 3-megawatt, direct-drive Siemens turbines representing the next generation of renewable wind energy technology.
Both GE and Siemens are starting to integrate the direct drive technology into their product lines. The direct drives can work at both higher and lower wind speeds and also eliminate the need for step up and step down transformers meaning that the amount of loss through transforming is eliminated. Also these turbines actually cost less to manufacture and maintain meaning lower cost to utilities and customers.
Add to this that the minimum life span is 25 years and with upkeep the fact that they can last as many as 60 years and you see that this can be a real low cost over time eco friendly way to produce electricity.
Finally I know some on will bring up the issue of noise and birds. These turbines-direct drive, eliminate over 85% of noise from turbines and finally as someone who has been designing wind farms for over 20 years, I have honestly never seen a study that concluded a significant risk to birds, bats or wild life, that said we place turbines in rural areas with a conceious effort to stay away from migration routes because honestly we don’t know what we don’t know and its better safe than sorry.
E3Wise
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