By Amy Berry

Traditional Wind Farm Site Disadvantages Are Actually Advantages in Urban Settings

For most who hear the words “wind power” the mind conjures up images of towering white propellers in a wide open rural setting. These large propeller turbines, also known as horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs), are the standard in the large wind industry due to their excellent efficiency in converting wind to power. However, what makes them ideal for large scale wind farms (large and remote open spaces with consistent wind direction) does not necessarily make them a great fit for urban sites. In fact, the traditional limitations of vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) technology for wind farm applications can actually turn into advantages for more urban locations.   Increasingly, homeowners and small businesses are considering VAWTs to help overcome the challenges associated with many small wind sites.

by Zach Hagadone via idahobusiness.net

Bob Lewandowski may have been among Idaho’s greatest do-it-yourselfers. As a farmer on 20 acres between Boise and Mountain Home he saw his seeds blown from the ground by a seemingly constant wind. Finally, after years of kicking and scratching at the soil, he realized if he couldn’t raise a crop from the earth, then maybe he could harvest something from the sky: electricity.

Betting the farm on wind power, Lewandowski invested a total of more than $120,000 to purchase, ship and refurbish three old turbines from California. Inventing his own performance-boosting repairs, he labored for about three years before hoisting the first 150-foot tower himself.

Wind farms generally improve the scenery of locations that were not that picturesque to begin with. According to a study in Geographical Research published by Wiley-Blackwell, wind farms have a negative impact on landscapes with a high scenic quality, but a positive effect on dull and mundane landscapes.

In the paper titled “Scenic Perceptions of the Visual Effects of Wind Farms in South Australian Landscapes”, over 300 participants rated the scenic qualities of 68 photographed landscapes with, and without, digitally added wind farms.