Study: Offshore Wind Turbines Could Pack Punch

[News]

If Michigan allowed close to 100,000 wind turbines to be plopped along the shore of the Great Lakes, it would produce enough energy to power the entire Upper Midwest, according to a Michigan State University Land Policy Institute study set to be released today.

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[GLF]

For example, to use offshore wind energy to satisfy all of Michigan's power demands, the state would need to plop 11,469 wind turbines 10 kilometers offshore at a depth of 60 meters, according to the study, authored by Charles McKeown and Soji Adelaja.

I clipped this from the story.

Just what we need.....11,469 wind turbines in 195FOW. I can see it now....we will be trolling around nets and wind turbines.

Maybe they should put in some oil rigs also.....

[1mainiac]

Did they mention the cost of deployment or the fact they will on their 2nd or 3rd replacement before the cost will be recovered. I looked into them for my house will take roughly 35 years to break even. Just like the guys tradeing in their trucks to get econo cars don't consider the car will be worn out long before they break even on fuel savings. Chicken little theory.

Jim

[Paulywood]

Same thing with the hybrids. By the time you pay the extra money, it takes almost 10 yrs. to make up the difference. And if you have to replace a battery pack at $10,000 then it takes even longer. Most people are just reacting without thinking.

[Priority1]

No nukes, no wind turbines, no coal fired power houses, but we need the energy. Natural Gas is being used to generate electricity, so it shortens the supply, and up goes our heating cost to the tune of 25% this Winter. We are all guilty of being against a lot of different things. What's the answer?? Are we living the American dream, or is it becoming a nightmare? I'm as guilty as anyone. When I was boy, most families had a car. We lived in modest homes and if you were lucky you had central heat, and a telephone. Today every family has to have at least two cars, 6 phones, two refrigerators, etc etc. That's progress, but we need to fuel it. So much industry has left the states surrounding the GLs. I'm not sold on any one source of energy, but if we are going to keep industry here, we need to have a reasonable source of electricity. We all need to voice our opinions, but when we say no to something, be prepared to say yes to something else.

Now instead of dodging nets and windmills, the two could be combined. The tribes can power the slot machines with off shore wind turbines, and use the legs of these wind turbines as net stakes. We can all forget about our boats, 4wd trucks etc. The tribes can use the fish netted to help us poor folks through the Winter. We can all go back to two room cabins, where a two hole outhouse is a luxury. Just think what I could come up with, if I had a couple of beers.

[1mainiac]

Well I am not against any of them my point is cost per KW we have rivers here so we can build hydro electric plants or even stack second units on our current dams. I looked into a wind generator for my house a few years ago cost was close to 30g. Was told the turbine was good for roughly 10 years and cost 12g alone so figured cost of ownership over 30 years close to 66g I think 2200 a year is too high for electricicty. On the other hand I know a few people who live off the grid it can be done it really comes done to what are we willing to live without. Solar is a interesting avenue but also costly a 100 watt panel needs a controller and a good battery bank and a invertor to convert it to A/C. So if you break it down it comes out about like this 100 watt panel roughly 600 bucks solar charge controller 250 bucks 4 golf cart deep cycle batteries 150 ea 2kw invertor about 1500. So figure 8 to 10 panels a few charge controllers 16 to 20 batteries 4 or 5 invertors. Now as long as you watch how much power you use and the sun shines every day and you don't mind spending your spare time taking care of batteries you will be ok. Now for them cloudy days they are a couple small wind options 2 or 3 of them at 1500 ea will cover you for darkness and cloudy days. Oh yea this won't run your well or furnace but you will have lights TV and the Microwave and you can allmost live like normal.

Tight Lines

Jim