Wind Turbines in Indiana ,Illinois

[Wireman]

If you've ever travelled through Indiana and Illinois, you've almost certainly noticed the towering wind turbines.

 

I checked them out closely as I was travelling through yesterday. They kind of freak me out...especially at night lol.

 

Seriously though, are these things effective? What are their benefits, downside, etc? I guess now that I explored them a little, I'm just curious.

 

Any of you know anything about this stuff?

[rockmom]

I think they're beautiful in that stark, industrial kind of way. I find them fascinating.

 

The power produced by them is purchased by Duke Energy, Vectren and AEP. Wind is the fastest growing form of energy in Indiana.

[Wireman]

I think they're beautiful in that stark, industrial kind of way. I find them fascinating.

 

The power produced by them is purchased by Duke Energy, Vectren and AEP. Wind is the fastest growing form of energy in Indiana.

 

I don't understand how that works. What do you mean the power is purchased by those companies? You mean the turbines produce energy and that can be purchased in a controlled way? I don't fully understand how it works.

[rockmom]

I don't understand how that works. What do you mean the power is purchased by those companies? You mean the turbines produce energy and that can be purchased in a controlled way? I don't fully understand how it works.

 

I'm no energy expert. But, in a simple way, yes, I think you are correct. The turbines produce energy that is then sold. It would be like any other energy purchased by a power company and then sold though a utility company to consumers.

[Jumper_Dad]

I don't understand how that works. What do you mean the power is purchased by those companies? You mean the turbines produce energy and that can be purchased in a controlled way? I don't fully understand how it works.

 

Yeah kinda like if you had a well producing water and sold it to the local utility.

 

I was talking to a guy in Hawaii several years ago and was asking about a bunch of windmills on a ridge line high above the golf course and why they weren't turning on an obviously windy day. He said that maintenance on them cost more than the amount of electricity they could produce, so they were basically left to rot.

[titletownclown]

I think they're beautiful in that stark, industrial kind of way. I find them fascinating.

 

The power produced by them is purchased by Duke Energy, Vectren and AEP. Wind is the fastest growing form of energy in Indiana.

 

Agreed. I think they are awesome. Got a chance to see them on a recent trip to Chicago.

[KY Thorobred]

If you've ever travelled through Indiana and Illinois, you've almost certainly noticed the towering wind turbines.

 

I checked them out closely as I was travelling through yesterday. They kind of freak me out...especially at night lol.

 

Seriously though, are these things effective? What are their benefits, downside, etc? I guess now that I explored them a little, I'm just curious.

 

Any of you know anything about this stuff?

 

I am glad that I am not the only one!

[Wireman]

I am glad that I am not the only one!

 

I drove into a field and got out to stand beside one. I didn't realize how big that thing was until I walked up to it and looked up. Then all those red lights at night. Freaky.

[titletownclown]

A couple years ago we took a cruise in Baltic and North Seas. Many of the ports we visited had massive amounts of turbines. They are quite impressive when viewing from the water. Coming into port at Amsterdam was an incredibly beautiful sight.

[True blue (and gold)]

There are quite a few along I-70 in Kansas. There are 100s of them. I love seeing them in action. They've been up for many years. I guess that they must be producing money for someone or they wouldn't remain in use.

 

I've also seen some in pieces being carried view flat bed semi down I-25 in Colorado or New Mexico. Just one blade takes up an extra long flat bed trailer.

[uk#1fan]

Try driving through there in a snow storm they look like a giant snow flake.

[True blue (and gold)]

Try driving through there in a snow storm they look like a giant snow flake.

 

That's a bad corridor to drive through in the winter. I've done it, but avoid it now.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

I don't understand how that works. What do you mean the power is purchased by those companies? You mean the turbines produce energy and that can be purchased in a controlled way? I don't fully understand how it works.

 

Federal law states that if a person/entity is able to produce more electrical energy on their own property than they are able to consume, then the local utility company is required to purchase the "extra" electrical energy from them. The long and short of it is that they purchase the energy and work it back into their power grid to serve other local customers. In other words, they just set things up in such a way that that property functions on the power grid in the same way that an electrical sub-station functions. That's a pretty gross simplification, but you get the point.

 

I have a friend whom I helped install a small power station unit into the dam of their 13 acre lake on their farm. They only have a cabin (which was already equipped with a low-energy geothermal HVAC system) and a barn on the farm, and they didn't have enough load being utilized by their two buildings to use up all of the electric they were producing from their power station. As a result, my friend is now PAID for electric rather than paying for it.

[woodsrider]

A couple years ago we took a cruise in Baltic and North Seas. Many of the ports we visited had massive amounts of turbines. They are quite impressive when viewing from the water. Coming into port at Amsterdam was an incredibly beautiful sight.

When flying back from Germany last year I looked at one point and could see a wind farm in the water just off the coast of who knows where. Was pretty cool to see from 20,000+ ft.

[Wireman]

Ok, that's another question I have. Are these wind turbines privately owned by farmers or is there a company in charge of that?