Wind powering up in Ohio

 

It’s real, it’s here, it’s working, let’s make more!

 

In the last couple of years, wind power has crossed the threshold in Ohio from eco-dream to market-driven reality. The transition is being driven by new turbine technology that is making the cost of wind power competitive with other forms of generation, the deregulation of the electric power industry, growing consumer demand for clean, renewable power, and the work of alternative energy organizations like Green Energy Ohio (GEO).

 

Here are some of the recent developments:

 

Serious windmills: While other parts of the country, such as the Great Plains, have greater wind resources, new wind maps are showing that Ohio also has commercial-grade wind. That's why the municipal utility in Bowling Green installed two 1.8 megawatt turbines a year ago. The sleek, aerodynamic turbines stand 390 feet tall and are the largest turbines in the U.S. east of the Rockies. They supply around three percent of the city's power needs and have been so successful that the Bowling Green utility is working with other municipal utilities in Ohio and Green Mountain Energy to install two more. Other big turbines are spouting up in southwest Pennsylvania (a big installation is visible along the Pennsylvania Turnpike by Somerset).

 

Lake Erie wind: The most promising sites for wind turbines in Ohio are expected to be out on Lake Erie, but most wind measurements on the lake have been made at water level, not at the height of turbines. To plug this data gap, GEO recently received funding to install a wind monitoring station on the Cleveland Division of Water's intake crib more than three miles offshore. Once the wind resource is confirmed, it's possible that commercial-scale turbines could soon be sprouting from the shallow waters of the lake - generating clean power for thousands of homes and helping to give Cleveland a new image. "Our idea is to make it a visionary statement for the city - that we are going into the new century with some clean-power options and put Cleveland on the map with this," GEO board member Fletcher Miller told the PD.

 

Wind jobs: In addition to being cool and clean, wind turbines can stimulate economic development in Ohio. A recent study found that the 20 states that would potentially benefit the most from the growth of the wind industry, receiving 80 percent of the job creation, are the same states that account for 76 percent of the manufacturing jobs lost in the U.S. over the last 3 1/2 years. Indeed, Ohio could be a leader in many aspects of turbine production, including tower fabrication and welding, electrical components, instruments and controls, and software. Canton-based bearing manufacturer Timken, for example, is predicting exponential growth in their sales to wind turbine companies. And Ohio farmers are embracing wind power as a reliable, low-cost power source for farm operations, as well as a potential source of extra income by leasing space in their fields for commercial turbines.

 

Wind conference: One more sign that wind has arrived is the Ohio Wind Power Conference (which took place November 9-10, 2004, in Cleveland). Organized by GEO, the Ohio Department of Development, and the U.S. Department of Energy and it brought together industry leaders, utility representatives, government officials, technical experts, and activists to discuss where the wind market and technology are headed.

 

It's fitting for wind power to come to Cleveland. After all, Cleveland inventor Charles Brush built the first automatically operating wind turbine for electricity generation in 1888 behind his Euclid Avenue mansion.

 

Wind is the world's fastest growing energy source with double-digit growth. We have all the ingredients in Northeast Ohio to become a leading center in this emerging industry.

 

http://www.ecocitycleveland.org/ecologicaldesign/energy/wind_power_ohio.htm

 

Perhaps they could get rid of some of those old power plants on the shoreline if this comes about.

 

btw that first wind turbine looked like this

 

 

hmm imagine that in someones backyard lol

I'm glad Cleveland is gonna jump on this, because that breeze never stops when you're on the lake. It would also be great for the city's image which has been tarnished recently. Thanks for the info :clap:

we go to texas a lot for cheap vacations out of the city and when we fly over the middle of the state you see these windmill power farms everywhere. there are literally hundreds of them on the west texas plains!

I saw the ones in Pennsylvania on a trip last month - they are huge! Really cool though. Maybe we can get some of those in Columbus too, it seems pretty darn windy here in the wintertime at least. Compared to the Cincinnati area, that is. I'm sure it's nothing compared to Cleveland!

 

 

PA wind things:

 

oh wow those are some awesome looking things. I would say that NW Ohio's flat landscape is best suited for something like this, also right along the coast of Lake Erie in NE Ohio. heh it can get quite windy there. I went to the beach a few weeks ago and could barely stand up it was so windy.

I posted this a while ago on another thread, but here it is again. On the way back to Fort Wayne after the Cleveland meet on Labor Day weekend, I stopped to check out the wind turbines near Bowling Green. Here's a photo of one of them:

 

GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER GETS APPROVAL FOR WIND TURBINE

June 17th, 2005

 

June 17, 2005 - In their meeting this morning, the City Planning Commission gave its approval for the initial phase of the Great Lakes Science Center’s multi-stage initiative to explore the possibilities of renewable energy resources. The Planning Commission approved the installation of a single wind turbine on the front lawn of the Science Center. The project is made possible by the support of the Cleveland Foundation.

 

As the home of the largest exhibition about the Great Lakes in the country, the Science Center intends to use the turbine and the data collected to educate its visitors and the public about wind power and its potential benefits for the region. Easily accessible to pedestrians using Erieside Avenue, the installation will feature outdoor interpretive panels that will show data captured in real time. As an additional benefit, it is expected that the single utility-grade turbine will provide an estimated 10-12% of the Science Center’s energy needs.

 

“Our mission is to bring enhanced levels of science learning to people of all ages, in a tangible and exciting way,” said Science Center President and Executive Director

Dr. Linda Abraham-Silver. “By demonstrating the interrelationship between science, technology and the environment, the wind turbine project brings our mission to life in a very accessible way and takes full advantage of our lakefront location.”

 

The turbine’s overall height will be approximately 145 feet with a blade diameter of 88 feet. Similar urban wind turbine projects have proven to be tourist attractions in their own right and it is anticipated that this installation will enhance Cleveland’s lakefront skyline and help position the city as one with a focus on renewable energy resources. It is anticipated that the installation will be completed by November of this year.

 

 

Is this related to this?:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=1615.0

oh wow i forgot about that, yea it pretty much does relate

I want to see the windmill take our a flock of seagulls.  Or the Flock of Seagulls.  Either way, I'll be happy.

^ i've seen a mack truck take out a bunch of pigeons once on public square

And I ran, I ran so far away.

I just ran, I ran all night and day.

I couldn't get away.

^ i've seen a mack truck take out a bunch of pigeons once on public square

 

Sweet.

 

They are just winged rats.  We should pay homeless people to hunt them with pellet guns.

http://www.lakenet.net/geo/cribcam.htm

 

http://www.greenenergyohio.org/page.cfm?pageID=700

 

Love this view of the skyline.

(From Crains)

 

A windy situation

 

By ALLISON WOOD

 

July 22. 2005 3:50PM

 

 

 

A 125-foot tower will be installed on top of the Cleveland water crib on Monday as part of a two-year study to determine if wind turbines placed in Lake Erie eventually could serve as an energy source.

 

......

http://www.greenenergyohio.org/page.cfm?pageID=705

 

These would look great.  Sounds promising.

 

 

how fun, now i need a boat........

A slightly longer article from the 7/26/05 PD:

 

 

Offshore tower to measure wind power

Nonprofit group seeks alternative-energy source

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

John C. Kuehner

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Wind power on Lake Erie started to take shape Monday just offshore of downtown Cleveland.

 

Technicians and volunteers began building the tallest wind-monitoring tower on the Great Lakes atop the Cleveland Water Department intake crib, the bright orange-and-white structure 3.5 miles north of Edgewater Park and the major collection point for Greater Cleveland's drinking water.

 

When it is completed in several weeks, the galvanized steel tower will rise 165 feet above the lake's surface like a silver needle. Its six arms will hold a variety of small, lightweight instruments at three heights to record weather conditions and the wind's speed, frequency and direction.

 

.........

 

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/112237048186950.xml&coll=2

 

anyone check out the Green Energy Ohio site???

 

www.greenenergyohio.org

 

there are some nice pics on there of this project in the works and also a live webcam from the crib looking towards Downtown Cleveland (http://www.lakenet.net/gcam.hteo/cribm).  Fun times!

I think they should turn the crib into a bed and breakfest for boaters.

Random thought ... I wonder if the Great Lakes Science Center's wind turbine will be visible from the far end of Cleveland Browns Stadium.  I think it would, especially if the blades are as high as 233 ft. at the apex of their travel.  I'm thinking of the wide crowd shots you see on TV, aiming toward the Dawg Pound.  That would look cool if you were able to see a wind turbine in the background!

i just seen a rendering of this on Cleveland Public Art's website

 

Timely article

 

http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0508/feature1/fulltext.html

From the 8/30/05 PD:

 

 

Pole to test lake's wind power

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

John C. Kuehner

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Six, thin steel arms holding a variety of scientific equipment stretch out across Lake Erie this morning, waiting for a breeze.

 

Those 10-foot arms and the measuring devices attached to them could help determine the future of wind power on the lake.

 

Technicians and volunteers finished building the tallest wind-monitoring tower on the Great Lakes Monday night just a few miles from downtown Cleveland.

 

.......

 

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1125394519193750.xml&coll=2

 

Kind of ironic that the setup of the tower that's going to measure if it's windy enough on the Lake to justify building turbines was almost delayed because it was too windy.  :-D

there has been a delivery of what appears to be the pole sections for the wind turbine. 

 

it is currently fenced off on land behind the science center.  no noticeable progress on a concrete pad for the installation though.  i took some pics and will try and post later.

Here are a couple of pics of the pole:

 

<img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b102/urbanlife/IMG_1294.jpg" alt="">

 

<img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b102/urbanlife/IMG_1293.jpg" alt="">

 

It's HUGE!  I love that they put a single barricade in front of it with some helpful "caution" tape...just in case someone didn't see it coming!

more progress - the pad has been poured.  and it has only been 7 months.  maybe they'll have this up by the summer at this pace.

 

<img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b102/urbanlife/IMG_1310.jpg" alt="concrete pad">

That looks like a project that I would do in my backyard.  Truly impressive.

I found this buried in a NOACA report on air pollution from Dec. 2005.  Any ideas on when these will be going up or where exactly?

 

Alternative Energy – Wind Power: The Work Group heard a presentation from Green Energy Technologies Inc., which is installing a demonstration project involving a wind turbine (Smart Energy Tower) at both Cleveland-Hopkins Airport and at Case Western Reserve University. It was apparent that, when the towers are in production and available to large businesses, they can

be used successfully as back-up electricity sources, reducing draw on the traditional grid. The towers are also planned to be used for cellular purposes, wireless Internet, and hydrogen production for some shuttle vehicles at both the airport and the university. The Work Group determined that wind power will not be in production soon enough to make an appreciable reduction in pollution for SIP purposes, but the electricity produced will be quantified for the SIP, regardless.

I know there is well over a year of additional data to be collected before intake crib study is complete, but my imagination is running. Hopefully, this new study reflects the results of this previous study (map below).

 

 

In my daydream scenario, someone with the economic and political cojones sees the data, recognizes the ever growing need for energy diversification and the financial potential, steps up to the plate and plants a couple dozen of these (look below) off shore. What better statement from the "burning river" city could you want about rebirth in an industrialized region?

 

These are GE 3.6 MW wind turbines. I was shopping ahead. Here's the brochure: http://www.gepower.com/prod_serv/products/wind_turbines/en/downloads/ge_36_brochure.pdf

 

 

Actually, while the wind power would be great and the environmental statement poignant, I really think that a turbine farm off shore would make a kick ass entrance to the city for anyone coming over on the Port Stanley Ferry. As long as we don't get Capt. Hazelwood slaloming through the turbines at full speed, I think we're safe.

Great find on both the data and the product, CC!  Those are in Ireland?

Yeah, those are indeed in Ireland. Off Shore wind turbines I've heard of have mostly been around the Netherlands but GE has a serious turbine sales focus throughout Europe.

 

BTW does anyone have an estimated time of completion for or more recent pictures of the turbine in front of the Great Lakes Science Center? It's been a couple months since they poured the concrete pad. Maybe they made some progress in this mild weather. I haven't been to North Coast Harbor since before Christmas.

^ was by there yesterday.  concrete pad is still covered. 

 

BUT, the wind components that were in the back on the grass have been removed.  I didn't see them anywhere on the property, so i don't know what to think about it - maybe they are assembling them?  maybe they were the wrong parts?  who knows. 

^Thanks for the update. Hopefully somebody didn't boost the components, although I kinda would like to see someone dragging a 100ft metal tower behind a semi or whatever down I-90, concrete flying all the way...

This is out of Cincy, but it is relevant none the less:

 

Reap the wild wind

As the cost of traditional utilities increases, some seek alternatives

BY MIKE BOYER | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

 

The cold winter wind that's fueling higher heating bills across the region these days could help keep those same electric and natural gas bills in check some day.

 

It's unlikely wind power soon will replace coal and natural gas in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana, where wind power technology ranges from nascent to nonexistent and coal is abundant.

 

But as Cincinnati-based utility Cinergy Corp. explores its options for wind power in Indiana, the promise ahead is of wider use of the technology and a wider base of energy sources on which this region can draw. And wind is one option as Cinergy looks to diversify its sources of energy for economic and political reasons.

 

........

 

http://cmsimg.enquirer.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=AB&Date=20060212&Category=BIZ01&ArtNo=602120340&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=315&border=1

Wind turbines like these in Oregon are being considered as an alternative energy source by Cinergy.

Environment

Wind Farms Draw Mixed Response in Appalachia

by Adam Hochberg, NPR

 

 

Morning Edition, March 27, 2006 · The Appalachian states lead the nation in underground coal production, but now there's an effort to harness another type of energy there. Huge windmills are sprouting up on mountaintops from western New York through Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The futuristic machines are promoted as a source of clean, renewable power. But they're often not welcomed by locals, who say they blight the rural landscape.

 

.........

 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5300507

 

Also, here's a link to the details on wind energy projects around the nation... inlcuiding Ohio:

http://www.awea.org/projects/

apparently the birds are the reason that ODNR will block any proposal for wind turbines in lake erie.  this despite the effects of mercury ( burning coal) on birds.

I don't like birds.  I want to build a windmill engineered to kill more birds.

If  wind turbines are guaranteed to specifically kill pigeons, I say they need one in each quadrant of Public Square  :clap:

Never ceases to amaze me, they rather not kill birds, with clean energy; but rather kill lots of stuff with dirty energy.

X...not sure if it's my sick sense of humor..but that comment had me pissing my pants!  Funny stuff!  Why would ODNR block this?  How many bird are killed by windmills each year?

Never ceases to amaze me, they rather not kill birds, with clean energy; but rather kill lots of stuff with dirty energy.

 

including me and you!

apparently the birds are the reason that ODNR will block any proposal for wind turbines in lake erie.  this despite the effects of mercury ( burning coal) on birds.

 

Wait, ODNR wants to block proposals for wind turbins on the lake?  Time for us to start writing them if this is true...

How many birds are killed by windmills each year?

 

Maybe this was a rhetorical question, but according to Wikipedia:

 

A survey at Altamont Pass, California conducted by a California Energy Commission in 2004 showed that turbines killed 4,700 birds annually (1,300 of which are birds of prey). Radar studies of proposed sites in the eastern U.S. have shown that migrating songbirds fly well within the reach of large modern turbines.

 

 

certainly every energy source has a trade-off.  for instance, hydropower was (and still is) considered clean green energy for a long period of time.  consider the recent and ongoing battle against hydropower on the cuyahoga.

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/summit/1141292380138340.xml&coll=2

 

 

as for the birds, i believe there are two major migratory bird paths that cross lake erie.  one known stop over is dike 14, where they have counted something like 230 species! 

there certainly is a solution to this, but it requires research, which i imagine is being done in conjunction with the wind speed monitoring taking place on the water intake crib.

^ I'd think that most bird migrations happen in the shoulder months for electricity demand (fall and spring).  Couldn't they just pitch the blades so the mills don't turn for two months out of the year?  Don't these wind turbines only run 30% of the year anyway?

Isn't there some sort of dog type whistle that would scare birds

Isn't there some sort of dog type whistle that would scare birds

 

I believe that dog whistles are used primarily on dogs :-D