Are Wind Turbines too loud?

After one Oregon Wind Farm grapples with unhappy neighbors and noise pollution laws, another company moves to ensure tolerance for their turbines with cash.

Invenergy's 48 wind turbines whirring in north-central Oregon have been creating quite a stir. Since the 72-megawatt wind farm Willow Creek began operating last year, some residents have been complaining of sleepless nights, anxiety, headaches and nausea. They've been blaming their condition, sometimes referred to as "wind turbine syndrome," on the pulsing noise emanating from spinning turbines near their homes. Others don't seem to mind.

Some noise solutions discussed have been to shut certain turbines down at night. In May, the Morrow County Planning Commission gave Invenergy, the company that runs Willow Creek, six months to comply with Oregon's noise pollution laws.

William Yardley reports in Saturday's New York Times:

Oregon is one of a growing number of places that have drafted specific regulations restricting noise from wind turbines. The Oregon law allows for noise to exceed what is considered an area's ambient noise level by only a certain amount. But what those ambient levels are is sometimes disputed, as is how and where they should be measured.

And while state law limits turbine noise, the state office that once enforced industrial noise laws, housed within the Department of Environmental Quality, was disbanded in 1991, long before wind power became a state priority.

Caithness Energy is constructing a bigger, 900-megawatt wind farm next to Willow Creek. According to the New York Times, the company is taking preemptive action to avoid conflict over the decibel levels of their 32,000-acre Shepherd's Flat wind farm. Caithness Energy is paying residents to sign noise easements. The contracts would basically waive their right to officially complain about noise from the 338 Shepherd's Flat turbines that will start whirring in 2013.

The amount to keep quiet? $5,000.

In April, I discussed efforts by the Air Force to shut down the Shepherd's Flat wind farm due to its possible interference with a radar station 50 miles from the site.

While reports of wind farms psychologically affecting their neighbors have occurred in countries across the world, more research on whether a direct connection exists between the noise and vibrations of windmills and ill health is needed. Whether $5,000 will help people sleep at night also remains to be seen.

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Solar panel plant coming to Windsor: Facility could create up to 500 jobs

Residents of Windsor, Ont., where the unemployment rate is still hovering above 12 per cent, are getting a much-needed ray of sunshine. Solar Source Corp. has announced that is it planning to open Ontario's first solar panel manufacturing facility in the border city this year. The 45,000-square-foot facility, which will be located on Windsor airport lands, is expected to employ up to 200 people by next spring, and up to 500 people within three years. According to Solar Source president Ross Beatty, the company chose Windsor due to its proximity to the U.S., and recruitment potential from the University of Windsor. The company has partnered with Hind High Vacuum Company (HHV), which manufactures the most crystalline silicon solar panel manufacturing tools and amorphous silicon thin film in India. Solar Source is investing $40 million in the launch.

 

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Sydney's largest solar panel plant rescued from the brink of extinction

When BP Solar made the decision to close its Sydney-based PV cell and Solar Panel Manufacturing Plant on November 18, 2008, it wasn't just the 200 employees' hearts that sank. As BP closed its doors for the final time, Australia's PV manufacturing industry looked like it would never again see the light of day. It was then that the unexpected occurred, the fate of the dormant plant was left in the hands of a nuclear energy research company. SilexSolar has now given the facility a new breath of life as it opens its doors once more.

When previous owner BP Solar ran things at the manufacturing plant, which is based in the Sydney Olympic Park, the factory represented approximately 17% of its 300MW of manufacturing capabilities. At that time, this was the only facility in the country producing monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels. The closure then brought a black cloud over the country, identifying Australia as a solar research and supply country rather than the preferred contributor and manufacturer.

BP Solar's decision to up sticks was motivated, of course, by monetary success. The fierce competition from companies based in Japan and China refocused the company's operations at larger scale plants in lower cost manufacturing countries, which added the benefit of being closer to Chinese sources of silicon meaning costs were significantly slashed. And so the facility was closed.

However, the story does not of course end with a dust coated plant left in the dark for all eternity.

Australian uranium enrichment group Silex Systems' subsidiary, SilexSolar, spotted the bargain and managed to purchase the plant from BP Solar in 2009 for a far lower figure than would be expected, as BP was keen to move on. SilexSolar then worked to get the facility up-and-running as soon as was possible.

Now that the plant's machines are back in action, the Olympic Park plant will produce up to 10,000 rooftop solar panel systems a year, filling more than 10% of Australia's demand for solar panels, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

However, while the revival of the plant is an obvious boost for the lagging Australian industry - - which suffers from a lack of investment compared with other countries such as China, the U.S. and Germany - - the re-opening of the plant will force a moral dilemma on go-greeners in the country. Do they really want to invest in Australian-made solar panels, when they will also, indirectly, be investing in nuclear energy?

Silex Systems' CEO, Michael Goldsworthy thinks they will. "Solar and nuclear energy are a great fit," he said. "Looking down the barrel of climate change and global warming, we need to develop alternative electricity sources."

While it is obvious that Goldworthy would take this stance, it is unlikely that the company's bloodline will affect the sales of its solar panels with a noticeable effect, as most customers will appreciate the nuclear research company's investment. Solar energy is becoming more of a common investment with each year that passes; it is not solely environmentalist, earth-praising go-greeners that are turning to renewable energy sources, it is also Joe and Jane Average who want to invest. However, like everything, only time will truly tell how successful the plant will be.

The re-opening of this plant really is great news for the Australian solar industry (nuclear complaints aside) as the demand for solar panels has significantly surged since 2006 when the national solar incentives scheme came into effect. Solar feed-in tariffs, especially the gross variety, are boosting the market in the country by a noteworthy proportion, and are expected to continue to do so. The Sydney-based manufacturing facility will now match the country's effort to increase its percentage of renewable energy generation by producing a product to meet the industry's growing needs.

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Build Renewable Energy and Learn Why It's The Smart Choice

I am certain that you are here because you want to learn how to build renewable energy electricity generating power system to run your home. To be perfectly honest, this time last year I would have la... - http://www.energievair.com/maximizer/Build-Renewable-Energy-and-Learn-Why-It's-The-Smart-Choice1

China Wind Power Industry Development Prospect

China's wind power industry promising
<br>Rich resources of wind power, development potential for the development of wind power industry provides a good foundation. China's vast coastline, ric... - http://www.energievair.com/maximizer/China-Wind-Power-Industry-Development-Prospect-1

Solar Technology Manufacturers to Create Hundreds of Ontario Green Jobs

Ontario's Green Energy Act along with Ontario Power Authority's feed-in tariff program (FIT) have stimulated corporate expansion into the solar technology marketplace. These companies could help create significant numbers of green jobs in 2010 and 2011.

Windsor, Ontario will be the site of a new Solar Panel Manufacturer, Solar Source Ontario, part of the SolarBancorp Group of Companies.  It expects to create nearly 500 green jobs within the next three years as it produces solar panels for the building integrated, ground mounted, and commercial rooftop markets.  Production is slated to begin at the end of 2011, with the first 150 full time green jobs created over the next year.  The project is in conjunction with India-based technology manufacturer, HHV Solar.

Some of the green jobs available will be in assembling, engineering, and other solar technology related work.  Ross Beatty, president of Solar Source Corporation, said the company will primarily hire "local talent."

Other Solar Technology Companies Plan Green Jobs Expansion in Ontario

Also gearing up for production is Unconquered Sun Solar Technologies, a Tecumseh, Ontario firm that will start producing solar panels in June 2010.  CEO, Sean Moore, is confident that the solar technology marketplace can absorb competition.  He sees a "huge opportunity with implementation of [Ontario's] Green Energy Act."  In fact, the legislation and incentives offered under the Act are what originally prompted him to plunge into the energy market.

Moore's company expects to create up to 50 new green jobs during 2010.  It already has orders from developers and local customers.

Launched in 2005, SolGate Solar is another company eager to establish a more permanent foothold in the energy game.  With its 15,000 square foot facility just north of Toronto, it claims to be the first large-scale photovoltaic panel manufacturer in Canada.  Since the Green Energy Act and feed-in-tariff programs were launched, SolGate has almost doubled its workforce and expects to triple it by the time production reaches full capacity.

Demand for Solar Training & Green Job Prep

The market will determine the exact number of new jobs created, but demand is expected to be high.  Already, solar training programs are gearing up across the province in anticipation.  Associate Director of Ontario Solar Academy, David Gower, details how unmet demand in previous months prompted his school to expand the number of monthly solar training classes offered.  "Every month, our classes sold out, and the waiting list became difficult to manage.  We wanted to keep class sizes small, so we had to begin offering more courses."

In such a high-demand marketplace, filling these new green jobs with enough workers trained in solar, wind, and energy storage technology could prove challenging and may even impede the pace with which Ontario fulfills its 2030 Green Energy goals.  However, rising employment could very well provide the training and career incentives needed to keep the province's sustainability efforts on track.

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Slicing Up Silicon for Cheaper Solar Panels Energy

A California startup is cutting by half the amount of costly silicon used in solar panels.

 

Solaria, a startup based in Fremont, CA, intends to cut the cost of solar panels by decreasing the amount of expensive material required. It has recently started shipping its first Solar Panels to select customers. This spring the company will begin production of solar panels at a factory built to produce 25 megawatts of solar panels per year.

Current high costs for the type of silicon used in photovoltaics have significantly driven up the price of conventional solar panels. Solaria's cells generate about 90% of a conventional solar panel's power, while using half as much silicon, says Kevin Gibson, Solaria's CTO.

Ordinarily, the silicon in a solar panel spans its surface, collecting light from as much area as possible. But Solaria slices the silicon into thin strips and spaces them apart so that they only account for about half the panel's area. A clear molded plastic cover collects light from the entire panel and funnels it to the strips of silicon.

This approach saves money because the total costs of the molded plastic, other extra materials, and added manufacturing steps still are lower than the cost of the additional silicon used in conventional solar panels. Solaria also reduces costs by using manufacturing equipment already developed for the semiconductor industry, thus avoiding expensive customized equipment. Gibson says Solaria's first products will be economical enough to compete with panels produced by much larger companies, and that successive product generations will cost between 10 and 30 percent less than their competitors.

Silicon prices are high now. But the element is abundant, and already new facilities are coming on-line to produce more refined silicon. For Solaria is to be competitive in the long run, it will need to implement other cost-saving measures, especially improving the overall efficiency of its solar panels, says Tonio Buonassisi, a professor of mechanical engineering at MIT.

Such improvements are possible, Gibson says. For example, in conventional solar cells, wires for collecting current are placed on top of the cell, where they block some of the incoming sunlight. Solaria could place its wires between the strips of silicon, where they block no light. Because the wires wouldn't need to be made thin to avoid blocking light, they could be sized to collect electricity more efficiently.

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