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12 Small Windmills Put To the Test In Holland
tuna writes "A real-world test by the Dutch province of Zeeland (a very windy place) demonstrates that small windmills are a fundamentally flawed technology (PDF of tests results in Dutch, English summary). Twelve much-hyped micro wind turbines were placed in a row on an open plain. Their energy yield was measured over a period of one year (April 1, 2008 — March 31, 2009), the average wind velocity during these 12 months was 3.8 meters per second, slightly higher than average. Three windmills broke. The others recorded ridiculously low yields, in spite of the optimal conditions. It would take up to 141 small windmills to power an average American household entirely using wind energy, for a total cost of 780,000 dollars. The test results show clearly that energy return is closely tied to rotor diameter, and that the design of the windmill hardly matters."
That's why there is the whole "reduce", "conserve", or "use less" part of the equation, that Americans traditionally don't want to deal with.
you had me at #!
I'm not sure it's the most morons in the US, just the most who can be heard and seen by others.
When what we consider poor is a lifestyle better then the rich in some areas, we have a lot more opportunity for the morons to be seen where typically, they would be pushed off to the side.
"Alternative energy" has as much connection to reality as "gay sex" does. But let's spend a few more decades and hundreds of billions of dollars to prove the obvious to ourselves. Sqreater
E Proelio Veritas.