If you have your ears close to the screen, you can hear the sound of the blades as they rotate.
Wind power in Kenya
Random thoughts
Random musings about everything.
If you have your ears close to the screen, you can hear the sound of the blades as they rotate.
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Random thoughts 
We went to visit a ‘wind farm’ (as it’s referred to around here) in our area. It was the eeriest sound I’ve ever heard. We were right at the base of one of the towers, and it was foggy that day, which might have contributed to the effect. I have read that there are people who think the sight of them ‘disturbs’ the landscape. I can’t say I feel that way about them.
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I also didn’t think they disturb the landscape. Maybe to each person, their own
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There is one problem with them, though. They kill a lot of birds, including endangered raptors.
This looks like one of the newer designs, which means you need fewer units and hence have fewer impacts than the old style wind farms.
I think they are cool looking, myself. And the visual impacts are certainly far less than an oil field-or a mountain top removal to get at the coal.
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Check out @NigeriaNewsdesk’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/NigeriaNewsdesk/status/793871884744060928?s=09
I think we would rather wind farms than 👆
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I think they’re fabulous. Like something from another planet 🙂
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There have been concerns raised about the number of birds killed because of them.
In one survey their cost effectiveness was also questioned (forget which one) because of the times when there was no wind.
I have mixed feelings about them to be honest.
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I researched quite a bit a few years ago, when a company came looking to erect one on our property. It seems that the number of birds killed by cats is greater than those killed by windmills, but there’s mixed info on cost effectiveness. I think it’s Germany (?) that generates over 90% of their energy with windmills (?). . . definitely, they seem to be a better alternative to burning fossil fuels.
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Definitely better than fossil fuels
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Did you happen to watch the TV Special on National Geographic (“Before the Flood” with Leonardo DiCaprio) related to the damage fossil fuels are causing to the planet as related to climate change? We might lose a few birds with wind power, but if we could combine it with other alternative ways of creating power, wouldn’t it be worth it? As it is, the entire planet is being raped.
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Nan, I didn’t see the program but I really believe in the ‘Seventh Generation’ philosophy – that is, we need to be making decisions now that will impact people seven generations from now. If we keep lurching forward in our collective greed, there might not BE a seventh generation to be had. .. 😦
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We are god’s chosen ones. We can destroy the planet with abandon!
It is sad. I hear there is a plan to put up a coal plant in one of our coastal towns and at the same time we are busy prospecting for oil. Not enough investment in renewable energy
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Well! I just used my friend Google and don’t know where I got that 90% from. . I think perhaps the total renewable energy was that high, but wind power only contributed about 10%. .. .and I also see that Germany is having trouble with aging windmills. So there are some problems. . .
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I think the 10% must have been written to look like 90%.
Aging power plants are an issue, whether wind, nuclear or Geothermal
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Talking of cost effectiveness, I think they said we had more wind than sun. It makes economic sense to install wind farms than solar farms.
As to death of birds, I don’t know.
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According to this website, windmills kill millions of birds—including endangered species.
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That is what I read. My brother, Gerry, who is a wildlife photographer in Oz and also does conservation work as well is no great fan.
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Here’s another – 🙂
http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/north-america-wind-turbines-kill-around-300000-birds-annually-house-cats-around-3000000000.html
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I’ll confess that I’m not qualified to assess whose statistics are more accurate and concede that other human activities may have a greater impact on bird populations than windmill farms.
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I should find out from the wildlife service team at this farm how many deaths they record
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oops. One should always read down the thread before commenting,. Mea Culpa, Ark!
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Love that sound… like a kitten purring.
Regarding bird deaths, I believe the incidence rate should decrease as the size of the turbine blades increases (which also increases efficiency and lowers the tone of the sound produced).
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I love your sense of sound, very sharp.
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Hard to know, eh?
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I’m all for wind power. Any alternaive to fossil fuels is an improvement. I’d love to have the $$ to build my own solar/wind setup and become grid independent.
If we don’t break ourselves from our carbon habits it won’t be just the birds in trouble…
I just had a thought, we have a perpetual wind machine already, we call it Trump.
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That last thought was a lightening bolt, shelldigger . . . 🙂
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🙂
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Do you think he produces enough wind to turn a turbine?
I hope capital costs for renewable energy sources come down and their efficiency goes up. One problem for solar has been storage of the power generated and efficiency in conversion
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Solar power and battery storage have improved rather dramatically in recent years, but most people aren’t aware of this fact due to the lack of news media coverage. See: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-31/no-one-saw-tesla-s-solar-roof-coming
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Solar shingles? I am wowed. Me want! Me probably no afford, for the next 1000 years. Unless Mak thinks I’m good for a loan.
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How much loan. We can organize one very quickly
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Oh i don’t know, somewhere between a new pair of sneakers and paying for Trumps campaign 😉
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We will so what to do
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At least I have seen this article somewhere. Last year at our architect’s convention, there was a company selling roof tiles integrated with solar cells
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I went to a wind farm once and got gas so they kicked me out.
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I knew you couldn’t help getting into trouble
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I think we need to stop relying on dirty fossil fuel. These are a step in the right direction.
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Maybe we should rely less on cars
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True. But that’s a half measure. Using green energy means we can still have transportation that won’t hurt the environment. We already have the technology for this. We just need the political will to make it a reality.
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And the money-grubbing fossil fuel companies to stop being so greedy.
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You are right on that
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Do you have more wind than sun? Really?
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Yes. We have sun for about 10 – 12 hours a day. Wind blows almost throughout
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Hahaha, I believe some visitor may really try it (and others will believe it). Sounds familiar, right? 😀
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All Kenyans gotta check out my blog
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Why should all Kenyans check your blog? And why not Ugandans or Americans?
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Because I use a little of sheng’ and swahili…so the other parties may not really get the interesting parts
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Fair enough
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So you’ll check it out ama?
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That’s not enough reason for me to check out a blog.
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