Turns out the Danes produce more than wooden shoes, tulips, and cartoons. They also make windmills…
Here’s an incredibly detailed guided tour of wind energy technology from the Danish Wind Energy Association. I do believe they’ll be installing some Danish turbines in McLean county soon. That’ll add wind power to the Illinois energy portfolio of coal, natural gas, biofuels and nuclear – a good thing.
Wooden shoes, tulips ….. could you be thinking of the Dutch rather than the Danes?
Doh! you’re right. Got my countries mixed up. Kinda kills the intro, doesn’t it? Must have been the image in my head of traditional Dutch windmills.
But these windmills are way cooler. I’m looking forward to seeing them just a few miles down the road from where I live.
Windmills are cool and the energy production using them becomes more and more efficient.
However the essential question is if they make any big difference in the worldwide energy production Renewables sources of energy production(wind, solar,etc) only represent around 2% of the total energy produced worldwide at the moment. Most of energy production is still based on burning oil and coal.Even the most optimistic prognosis do not believe that this percentage will increase to more than 6% in 2030.
There has to be more political will before windmills will play a greater role in energy production.
Economics always trumps political will. Windmills are starting to deliver usable amounts of profit due to improved turbines and rising costs of other energy sources. As a capitalist I have faith in the power of profit to make things happen.
I come from cape cod where there’s big controversy over private bsuinessman putting up wind mills in nantucket sound. funny issue. you’d think it would be a slam dunk issue with all like-minded people agreeing. NOT, the topic is a big divider. ruins dinner parties,marriages, friendships. The anti windmill people (me for oen) say windmills are huge,realy really big all you’d be able to see, their like cuisinarts for the birds, they will impact adversely the fishing fleet etc etc. and in the end why does one guy get to develop the sound? But actually a friend, a sane Dane (green) said to me just the other day that they are stating to take them down there cause they are not generating enough power. Beware
Interesting. I would imagine it all comes down to the quality of the wind studies done for site selection, and defending the site selection from political influences. Lobbying for windmills in one’s own district (to help the tax base or whatever) is like drilling for oil for the derrick-construction income.
Watch this space for pictures, news, etc. Either way I will certainly let everyone know how it works out. :coolhmm: