Canada's largest wind farm to be set up in southern Manitoba

[harls]

My dad was approached by these wind-farm types a few years back when they were scouting for locations in SW Manitoba. They pay a lot up front, but in the long run it isn't an enormous sum. Good for these farmers in Letellier, though.. the extra income probably would help (even with commodities prices so high).

[h0twired]

What is the efficiency predicted of this wind farm?

I have heard that they are installing 99 MWh worth of turbines, but I am assuming that 99 MWh is only attainable when the turbines are all spinning at full speed for the full hour.

What do they really expect to generate in terms of power factoring calm periods of little to no wind?

[Biff]

Originally Posted by viperred88

actually I believe 25 yrs is the lifespan of these wind turbines. so does this deal make any sense especially is almost a billion dollars. WE hope the province is not putting up all the money for contruction costs.

The Province/Hydro is paying nothing for construction, they are just buying the power is how I understand it. Bow-Arc is building the wind farm.

[Prairie Guy]

[QUOTE=h0twired;3935983
What do they really expect to generate in terms of power factoring calm periods of little to no wind?[/QUOTE]

I think we need to generate a thread about how Alberta is going to deal with falling oil prices and an oncoming recession with their main source of provincial income down the drain.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by Prairie Guy

I think we need to generate a thread about how Alberta is going to deal with falling oil prices and an oncoming recession with their main source of provincial income down the drain.

Seriously. What is your problem?

[Prairie Guy]

Originally Posted by h0twired

Seriously. What is your problem?

My problem is with people like you who come here and crap all over Manitoba for making a decent effort to find alternative sources of energy, while Albertans keep raping the planet with toxic oilsands development despite the fact that oil prices are falling fast. You people refuse to find greener sources of energy because you are so desperate to hang on to your oil fetishes.

[wags_in_the_peg]

Originally Posted by Prairie Guy

My problem is with people like you who come here and crap all over Manitoba for making a decent effort to find alternative sources of energy, while Albertans keep raping the planet with toxic oilsands development despite the fact that oil prices are falling fast. You people refuse to find greener sources of energy because you are so desperate to hang on to your oil fetishes.

and here goes the urinary olympics (aka pissing contest).

last year when travelling south of calgary on my way to the town of frank, man there was some nice scenery of rolling hills and wind farms.

[hexrae]

I sent an email to the address listed in this section: Hydro site

If I get back a response I'll post/relay it here.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by Prairie Guy

My problem is with people like you who come here and crap all over Manitoba for making a decent effort to find alternative sources of energy

What did I crap on? Please quote me directly.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

and here goes the urinary olympics (aka pissing contest).

last year when travelling south of calgary on my way to the town of frank, man there was some nice scenery of rolling hills and wind farms.

Agreed. Alberta leads the country in wind generation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_Canada

[Greco Roman]

Seriously people; who cares about Alberta here? We are talking about Manitoba for goodness sakes

[Greco Roman]

Originally Posted by h0twired

Agreed. Alberta leads the country in wind generation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_Canada

Temporarily. Things will work in Manitoba's favor very soon

[Tower Crane]

Originally Posted by Prairie Guy

My problem is with people like you who come here and crap all over Manitoba for making a decent effort to find alternative sources of energy, while Albertans keep raping the planet with toxic oilsands development despite the fact that oil prices are falling fast. You people refuse to find greener sources of energy because you are so desperate to hang on to your oil fetishes.

It sounds like Prairie Guy needs a Nap.
Your comments so personal, no forumers actual control any of these resources and just because one chooses to live in Alberta doesn't make me someone who wants to rape the planet. You also suggest that that Alberta refuses to find greener sources.....Alberta has obviously developed it's wind farming ( green ) into leading the nation at this time, hopefully Manitoba can go beyond that. You have no idea as to what each province including Alberta is doing regarding looking for Greener sources.

[art deco]

I heard that the St leon wind turbines have all had major problems requiring the blades to be taking down and re-mounted at major cost, and now some of the re-built ones are showing signs of problems again. Anybody know what the lifespan of these turbines is? hydro has a hydroelectric plant in ponte du bois that is 100 years old and still producing electricity (although it is in bad shape now and needs replacement) Does anyone know how these two electric generation technologies methods compare for total cost/life of the equipment?

[vid]

Originally Posted by Andy6

would building these huge turbine fields from scratch actually be less environmentally harmful than some sort of incremental increase in hydro production up north?

When you consider how much it alters the earth, hydroelectricity is one of the most damaging, and coal mining has literally removed mountains, just to put it into perspective. Increasing capacity in hydro facilities would require expanding them to fit more generators, and that would require construction and increasing the size of the catchment basin, displacing more people and putting more land under water.

Originally Posted by h0twired

What do they really expect to generate in terms of power factoring calm periods of little to no wind?

They can generate electricity in low wind (though not peak capacity) so it isn't too much of a problem. The idea would be to shift energy production from coal or hydro to wind on windy days to reduce emissions.

I don't know how long wind turbines last, but I can tell you that Kakabeka's hydroelectric station just turned 100 and is in great shape, even uses the original motors.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by vid

They can generate electricity in low wind (though not peak capacity) so it isn't too much of a problem. The idea would be to shift energy production from coal or hydro to wind on windy days to reduce emissions.

I wouldn't minimize the problem to that degree. Flipping between wind and other sources (coal, hydro and nuke) isn't exactly like flipping a switch. Most plants take several hours if not days to start and stop.

Also if a 99 MWh (peak) windfarm only generates on average 40 MWh there is slack that much be picked up especially on days when the turbines aren't turning at all.

If you go a couple of weeks with very little or no power you still need to come up with the full demand from another source. This gets even worse if the day is stretch of time is VERY hot and everyone in Winnipeg has their A/C cranked.

[hexrae]

Originally Posted by h0twired

Also if a 99 MWh (peak) windfarm only generates on average 40 MWh there is slack that much be picked up especially on days when the turbines aren't turning at all.

Well, good thing there's already Hydro dams picking up this slack, otherwise we'd be "in the dark", so to speak, until these wind farms are built.

[viperred88]

Originally Posted by Biff

The Province/Hydro is paying nothing for construction, they are just buying the power is how I understand it. Bow-Arc is building the wind farm.

Yes but I wonderring if the province is loaning them money?

a bankrupt company that is somehow still in buisness makes me wonder?

[viperred88]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

rich maybe not but and extra few $k per turbine on your land is OK. considering the land can still be used below it.

I was exagerating a bit but the reason it took so long for this deal to take shape is some people didn't want it in there backyard and I wonder if the money changed their minds.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by vid

When you consider how much it alters the earth, hydroelectricity is one of the most damaging, and coal mining has literally removed mountains, just to put it into perspective. Increasing capacity in hydro facilities would require expanding them to fit more generators, and that would require construction and increasing the size of the catchment basin, displacing more people and putting more land under water.

Well, in Manitoba most of that damage has already been done with the Churchill River diversion at South Indian Lake (and the similar mess at Easterville from the Grand Rapids dam). The additional plants on the Nelson River each produce huge amounts of power and don't cause much additional flooding (not to mention that the lower Nelson area is virtually unpopulated). Obviously these windfarms are horrific eyesores and don't produce power very reliably. It will be interesting to see the price that Manitoba Hydro has agreed to pay for this power and how far it is above the price that it could have obtained the power (supposing it needed it) from some other source.

It's strange to me that people aren't sceptical about the windfarm industry in the way they are of the nuclear industry or the oil industry. Obviously there are huge profits to be made selling "greenness" to governments that are desperate to strut their environmentalist stuff in front of voters -- I'd be at least a little bit suspicious.