Wing Wind testing at Natural Energy Lab

[waynesb]

Bird strikes ARE a problem with the turbines in the Altamont Pass east of San Francisco. The raptors are the worst effected. Peregrine falcon and owls, and they are the ones with dangerously low populations. The new bigger turbines are supposed to be less dangerous, but we'll see.

The technology this thread started with looks good, but it seems there would be lots of moving parts. I wonder about wear.

[gtill]

There is a wave machine operating offshore of Kaneohe Marine base on Oahu. It's been going for at least 2 years, sponsored by KMCAS.

It's a bouy type, outside of their beach/surfing area on the north side.

Still, an earth shaking development wouldn't help BI, as long as we are under HELCO's thumb.

[Kapohocat]

I say we send Helco a msg and turn off all our power for 1 hour on 1 day. All off. Flip the breaker.

We do need alternatives and I am sick and tired of looking at the oil companies profits and HEI's profits and now I am saying "hey I dont think so!" Unless we look at alternatives, we have little choice but to "buy" our power from them and live with it. This is aboslutely no different than our thread about Big Boxes and the little guys. Only this time - it IS the big guys gouging. What will happen when oil hits $200/barrel?

GRRRRRRR! I am paying bills this AM - can you tell?

So for wind generators how many birds per year hit the blades? I truly have no scope of this issue. Is there a way to mitigate it?

Geothermal? Are the negatives of these two combined less than the negatives of the current energy deliver system?

Could the Big Island run entirely on alternative energy? I need you who are way more informed than me to answer if you could.

[gtill]

KC, yes, geothermal can produce enough energy to supply the entire island, and have been non intermittent for over 5 years. The power is in the ground, and Ormat has the expertise to develop it. We require some 225mw, and they're only at 30mw right now.
This company is operating succesfully worldwide, I'd like to see them make a deal with the Hawaiian community to cut local islanders into the loop, as they do in New Zealand.
Imagine, if they could go around the island with underground, and go to electric vehicles.
This sounds a little wild, but multiply your bill by the population, and see if it couldn't happen. The existing solar and wind can still help.
You won't get much backing for a revolt approach, so much of the island operates out of the government trough, and HELCO is all but a govt. entity. Mabe when oil hits 200$ bbl, and gas goes over 5$ but even then don't hold your breath. Personally, I'm pulling out for awhile, see where it all goes.