08-31-2007, 12:36 PM
There was an excellent article recently in Mother Earth News on the subject of wind power: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Alternati...Power.aspx
My recollection from previous threads on this subject is that, surprisingly, Puna may not be windy enough to make these effective. That will probably depend on location, though, as there are certainly many microclimates in Puna. One evening, I went from coastal HPP where the wind was mild to nonexistent to coastal Hawaiian Beaches where the wind was brisk enough to fly kites! The article makes clear that the tower will need to be taller than anything that obstructs the wind, such as your house, a neighbors house, or trees.
Also, in Hawai'i, we have the additional problem of wind that can be just a little too strong, such as that brought by Flossie or her sisters.
My conclusion was that solar power was the answer. Solar power will pay for itself in Hawaii, and probably sooner, rather than later. We have reached "peak" oil now -- and production will go into decline in years to come. In 20 years, only the very rich will be able to fly to Hawai'i.
My recollection from previous threads on this subject is that, surprisingly, Puna may not be windy enough to make these effective. That will probably depend on location, though, as there are certainly many microclimates in Puna. One evening, I went from coastal HPP where the wind was mild to nonexistent to coastal Hawaiian Beaches where the wind was brisk enough to fly kites! The article makes clear that the tower will need to be taller than anything that obstructs the wind, such as your house, a neighbors house, or trees.
Also, in Hawai'i, we have the additional problem of wind that can be just a little too strong, such as that brought by Flossie or her sisters.
My conclusion was that solar power was the answer. Solar power will pay for itself in Hawaii, and probably sooner, rather than later. We have reached "peak" oil now -- and production will go into decline in years to come. In 20 years, only the very rich will be able to fly to Hawai'i.