As the owner of a small wind-turbine for three years (until it caught fire), I've been able to assess first hand whether they are worthwhile.

The control electronics is very important.
It must be capable of taking all of the output, even during a gale when your batteries are already full.

I installed a 2-stage dump-load to accept excess generation.

When commercial turbines are instructed to generate less power, they must first be turned sideways to the wind direction.
You can't just flick a switch to disconnect a turbine from the load, as happens with PV panels.
It would simply rotate even faster because there's no longer anything accepting the energy.

Posted by: @batpred

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This US administration is trying to apply the brakes on many offshore wind farms

Poor physics.

You'd need an enormous brake to bring those things to a standstill.

In common with hydroelectric generation, wind turbines generate more of their annual output in the winter months, which is when we need it.

Both technologies use the same sort of mechanics to turn rotational energy into electricity.

However, air is much lighter than water, and also prone to rapid fluctuations (gusting).
So the same size of 'generator' produces a lot more electricity when used as a water turbine than when powered by the wind.

Posted by: @transparent

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Posted by: @batpred

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This US administration is trying to apply the brakes on many offshore wind farms

Poor physics.

You'd need an enormous brake to bring those things to a standstill.

Yup, I would be confident the individual is not even operating car brakes! 😀 

@transparent I dare say that the negative forces generated by Trump could quite easily arrest the motion of many ‘windmills’. 😒

Posted by: @transparent

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In common with hydroelectric generation, wind turbines generate more of their annual output in the winter months, which is when we need it.

Both technologies use the same sort of mechanics to turn rotational energy into electricity.

However, air is much lighter than water, and also prone to rapid fluctuations (gusting).
So the same size of 'generator' produces a lot more electricity when used as a water turbine than when powered by the wind.

Agreed, the more inertia/the larger the blades, the better the turbine handles gusting. 

Another factor is the altitude, that impacts air pressure and so how much energy the wind turbine can safely harvest. 

It should also be said that some coastal locations have been harvesting very predictable and regular winds for decades, as hang gliders are well aware..

Posted by: @toodles

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@transparent I dare say that the negative forces generated by Trump could quite easily arrest the motion of many ‘windmills’. 😒

hence the need for turbines and independent minds that cannot be so easily arrested.. 😉 

@batpred Ah ‘arrest’ now that might be worth trying!

A wild wind turbine story straight out of CHYYYYYNA.

https://apple.news/AVPVz8FtwRAGMn99YbYKVvw

😂

I wonder whether that turbine could "fly" where the pylon´s don´t..