Just ran across this today.

I will be bringing this up again in my three part series I am currently doing on the Pros and Cons of Wind and Solar systems and What works best for me in Michigan. The first part of this three part series is finished and has been posted on my blog. I am currently working on the second part which I hope to post in a couple of weeks. But in the meantime I am jumping ahead of myself when I ran across the post on another blog about Skystreams, the good, bad and ugly of this type of turbine. Someone had posted a picture of his wind turbine and 6- solar panels that the person had installed at his home. But the thing that I found interesting was the fact the solar panels had out performed the wind turbine. Here is a link to that post. Just scroll down a little bit on the log and you will see the post. The more I research information for this series I am doing the more I am changing my mind about some the renewable energy systems. This is just a tidbit of the things to come. So keep checking back for this three part series. One last thing, if you want to get the latest info you can follow me on Twitter which I post something almost everyday. I hope to see you on Twitter!!!

Pros and Cons of wind trubines.

Pros of wind power:

1. The use of wind turbines does not generate pollution or radioactive waste like most other forms of electricity generation.


2. Wind energy is renewable.


3. The wind is ample. It is everywhere on the planet.


4. Are designed to last 20 - 30 years.


5. Small wind turbines have very low to no maintenance on them.


6. The cost of producing wind energy has come down by at least 80% since the eighties.


7. Wind turbines can produce power all hours of the day or night.
   


8. No need for fuel or other materials to be supplied. The fuel is free for harvesting.


9. Wind can also generate power for large numbers of people.


10. Many people find wind farms an interesting feature of the landscape.


11. Remote areas that are not connected to the electricity power grid can use wind turbines to produce their own supply.


12. Wind turbines have a role to play in both the developed and third world.


13. Single households to small towns and villages can make good use of range of wind turbines available today.


14. Wind turbines can produce more power for less money. As compared to other types of renewable energy sources.
    


15. Man has been using wind for thousands of years. From everything to grinding grain, to pumping water. If the Dutch did not have their windmills their country would be under water.
    

Cons of wind power:

1. When wind turbines are being manufactured some pollution is produced.


2. The strength of the wind is not constant and it varies from zero to storm force. This means that wind turbines do not produce the same amount of electricity all the time. There will be times when the wind turbine produces no electricity at all.


3. Many people feel that the countryside should be left untouched, without these large structures being built.
   


4. Wind turbines can be noisy.


5. Many people see wind turbines as unsightly structures and not pleasant or interesting to look at.


6. Storing the power is a problem and expensive.


7. Turbines can be hit by lighting.


8. Can kill birds if they fly into the blades.


9. Have moving parts that may need to be replaced over time.

Here are just a few pros and cons of wind turbines. I am sure there are more that we can add to these lists.

The next list that I am in the process of doing is the pros and cons of solar systems (photovoltaic or PV ). PV will be my second part of this three part series I am doing on renewables the pro and cons. It should be ready in a few weeks.

The final portion of these series will be,"What is right for me here in Michigan wind or solar."

So check back every once in awhile for the latest update on this continuing series of blogs, the pros and cons of renewable energy.