Balloon Test Offers Scale of Proposed Wind Turbine on Winter Island [POLL]
Two balloons were sent more than 350-feet into the sky over Salem Saturday afternoon aimed at showing the potential size of a proposed wind turbine on Winter Island.
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A photo taken from Stramski's Beach Saturday. The black lines are meant to highlight the height of the balloons in the test.
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A handful of local residents made their way down to Stramski's Beach Saturday afternoon to look skyward for a pair balloons meant to show the scale of a proposed wind turbine on Winter Island.
The proposal includes plans for a $4.2 million turbine that would be nearly 400 feet high. The 1.5-megawatt wind turbine would be erected near the Salem harbormaster’s office at Winter Island Marine Park and would generate between $200,000 to $700,000 in annual revenue, according to Salem officials.
Jean Tierney
10:28 am on Monday, October 24, 2011
Power plant or wind turbine? It's an easy choice!! It's time for people to get over their "view" and think about what's best for our planet!!!
Chris Wyman
3:11 pm on Tuesday, October 25, 2011
It's not a question of either/or concerning the power plant and the wind turbine. The power plant is closing whether or not the wind turbine project moves forward, something for which I am extremely grateful as a resident of Naugus Head. The potential issue with the wind turbine is not one of "view" but of the potential for noise impacts. You must understand that there have been at least two studies conducted concerning the potential for noise impacts and that the results are conflicting. What is not in dispute is that a large residential area in Marblehead is located within the commonly accepted residential setback area, and that much of that setback area is open water. This raises the question of exactly how far one can reasonably expect to experience noise impacts from the source. There is anecdotal evidence of residents who live within a certain setback distance from similar-sized turbines who have experienced negative health impacts from the turbines (Falmouth, MA, Vinalhaven, ME, etc.). Frankly, I think most of the residents in my neighborhood are not sure what to expect or whom to believe concerning the potential noise impacts. However, before you go off rallying for "what's best for our planet," you need to consider the realistic potential consequences of the proposed action in question at the LOCAL level.
mark cool
2:16 pm on Monday, October 24, 2011
The balloon test has good intentions but fails to give realism to a spinning rotor who's diameter dimension covers a spatial area of over an acre of land. Personally, in Falmouth, the visual aspect doesn't bother me. However, I'm not affected by the flicker effect. The visual impact may have bearing on community character, but most important ought to be the Community's health and welfare. Above all else, this is the vital issue. And, given sound/pressure waves travel farther over water (example - a shout is heard across a lake when the same shout is heard only 50 ft. off the water's edge landside) Folks in Marblehead need answers to these questions!
Sussi Danforth
8:31 pm on Monday, October 24, 2011
I am all for getting rid of the power plant - wind turbines are a great alternative! I grew up in Denmark, a country where you see wind turbines everywhere. However, what concerns me about the location of this particular wind turbine, is the close proximity to dense population in Salem as well as Marblehead.
windpower
10:24 pm on Monday, October 24, 2011
Please view the comments on Salem Patch on this issue .
Ed
mary p. ayer
9:11 am on Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Good idea, BAD location!!
Joe Whipple
11:35 am on Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Several years ago I visited several places in Germany. As I drove around, I saw wind turbines in several places. They did seem to be something of an eyesore, but after a couple of days, I began to get used to seeing them. Of course, they will have much more of a visual impact on Marblehead than on Salem, because in Salem the sight lines from the street level will often be blocked by buildings, but from Marblehead's west shore there is nothing to block them.
In this case, I think necessity trumps aesthetics. Eventually people will get used to seeing them, but they'll still be ugly. But we've got to get renewable energy where we can find it.
windpower
4:58 pm on Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Don't forget these wind turbines are about 23% efficent .cost more for the power And the catcher is fossil power plants are needed to support them .When the wind turbine runs so does the power plant but at a reduced rate .Power plants run very poorly at reduced power thus emmiting more pollutants than they would if at power . Whats worse when the wind turbine is spinning you pay double for the power PLUS the cost of the power plant !! Thats why they call it SWINDLE power .
Oh and you see it 100% of the time .