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AEON Lake Town Center fashions itself as Japan`s largest mall and one of the largest in Asia.
It also may well be the most energy efficient palace to shopping anywhere in the world. It opened two years ago on the sprawling plains outside of Tokyo, about a half-hour drive from the center of the city in off-peak traffic periods. The place is gleaming. Fitting its image, one smacks into a Prius dealership walking in one of the main entryways. A soaring ovoid structure nestled next to the building is topped with photovoltaics (PV), as are some high awning-like projections from the main building. The developer of the mall with 565 stores says the goal was to develop "the most comfortable shopping center in the world."

A spokesman for Kyocera, which made the PV planted on the facility, said that in March 2009 the PV generated 41.8 megawatt-hours of power, and during the preceding six-month winter period it cranked out 186 megawatt-hours. The group of visiting American utility executives was duly impressed. But when one member of the group, assembled by the Solar Electric Power Association, asked about the relative cost of the power and the business practicality of the investment, the Kyocera guy and a number of Japanese officials could not come up with a clear answer. Which was an answer in itself. Particularly coming one day after the group`s visit to Ota City where, aided with generous government support, a neighborhood of 553 homes was outfitted with solar panels, free to the residents who were involved in an experiment. The object of the effort that lasted from 2002 to 2008 was to study in detail the technical issues that are created when a small area, densely equipped with PV, is integrated into a larger power grid. All the homes, with a capacity of 2,200 kilowatts, were connected to a single distribution line.

ANDREA DECKERT, Rochester Business Journal
July 23, 2010

Empire State Wind Energy LLC, the company backed by billionaire and Paychex Inc. founder Thomas Golisano, has ceased operations because its leaders believe the venture will not be profitable. David Still, a partner and investor in Empire State Wind Energy, said this week the company is "mothballing," or postponing, the project indefinitely. The main reason is the significant drop in wholesale electricity prices. "The company is not proceeding with anything at this point," Still said, adding the chances of resuming down the road do not look good either. "If we do see a resurgence in wholesale prices, we could proceed with the project, but economically, it just doesn't work for us now." The Oneida-based firm has been looking to develop wind farms in the area since it began in 2006. The company has said it would build only projects acceptable to host communities and return most of its profits through taxes, payments in lieu of taxes and fixed-cost energy sales.

Without an understanding of the wind currents of opinion in a community, developers expose their wind energy projects to destructive public opposition.

[Reproduced under protection of Fair Use for educational purposes.]

For months, even years, you have studied, probed, quantified, qualified, analyzed and defined wind profiles to site your project. You have sifted through mountains of data to find that one perfect place to construct your turbines. You know -- absolutely know -- this is the optimum site for placing those towers.
Engineering plans are drawn, and land use maps are produced. Permit applications are sent. Now, it is just a matter of time, right? That answer depends on how well you really understand the wind currents of your site. This is the point where many wind power projects suddenly discover an unexpected stream of turbulence that knocks the whole project flat on its rear end.

This force of nature that catches you completely off guard is named Madge. She has two dozen bird feeders in her backyard, and she just read an article in her bird lover's magazine that says the rotating blades of a wind turbine could kill her feathered friends. Thanks to the impassioned pleas of Madge, the county commissioners just derailed all your welllaid plans in 20 minutes.

Without a good understanding of the wind currents of public opinion in the community, you are exposing your wind farm to the most destructive turbulence of all -- public opposition.

A bill to make provision for a minimum distance between wind turbines and residential premises according to the size of the wind turbine; and for connected purposes.

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Bulletin from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
July 28, 2010

A wind turbine is a rotary device with a gigantic propeller as big as a football field that turns in the wind to generate electricity. Although wind turbines are more often found in Europe than in the United States, they’re rapidly becoming more popular here as a “green” energy source. Most people consider that a good thing, except the rotors of wind turbines also generate noise, particularly in the infrasound range, that some people claim makes them feel sick.

Since frequencies that low can’t be heard, many scientists who study hearing have assumed they can’t have any effect on the function of the ear. But a little known phenomenon related to the infrasound generated by wind turbines is making some scientists challenge the common wisdom that what we can’t hear won’t hurt us.

Summary:
Mr and Mrs Noel Dean requested a Report providing an assessment of the potential for adverse effects due to activity from the Waubra wind farm while living in their residences and while working on their farms. Dr. Robert Thorne undertook the study. His full report can be accessed via the link at the bottom of this page. Below is a summary of Dr. Thorne's findings and conclusions.

PLANS FOR TEST TOWERS: Wind power developer planning to resubmit application for project
NANCY MADSEN, WATERTOWN TIMES STAFF WRITER
JULY 29, 2010

LAFARGEVILLE — They're back. Iberdrola Renewables again has asked to erect meteorological towers in the town of Orleans. The developer wants to put up two test towers, again to collect information for Horse Creek Wind Farm, said Iberdrola Communications Manager Paul N. Copleman by e-mail. "We are unsure of what the Horse Creek boundary looks like at this time," he wrote. "That's why we are seeking to erect these two met towers, so we can gain a better understanding of the wind resource."
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NANCY MADSEN, WATERTOWN TIMES STAFF WRITER
JULY 29, 2010
CAPE VINCENT — The proposed St. Lawrence Wind Farm may be two turbines smaller. In an updated environmental impact statement delivered to the town Planning Board on Wednesday night, developer Acciona Wind Energy USA dropped the number of planned turbines to 51. The Planning Board could choose to accept it as the final environmental impact statement three weeks from now.

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