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We do need to find solutions for blade-waste. Ideally it would find its way into new blades. On other hand, how does blade-waste compare to energy- and non-ene

We do need to find solutions for blade-waste. Ideally it would find its way into new blades. On other hand, how does blade-waste compare to energy- and non-energy- waste sources? Until that solution arrives: " municipal and commercial dumps will take most of the waste, which the American Wind Energy Association in Washington says is safest and cheapest. 'Wind turbine blades at the end of their operational life are landfill-safe...' [The group] pointed to an Electric Power Research Institute study that estimates all blade waste through 2050 would equal roughly .015% of all the municipal solid waste going to landfills in 2015 alone."[0] [0]https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-02-05/wind-turbine-blades-can-t-be-recycled-so-they-re-piling-up-in-landfills https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-02-05/wind-turb...

jefftk 7y ago
> We do need to find solutions for blade-waste. Why? We're in no danger of running out of space, and they're not toxic.
- ajross 7y ago
  Yeah, I mean, all other things being equal it's better to find efficiencies where possible and not just throw things away needlessly. Folks like to laugh at it, but plastics manufacturing for one-use items like bags and straws has real externalities that aren't borne by the cost of manufacture. But in this particular situation: a quarter-century-old turbine blade has paid for itself so many times over already that this is just not where we need to be spending out time worrying about efficiencies. Even if we just bury the things, wind power remains (by far!) the most environmentally beneficial choice for almost all electrical markets.
  - WalterBright 7y ago
    > has real externalities If they're blowing around in the wind or dumped in the waterways, sure. If they're buried, none I've heard of.
    - abainbridge 7y ago
      I agree. I'd even say that burying plastic is a form of carbon sequestering and therefore has some positive impact. However, I think the problem with burying plastic is the stuff that leaches out. See https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5373626 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5373626 for example.
      - skybrian 7y ago
        I wonder if double-bagging your garbage would help or hurt? It would be ironic if a good solution turned out to be more plastic packaging.
  - dkraft 7y ago
    This post is entirely without merit and is false. No wind turbine has ever paid for itself cradle to grave. How is this allowed to stand?
  - barney54 7y ago
    Why do you prefer wind to solar?
    - eru 7y ago
      'All electricity markets' is probably a bit overblown. For Europe north of the alps, there's not that much sun, but often plenty of wind.
    - ajross 7y ago
      It's cheaper and faster to build out, lasts longer once installed, is usually easier to find sites for, and can be built with almost completely local manufacturing and labor. There's nothing wrong with solar, but wind is better from a "where should the subsidy dollars be spent" perspective.
      - eru 7y ago
        Even better: don't spend any subsidy dollars at all. Use a carbon tax to turn climate policy into a money spinner instead of a money sink, and let the market figure out how to generate power. (In political practice, it seems easier to throw around subsidy dollars, alas.)
chrisbrandow 7y ago
It’s mostly fiberglass. I think this entire article lost sight of the relevant scale, because blades are big compared to humans and energy (and the physical waste of displaced energy sources) is invisible.
deleted 7y ago
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jefftk 7y ago

> We do need to find solutions for blade-waste. Why? We're in no danger of running out of space, and they're not toxic.

ajross 7y ago
Yeah, I mean, all other things being equal it's better to find efficiencies where possible and not just throw things away needlessly. Folks like to laugh at it, but plastics manufacturing for one-use items like bags and straws has real externalities that aren't borne by the cost of manufacture. But in this particular situation: a quarter-century-old turbine blade has paid for itself so many times over already that this is just not where we need to be spending out time worrying about efficiencies. Even if we just bury the things, wind power remains (by far!) the most environmentally beneficial choice for almost all electrical markets.
- WalterBright 7y ago
  > has real externalities If they're blowing around in the wind or dumped in the waterways, sure. If they're buried, none I've heard of.
  - abainbridge 7y ago
    I agree. I'd even say that burying plastic is a form of carbon sequestering and therefore has some positive impact. However, I think the problem with burying plastic is the stuff that leaches out. See https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5373626 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5373626 for example.
    - skybrian 7y ago
      I wonder if double-bagging your garbage would help or hurt? It would be ironic if a good solution turned out to be more plastic packaging.
- dkraft 7y ago
  This post is entirely without merit and is false. No wind turbine has ever paid for itself cradle to grave. How is this allowed to stand?
- barney54 7y ago
  Why do you prefer wind to solar?
  - eru 7y ago
    'All electricity markets' is probably a bit overblown. For Europe north of the alps, there's not that much sun, but often plenty of wind.
  - ajross 7y ago
    It's cheaper and faster to build out, lasts longer once installed, is usually easier to find sites for, and can be built with almost completely local manufacturing and labor. There's nothing wrong with solar, but wind is better from a "where should the subsidy dollars be spent" perspective.
    - eru 7y ago
      Even better: don't spend any subsidy dollars at all. Use a carbon tax to turn climate policy into a money spinner instead of a money sink, and let the market figure out how to generate power. (In political practice, it seems easier to throw around subsidy dollars, alas.)

chrisbrandow 7y ago

It’s mostly fiberglass. I think this entire article lost sight of the relevant scale, because blades are big compared to humans and energy (and the physical waste of displaced energy sources) is invisible.

deleted 7y ago

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