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To induce? Wind power is effectively solar power in another form. They remove energy from the weather system, not add. The wind patterns are already substantia

To induce? Wind power is effectively solar power in another form. They remove energy from the weather system, not add. The wind patterns are already substantially affected by the collapsing of the polar vortex as the reflective ice cover in the Arctic decreases, reducing the (previously consistent) cycling of air around the globe. This is one of the major contributors to more severe weather. All this to say: it's an interesting question, but I think it's already too late to wonder about any effect on "normal" wind. "Normal" wind is a thing of the past.

ibejoeb 3y ago
(The "induce" definition as in to cause or influence an effect.) All of those things may be true, but I disagree that it's not worth figuring out. I mean, if we're greenwashing everything--I just bought carbon-neutral coffee tf is that--we might as well do the math here. This is just like how we raced to ping whales to death. Like, let's game out one move ahead.
- Omin 3y ago
  There are some related studies on the effect of wind turbines on storms and how wind turbines could protect against hurricanes by sapping a portion of their energy. While the answer is that they could, the amount of turbines required for that is enormous. This one for example mentions in the abstract that by using an amount of turbines collectively making up 300 GW of capacity, it could severely reduce wind speeds of a hurricane: https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2120 https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2120 300 GW is 2/3 of the power consumption of the entire US and you would need all of those in a small-ish area just to dampen, not fully absorb, a catastrophic storm's energy. Even after those wind speed reductions, there is very strong wind. If you scatter those turbines in a larger area, you can imagine that the effect will be much more diluted. There is so much energy in the atmosphere that we won't put much of a dent in it with our current energy consumption.
  - ibejoeb 3y ago
    Interesting idea to use the energy absorption to mitigate storm damage.
westurner 3y ago
Infrared thermal energy is conserved with wind turbines, too. Though, there is apparently local ground-level higher heat around both wind turbines and solar panels. Some of the air movement due to high and low pressure and humidity and turbulence becomes infrared radiation (heat) due to mechanical friction and presumably also due to turbulence and convection causing friction in the air.

ibejoeb 3y ago

(The "induce" definition as in to cause or influence an effect.) All of those things may be true, but I disagree that it's not worth figuring out. I mean, if we're greenwashing everything--I just bought carbon-neutral coffee tf is that--we might as well do the math here. This is just like how we raced to ping whales to death. Like, let's game out one move ahead.

Omin 3y ago
There are some related studies on the effect of wind turbines on storms and how wind turbines could protect against hurricanes by sapping a portion of their energy. While the answer is that they could, the amount of turbines required for that is enormous. This one for example mentions in the abstract that by using an amount of turbines collectively making up 300 GW of capacity, it could severely reduce wind speeds of a hurricane: https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2120 https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2120 300 GW is 2/3 of the power consumption of the entire US and you would need all of those in a small-ish area just to dampen, not fully absorb, a catastrophic storm's energy. Even after those wind speed reductions, there is very strong wind. If you scatter those turbines in a larger area, you can imagine that the effect will be much more diluted. There is so much energy in the atmosphere that we won't put much of a dent in it with our current energy consumption.
- ibejoeb 3y ago
  Interesting idea to use the energy absorption to mitigate storm damage.

westurner 3y ago

Infrared thermal energy is conserved with wind turbines, too. Though, there is apparently local ground-level higher heat around both wind turbines and solar panels. Some of the air movement due to high and low pressure and humidity and turbulence becomes infrared radiation (heat) due to mechanical friction and presumably also due to turbulence and convection causing friction in the air.