3 ms·

People are actually not super excited about windmills in Denmark either. Noise, vibrations, and view are the problems.

mjn 13y ago
As far as view goes, I actually really like the modern ones offshore. I don't like the older ones, which look like landscape clutter. For example the old Tehachapi wind farm in California (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tehachapi_wind_farm_3.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tehachapi_wind_farm_3.jpg) reminds me of an old oil field, like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Oil_wells_just_offshore_at_Summerland,_California,_c.1915.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Oil_wells_just_offshore_at.... But as far as the new ones: I recently moved offices in Copenhagen, to a 5th-story office looking east towards the Øresund. I think the offshore wind farm there adds substantially to the view (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middelgrunden http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middelgrunden). It's especially nice on overcast, windy, gray days, when you can see the white turbines rotating in the fog. But it's nice on sunny days too, at least in my opinion. Here's a snapshot from my window: http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/598966_10100473049926079_1195961214_n.jpg http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/598966_1010047304... And if you get closer, e.g. at Amager Beach, it's even nicer (again imo). It's like a modernist kinetic sculpture or something, an aesthetically pleasing series of 20 massive but sleekly styled turbines in a row.
- ashkav 13y ago
  isn't it funny that the first windmills are reminiscent of oil wells, and current solar projects (in the US) are large solar arrays, blending again with the existing large-scale infrastructure? maybe this similarity is lofty associated, but i find it interesting.
- krschultz 13y ago
  The bigger ones seem to rotate slower which helps a lot aesthetically. I'm pretty sure the tip is still moving the same speed, but the RPM is lower.
biehl 13y ago
I believe the article is about _offshore_ wind. However, in Denmark you can make an interesting experiment in several places. You can place yourself so that you are in 100-500m from a windmill AND have a road with traffic between you and the windmill. What kind of noise, vibrations and view do you think are significant in that situation?

mjn 13y ago

As far as view goes, I actually really like the modern ones offshore. I don't like the older ones, which look like landscape clutter. For example the old Tehachapi wind farm in California (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tehachapi_wind_farm_3.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tehachapi_wind_farm_3.jpg) reminds me of an old oil field, like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Oil_wells_just_offshore_at_Summerland,_California,_c.1915.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Oil_wells_just_offshore_at.... But as far as the new ones: I recently moved offices in Copenhagen, to a 5th-story office looking east towards the Øresund. I think the offshore wind farm there adds substantially to the view (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middelgrunden http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middelgrunden). It's especially nice on overcast, windy, gray days, when you can see the white turbines rotating in the fog. But it's nice on sunny days too, at least in my opinion. Here's a snapshot from my window: http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/598966_10100473049926079_1195961214_n.jpg http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/598966_1010047304... And if you get closer, e.g. at Amager Beach, it's even nicer (again imo). It's like a modernist kinetic sculpture or something, an aesthetically pleasing series of 20 massive but sleekly styled turbines in a row.

ashkav 13y ago
isn't it funny that the first windmills are reminiscent of oil wells, and current solar projects (in the US) are large solar arrays, blending again with the existing large-scale infrastructure? maybe this similarity is lofty associated, but i find it interesting.
krschultz 13y ago
The bigger ones seem to rotate slower which helps a lot aesthetically. I'm pretty sure the tip is still moving the same speed, but the RPM is lower.

biehl 13y ago

I believe the article is about _offshore_ wind. However, in Denmark you can make an interesting experiment in several places. You can place yourself so that you are in 100-500m from a windmill AND have a road with traffic between you and the windmill. What kind of noise, vibrations and view do you think are significant in that situation?