Wind turbines disrupt weather forecasting
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — It’s the wind turbines versus Doppler radar in southern Wisconsin.
National Weather Service meteorologist Marc Ravinsky says a new energy wind farm in east-central Dodge County is interfering with the Weather Surveillance Doppler Radar at the Sullivan office in eastern Jefferson County.
He says visual noise from the 36 wind turbines at Butler Ridge could distort severe weather and reduce the effectiveness of storm warnings.
The wind farm is owned by an Australian power company called Eurus Energy America Inc./Babcock and Brown Power. Attempts by the Wisconsin State Journal to reach someone there who is knowledgeable about Butler Ridge were unsuccessful.
Ravinsky says he hopes new computer programs will be developed that can adjust for wind turbine rotors.
Apr 12, 2009 at 7:01 p.m.
Suggest removal
what's worse, a tornado climbing up your chimney or global warming that may or may not be going on?
Apr 12, 2009 at 7:49 a.m.
Suggest removal
Visual noise is what you see when a television station goes off the air. It is the "snow" on your screen. Visual noise may appear differently on a radar screen, but it has the same effect- it distorts the image.
Apr 12, 2009 at 7:07 a.m.
Suggest removal
what exactly is "visual noise" they can see the sounds?
Apr 11, 2009 at 8:46 p.m.
Suggest removal
Look at the title of the story - "Wind turbines disrupt weather forecasting" then look at the story where it says "could distort severe weather and reduce the effectiveness of storm warnings".
So which is it? Does it or could it?
Apr 11, 2009 at 7:08 p.m.
Suggest removal
If they faced the turbines the other way, we wouldn't have to worry if they were accurate or not. The storms would always be leaving the area instead of entering it.
Apr 11, 2009 at 5:09 p.m.
Suggest removal
Butler Ridge consists of 36 1.5 MW GE turbines (total of 54 MW) connected to a 34-kV collector system that is then connected to the 138-kV transmission system. The GE 1.5 MW turbines have hub heights of approximately 200-250 ft and blade lengths of 100-120 ft.
The project was subjected to significant delay while the FAA studied the impact of wind turbines on the ability of air traffic control radar to properly distinguish aircraft.
See http://www.businessnorth.com/pr.asp?RID=... for reference.
While Butler Ridge and other wind farms were subjected to this delay, it sounds like our government didn't think to study the effects on weather radar as well. One hopes that as more wind turbines start dotting more of our landscape that they do not end up affecting timely tornado warning notices. These advance notices have saved numerous lives over the years! (BTW, it is storm season so I encourage you to spend the $25 on a weather radio that features an alert function.)
Apr 11, 2009 at 5:01 p.m.
Suggest removal
See, they're thinking about it wrong. The wind turbines could be used to MOVE the weather where they want it.
Apr 11, 2009 at 4:25 p.m.
Suggest removal
Are they sure the turbines don't actually improve the forecasting accuracy?
Apr 11, 2009 at 2:43 p.m.
Suggest removal
I guess going green raises the probability of inaccurate weather. Not like the weather is all that accurate to begin with. LOL
Apr 11, 2009 at 2:04 p.m.
Suggest removal
Wind turbines don't disrupt weather forecasting, they interfere with the radar which is real-time, not a forecast. It shouldn't be too difficult for a software algorithm to be created which offsets the effects of the turbines.
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.