|

04-28-2008, 01:37 PM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Londonderry, NH
12,476 posts, read 6,036,516 times
Reputation: 3952
|
|
Wind power in NM - large and small
Considering the comments about the endless wind in New Mexico are there any major wind developments or personal/residential size wind turbines/mills around NM? Personal experience appreciated.
|
|

04-28-2008, 02:40 PM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Albuquerque, NM
765 posts, read 531,509 times
Reputation: 382
|
|
|
PNM actually has wind farms as part of it's generating grid. Any PNM customer can choose to be a part of a program, called "Sky Blue". Ostensibly you're paying a somewhat higher rate to use some of the wind farm's clean energy. In practice, everyone taps off of the main grid, so there's no way to say: "ziaAirmac is paying to only receive energy from the wind farm.". When I asked about it, what PNM said is that the extra amount goes to further develop alternative sources and to market the program (increased participation creates more funds for further development.). It feels somewhat insignificant on a single house's scale, but I have to say I've felt very good about our choice to be a part of the program and try to make a difference. In that sense it's us paid back tenfold.
Wind energy on a personal property is a tough one out here because although many places get very windy at times, few places have a solid, constant wind, and that's what you need to make wind energy viable. Every time the early spring or East Canyon winds start up, I lie in bed at night envisioning a wind turbine maxed out on the roof causing my meter to spin down as the house gets buffeted. The reality is that although the gusts are very powerful, they're short lived on the scale of the year and would be hard pressed to have your system pay for itself. I think I remember an average value of 12 mph for a given spot to be viable for wind energy. That's a really windy spot to maintain that annual average. Also, because of ground turbulance, wind generators become much more efficient with height. This negates almost any installation in town because by the time you've got you're generator high enough and properly secured, you've also got yourself an eyesore to every Chevy Suburban driving neighbor in the subdivision.
|
|

04-28-2008, 03:45 PM
|
|
available for Drive-by-sarcasm
|
|
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Albuquerque
2,870 posts, read 2,037,099 times
Reputation: 873
|
|
ziaAirmac puzzled:
> ... there's no way to say: "ziaAirmac is paying to only receive energy
> from the wind farm.".
You can't say the the electrons swarming through your magnificent 60-inch bigscreen TV are from that wind farm, but it might help to think of it like a bunch of hoses in a pool.
The hose from the wind farm has a meter on it and the farm and PNM know how much 'water' went into the pool. They get paid for that at the wind farm rate - whatever that is.
PNM owns the water in the pool.
You, the consumer, sucks 'water' out of the pool any pay for it based on what your meter says. You agree to pay what PNM says you will pay per unit of 'water.' You further agree to pay the little bit extra for the portion you agreed to pay extra for.
Now, the anal-retentive-green-eyeshades-beancounters get in on the action and allocate money from your to PNM and further allocate money from PNM to the wind farm at their favorable rate.
> ... feels somewhat insignificant on a single house's scale, ...
Yeah, but it's one thing to say "the government should do this or that and quite another to put your money where your mouth is.
I'm going to cruise the PNM web site to see how to sign up for a piece of the action. I was going to do this earlier in my residence here, but put it off due to temporary reasons.
It is actions like these from individuals that make the propogation of wind and other renewable progress at a faster rate because there is less that is left for the government to do.
> Wind energy on a personal property ... wind generators become much more efficient with height.
Maybe if you aren't trying to do too much with it, it could work for you.
Do you (anyone) remember the upright wind turbine on the West side? It was there when I moved in 1985, but I think it was gone by 1990 or thereabouts. It was, maybe 40 feet high.
That is, the turbine looked like these: Pacwind - home
and not like these: Image:Turbine aalborg.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Earlier, I posted a map of wind potential in NM from here:
http://ams.confex.com/ams/pdfpapers/72138.pdf
You'll find the apex of NM potential wind power is Vaughn, NM.
|
|

04-28-2008, 05:03 PM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Albuquerque, NM
765 posts, read 531,509 times
Reputation: 382
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by mortimer
You, the consumer, sucks .... PNM says you will pay per unit of 'water.' You further agree to pay the little bit extra for the portion you agreed to pay extra for.
|
I just knew, on some level PNM felt this way 
Last edited by ziaAirmac; 04-28-2008 at 05:03 PM..
Reason: clarification
|
|

04-28-2008, 05:15 PM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bernalillo, NM
420 posts, read 297,128 times
Reputation: 178
|
|
|
There's a farm outside of Elida, NM. If i remember correctly there are soemthing like 120 turbines... supplying energy to NM, West TX & parts of OK. We drove up there and they are HUGE... pretty impressive structures.
Local ranchers say they get more money leasing the land for the turbines than for all years of ranching they've done.
|
|

04-28-2008, 05:48 PM
|
|
available for Drive-by-sarcasm
|
|
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Albuquerque
2,870 posts, read 2,037,099 times
Reputation: 873
|
|
|
ziaAirmac creates on the canvas of his choice:
> Originally Posted by mortimer
> > You, the consumer, sucks ....
> I just knew, on some level PNM felt this way ...
You sir, are an artist. I've voting you #1 wordwright.
|
|

04-28-2008, 06:06 PM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2008
950 posts, read 879,417 times
Reputation: 200
|
|
Wind?
Quote:
Originally Posted by rruff
|
Do you know of similar maps at ground level? Because these maps at a higher altitude show that most of the people who post on this forum are in the worst areas for wind power.
Yet, there is a lot of talk about the wind in NM. So, what is the explanation?
Is the ground level wind very different?
|
|

04-29-2008, 01:31 AM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Albuquerque,New Mexico
3,704 posts, read 2,706,303 times
Reputation: 1211
|
|
|
they have those huge wndmills farms outside Ft.Sumner and I think they have some around the Tucumcari area.
|
|

04-29-2008, 05:57 AM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Londonderry, NH
12,476 posts, read 6,036,516 times
Reputation: 3952
|
|
|
If you mention wind turbines around here you would think you have committed some form of senic blasphemy. Thanks for the comments, I will look into that program when I move. In the meantime they should have Seabrook Station back on line after its annual fuel rod rearrangment.
|
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
|
|