Another look
Some perspective
And a few far away
Green Mountain Energy Wind Farm
Started by
ghughes
, Oct 19 2005 08:49 PM
19 replies to this topic
#1
ghughes
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Posted 19 October 2005 - 08:49 PM
Photos are of a bunch of one-megawatt Mitsubishi wind generators. Each turbine is approximately 230 feet tall and weighs 370,000 pounds.
Another look
Some perspective
And a few far away
Another look
Some perspective
And a few far away
#2
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Posted 19 October 2005 - 10:10 PM
Great, looks like Palm Springs.
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#3
ghughes
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Posted 20 October 2005 - 05:35 AM
Yeah, but it's closer, real estate sells for less, and there are a lot fewer people to contend with.
#4
redhead
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Posted 20 October 2005 - 12:37 PM
Hey Greg--I don't know if this is true, but I was told we are importing these things from Japan. Do you know if that's correct? You see them on truck after truck in Houston coming up from the port area---they are HUGE. Each wing section must be 90-100 feet across. They stack two wings/truck then you'll see the the third one and base in pieces...just awesome that it's not petro-based energy, but do we have to import them???
#5
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Posted 20 October 2005 - 08:01 PM
Would not SHOCK me one bit. Considering how MUCKED up our Steel industry has become over the last 4 years.
MITSUUUUBISHIIIIIII !
SUUUUBAAARUUUUUU !
How many NEW Sushi Restaurants in Tarrant County in the last 4 years?
They own us, they absolutely own us.
MITSUUUUBISHIIIIIII !
SUUUUBAAARUUUUUU !
How many NEW Sushi Restaurants in Tarrant County in the last 4 years?
They own us, they absolutely own us.
COWTOWN! Get your TIP ON!
www.iheartfw.com
www.iheartfw.com
#6
ghughes
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Posted 21 October 2005 - 06:44 AM
I've seen the blades on trucks as described... two per trailer. Awesome. And sure, they could be imported since they appear to be a fairly strightforward design & build from composites (probably fiberglass). I believe the towers are steel and built by Trinity Industries (Dallas) but am looking into that.
#7
courtnie
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Posted 21 October 2005 - 04:41 PM
They are everywhere in Colorado.....Miles and Miles of them..Im sure we do import them....its not like we havent given jobs and resources away... 
#8
ghughes
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Posted 22 October 2005 - 07:29 AM
I don't know how much market share Trinity Industries enjoys, but they are fabricating towers here in Fort Worth (for on-site assembly, I imagine):
http://www.trinitytowers.com/
Of course, the generators and drive systems are high-dollar components, and they can be shipped pretty easily. General Electric is making 1000 generators in 2005, but being a world-wide company I don't know where. The towers and blades tend to be made fairly locally just due to shipping bulk, but the value added work of development and design could be anywhere.
Exporting jobs? It appears that the wind turbine industry developed first in Europe. So the Danes and the Spaniards are selling what they figured out how to make. Making 1-3 MW generators is not rocket science, so there are all kinds of companies that can be in that market.
http://www.trinitytowers.com/
Of course, the generators and drive systems are high-dollar components, and they can be shipped pretty easily. General Electric is making 1000 generators in 2005, but being a world-wide company I don't know where. The towers and blades tend to be made fairly locally just due to shipping bulk, but the value added work of development and design could be anywhere.
Exporting jobs? It appears that the wind turbine industry developed first in Europe. So the Danes and the Spaniards are selling what they figured out how to make. Making 1-3 MW generators is not rocket science, so there are all kinds of companies that can be in that market.
#9
Yossarian
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Posted 24 October 2005 - 08:35 AM
QUOTE
Hey Greg--I don't know if this is true, but I was told we are importing these things from Japan. Do you know if that's correct? You see them on truck after truck in Houston coming up from the port area---they are HUGE. Each wing section must be 90-100 feet across. They stack two wings/truck then you'll see the the third one and base in pieces...just awesome that it's not petro-based energy, but do we have to import them???
Most of the blades are fabricated in Germany. Towers are fabricated locally in sections of three to be erected on site. Most of the wind energy towers (they are technically NOT windmills) in West Texas are built with tower components that are prepared for final assembly in Coleman.
I would imagine that yesterday was a red letter day for the power generation side of the equation. They probably had the reduction gears set full in given the 35+ KT north wind that I had to fight yesterday.
#10
TexasPacific52
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Posted 24 October 2005 - 05:36 PM
Transport of single units is usually done by truck from what I've seen. However, a large number of units are transported by rail from the port of Houston. They usually arrive as close to the destination as possible and then are trucked locally. UPRR has been sending several windmill trains west out of Fort Worth for several months. Now I know where they were going.
Where around Sweetwater are the vast majority located?
Where around Sweetwater are the vast majority located?
#11
ghughes
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Posted 24 October 2005 - 08:24 PM
They are actually north of Snyder along US 84 on the way to Post. Sorry if I was misleading because you can't just jump off I-20 to see them.
#12
Yossarian
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Posted 25 October 2005 - 07:00 AM
There is another collection of "farms" out around McKamey west of Big Lake.
#13
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Posted 26 October 2005 - 12:31 PM
I see the blades all the time on the north loop of 820 going west when I am heading home from work going east. The latest transport setup I have seen was 1 tractor trailer with 3 blades on it last week. I was curious where they where coming from since I see them fairly frequently.
-Doug
#14
WTx
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Posted 07 November 2005 - 06:54 AM
I saw this article and thought it fit good into the discussion. There is a new horizontal wind turbine that appears to be more efficient than the ones we have now and may be the wave of the future for wind energy?The design of these turbines is very interesting too.
http://news.yahoo.co...TdmBHNlYwM3NTM-
QUOTE
New Turbine Design May Boost Wind Energy
http://news.yahoo.co...TdmBHNlYwM3NTM-
#15
David Love
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Posted 07 November 2005 - 10:41 AM
QUOTE(WTx @ Nov 7 2005, 06:54 AM) 
I saw this article and thought it fit good into the discussion. There is a new horizontal wind turbine that appears to be more efficient than the ones we have now and may be the wave of the future for wind energy?The design of these turbines is very interesting too.
QUOTE
New Turbine Design May Boost Wind Energy
http://news.yahoo.co...TdmBHNlYwM3NTM-
Would be nice if they had a picture.
I saw a bunch of huge metal parts going by on the train last week, couldn't figure out what they were until I saw the huge blades go by, one blade per flatbed train car. Then I realized the other parts were the hubs and column pieces.
#16
longhornz32
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Posted 26 April 2011 - 06:50 PM
Does anyone know where the closest wind farm to Fort Worth is located? I'm assuming this post started with Sweetwater, TX. I have a little photography assignment and would like to work with these towers. If anyone has a connection that can get me up close and personal to a tower I would appreciate it! The closest I have heard news about is the Silver Star Lingleville, but I'm not sure it was built.
#17
RD Milhollin
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Posted 01 May 2011 - 11:51 PM
Forum Road Trip?
#18
John T Roberts
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Posted 02 May 2011 - 09:51 PM
There is a wind farm just north of Muenster on FM 373. That one is fairly close to Fort Worth.
#19
Art Cooler
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Posted 04 May 2011 - 02:18 PM
Between Strawn and DeLeon, Texas is a wind farm. There's another one southwest of Abilene. I've come close to both and know how to find them, but neither time was optimal for photography. I intend to correct that at some point, and when I do I'll post here and also how to get there.
#20
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Posted 05 July 2011 - 09:09 PM
I found the wind farm that's north of DeLeon (near Destimono) and south of Strawn and I-20. It is not easy to get to, and the roads are all white chalky gravel. Also, the turbines are scattered around, so the photo op like in the original post, with a bunch of turbines in a row, isn't there. However, I was impressed by this one turbine atop a hill that was turning and whirring in a stiff north wind:
Around a bend in the road were three more:
Not as impressive a find as it looks from the freeway about ten or twelve miles north. But it was fun trying to find them, and on the way out we saw this sign, which cracked us up:
Around a bend in the road were three more:
Not as impressive a find as it looks from the freeway about ten or twelve miles north. But it was fun trying to find them, and on the way out we saw this sign, which cracked us up:
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