Experimenter

May 2013

Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.

Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/126719

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L i g h t P l a n e Wor l d GE 1.6MW turbines of the Pioneer Trail Wind Farm near Paxton, Illinois. Wind Turbines and Light Aircraft A tricky combination By Dan Grunloh The United States had 45,100 wind turbines in place as of December 2012 according to the American Wind Energy Association, and we are expected to add about 1,000 more large turbines per year for the next five years. About 3.5 percent of U.S. electricity comes from wind, and some experts predict that number could easily double. The Wind Energy Association's longterm goal of 20 percent from wind seems a long way off, though five states are above 10 percent, and two states, Iowa and North Dakota, already get more than 20 percent of their electricity from wind. Wind turbines may help to diversify our energy sources, but they are a hazard to aviation. They can prevent you from flying or even close down your airport. 36 Vol.2 N o.5 / M ay 2013 The U.S. Department of Energy provides an 80-meterhigh wind resource map for the United States, with links to individual state wind maps. Any area with more than a 6.5 m/s (14.5 mph) annual average wind speed may have potential for wind energy development. The western states have plenty of wind, but vast areas lack sufficient electric grid for wider distribution. Texas and California are our top producers, but states in the upper Midwest including Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota are gaining rapidly. The area of red coloration on the wind map located in northwest Indiana and northeast Illinois (where I live) is the primary area east of the Mississippi suitable for large-scale wind farms. They are popping up here as fast as they can be erected.

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