Green Homes of the Future?

Honestly, our community opposition to behemoth wind turbines towering above our homes is not cause to believe that we are backward looking, greedy, unconscionable fringe people. To prove my point, I'd like to share this link with you. We are eager to pursue sustainable, energy-conscious, efficient solutions for our future.

I like the ones with the Spanish tiled dormers.



http://pinktentacle.com/2008/08/styrofoam-dome-homes/

Wind Turbines are NOT Music in the Air

 Rob Rand

"Wind Turbine Sound: An Independant Investigation"

http://www.knowledgestream.org/kstream/item.asp?item_id=8971


 

Rob Rand is a skilled and dedicated technical professional with thirty years' experience in acoustics including industrial noise control, environmental sound, and architectural acoustics. He has been a member of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering since 1993.

Follow the link to view the 59 minute presentation.

"Dr. Rand explains the complex nature of environmental sound in terms that lay people can easily understand", says county leader.


May 2010 - The community was in the early stage of investigating the noise impact of behemoth wind turbines.



Rockingham County Virginia Meets the Windbaggers

Lumis/Solaya Poised to Reap Subsidies, Loan Guarantees and "in demand" benefits of producing "renewable " energy.

Solaya is developing a wind farm along a ridge on the Virginia/West Virginia border. Instead of a lease agreement, Solaya is joining with the land owners (who are merely capitalizing upon their positions of OWNERSHIP) to create a legal entity that shares profits according to an agreed upon share system. The question to be answered is: Are the potential benefits (to whom) so great so as to justify "permanent" disruption of the natural environment for "carbon-dioxide free" electricity? If the benefits outweigh the costs, the "Industrial Scale Wind Developers" must publicly demonstrate the proposed benefits prior to accepting any public financial support. For public support of the current magnitude, the current technology should MUST be deserving. Therefore, it should be totally acceptable to all interests to accept the challenge to PROVE IT.

In excess of 5 miles of cleared ridge North of Cow's Knob, WV

•Solaya has land leases for two separate areas of ridge line in Virginia and West Virginia, including 1000 acres of land at one location and 5 miles of ridge line at another location.

•The land can support approximately 62 turbines with a capacity of 167 MW of power.

•The land under control has a 500kV main transmission line running through the property and access to the National Forest, allowing great potential for additional development.

Probable Northernmost 14 +/= Wind turbines
(approximately 10% of environmental consumption for total project)

Another Day in the Fall

Today, Carol Wampler,currently Renewable Energy Policy Manager,

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), formerly a lobbyist for the Virginia Manufacturer's Association, facilitated an industry laden "informal Stakeholders Group" (occasionally referred to as a local outreach group {LOG}) in a meeting, targeted with a charge to conclude deliberations on a "Model" zoning ordinance amendment for adoption by all state localities. Here's a copy of an email announcing today's event, held at the offices of wind industry lobbyist and group member John W. Daniel in Richmond and Lunch provided by Spanish-based wind turbine manufacturer and developer GAMESA:

From: Carol Wampler

To: Billy Vaughn Rckham; Bob Matthias VOWC; Carol Wampler; Carol Wampler DEQ; Dan Holmes PEC; Dan Lookadoo NRCC; Dan Renshaw Gamesa; Diana Christopulos Roan Cln Cities; Don Giecek Inven; Earl Dodrill DSLCC; Elsie Franklin DEQ; Emil Avram Dom; George Homewood APAVA; Heather Mackey; Jeff Gore for Loudoun; John Daniel TroutSan; John Meck Rckham Cty; Jonathan J. Miles; Justin Markell RES; Ken Hutcheson; Ken Jurman; Kerri Nicholas OAG; Larry Land; Larry Lombardi Norf dev; Lucy Phillips Wash Cty; Maria Papadakis JMU; Mark Hanson; Nikki Rovner TNC; Pat Morgan Augusta; Patrick Hatcher ODU VCERC; Peter Huber; Richard Hirsh; Robbie Huff CSPDC; Robert Meyers Exmore solar; Roberta Kellam SWCB; Ron Jefferson APCO; Salud Layton Dom; Sandra Benson; Scott Sklar solar; Sean McGinnis VT energy; Shawn Utt Pulaski; Todd Hopper Gamesa


Cc: Bill Macali VB; Bill Rogers Solaya; Bob Baldwin Navy; Connor Kain; David Kleppinger; Eldon Karr RoanCty; Eric Young Tazewell; Erica Bannerman Alexandria; Gregg Kamptner Albemrl; Joe Lerch VML; Joris Benninga; Kevin Byrd NRVPDC; Matthew Cartier; Paul Vosbeek; Phyllis Errico VACO; Rick Thomas Timmons Grp; Russell Slayton; Tyson Utt Apex; Cindy Berndt; Debra Miller


Subject: Local Outreach: reminder of LOG mtg on Nov. 16 at 10:00 at Troutman


Date: Monday, November 14, 2011 3:30:04 PM


Attachments: 11 16 2011 Agenda Local Outreach Mtg.doc


Dear Local Government Outreach Stakeholder Group (LOG) Members & Alternates:


(cc: Interested Parties)


We would like to remind you of the LOG meeting this Wednesday, November 16, at 10:00 at Troutman Sanders in downtown Richmond. A draft agenda (including meeting location) is attached. Free parking is available in the Troutman Sanders garage on levels 3-6 (get parking voucher/validation from receptionist on 15th floor).


We thank John Daniel of Troutman Sanders for inviting us to use his facility for this meeting, and we thank Gamesa for providing lunches.


Thanks also to everyone who has sent in comments on the draft Utility-Scale Model Ordinance. Heather and I continue to work on incorporating your input into the draft.


We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday! Please call or email if you have questions.


Sincerely,


Carol


--
CAROL C. WAMPLER
Renewable Energy Policy Manager
Department of Environmental Quality
629 East Main Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
804-698-4579


carol.wampler@deq.virginia.gov


carol.wampler.renewable.energy@gmail.com

Although attendance records from previous meetings have not been made available to all interested parties, it is clear from numerous incidences of email correspondences that the development of this draft amendment has been largely influenced by those who stand to gain (or avoid losing) the most financially by promoting a model with the least measures of land use protection and control.

Even those members connected indirectly to the industrial scale (or more currently referenced as Utility scale) wind industry, are in a personal position of jeopardizing their livelihoods IF they fail to promote and support the large scale wind industry interests. In this case, predicated on the FEAR of global warming and mountaintop removal, the general public has been systematically led to believe that they have no other choice than to line the pockets of dishonest profiteers for misguided ENERGY SALVATION.

This represents the sad state of  affairs on all levels of government, local through national in the United States
of America today.

It is indeed time to speak up: Is this Capitalism Out of Control?

This IS NOT a political or idealogical issue any more!!!

Bad for the 99% - Good for the 1%

Our Booth Inside Roanoke's Green Expo

While the Demonstaration was going on the street

We offer REAL Solutions, not Taxpayer ABUSE

Industrial Wind Turbines inflict ECONOMIC ABUSE, ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION & HEALTH IMPACTS for the financial & political gain of a very few.

Seeking Help to Protect Our Beautiful Blue Ridge

Taking It To The People

P.A.C.E.

 PROPERTY ASSESSED CLEAN ENERGY

Point of Use Site Generation

I continue to obsess upon the impact of behemoth industrial wind turbines destroying massive amounts of our most visible and beautiful natural environment, while pondering the warmth that could be generated from the turbulence outside.

Here is a simple proposal from a 1500 person community on a plateau 2000 ft above a beautiful valley with a metro area of over 200,000. We propose that the amount of political energy, federal subsidies, and consumer price support in the interest of industrial scale wind turbine development, be redirected to support a massive implementation of the PACE program (Property Assessed Clean Energy).

Such an effort toward targeting energy generation closer to the point of use would have a far greater impact for dollar spent than any collective scheme that continues to distribute energy over a "physical" distribution grid. If a renewable electricity generation unit became an integral part of every building, we would gain 6 - 20% more efficient and cleaner use of all energy so generated. That is the same percentage of electricity energy we lose thru transmission and distribution over the “GRID” according to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

With increased investment in research and development into energy storage technology; coupled with a redirection of the power companies to a local maintenance industry role, we can redirect the responsibility of conservation directly back to the consumer, at a dramatically lower cost.

Green and clean? Of course, so what's the PROBLEM? It will provide a lot of work to jump start the construction industry with a lot of new jobs for the 99%, but it would dry up the big corporate feeding troughs.