CATCHING THE WIND

READ ABOUT WIND POWER WIH A BOOK FROM BARNES&NOBLE

Where Power is Born

An informative glimpse, into the future of the electrical industry.
Producing electricity by harnessing the wind. Wind turbine generators are much less harmful to the environment than burning fossil fuels.
Wind speeds have to be at least 13 miles per hour most of the time. These work best in windy areas.
The wind mill stands 150 feet tall with blades half the length of a foot ball field.
The compartment at he top contains the generator, hub and gear box. They weigh 30,000 to 45,000 pounds.
A wind turbine cost can range upwards to $ 300,000 and can provide 300 kilowatts an hour of power. The amount for an average home, for a month.
It only takes 4000 separate wind mills to provide enough power, for Palm Springs and the entire Coachella Valley.
The utility company buys the electricity produced by the wind mills.
Palm Springs has enough wind to power the wind mills 300 days out of the year.
The San Jacinto Mountains provide wind tunnels, the wind blows east to west in the afternoon and north to south in the morning. That is why half are turned one way and half of the wind mills are turned the other way. Taking full advantage, of the wind.
Wind mills are placed 700 feet apart for optimal use of the wind. Every little detail is figured into getting the most power possible out of the wind.
It is still costly, around $30,000 a year to maintain one wind mill. A worker is called a weather smith and they must climb the wind mill to do maintenance on it.
Other states are joining in on the technology. Utah is asking power customers to help with the cost of this endeavor.
Take a 90 minute tour to see the wind mills close up when in Palm Springs. They are also along both sides of I-10.

Rand McNally Foldmap: Palm Springs, Desert Cities