Comments on: Without its own oil or coal, Michigan should use wind http://www.michigannow.org/2009/11/09/without-its-own-oil-or-coal-michigan-should-use-wind/ Just another WordPress site Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:00:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Larry Kelley http://www.michigannow.org/2009/11/09/without-its-own-oil-or-coal-michigan-should-use-wind/#comment-517 Larry Kelley Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:36:31 +0000 http://www.michigannow.org/?p=250#comment-517 What's the matter with Sun? The sun is an everyday occurrence. Solar cells definitely work in cloudy weather. Even in the great lakes, the wind doesn't blow much of the time. I have had a 43' sailboat with a 55 foot mast looking for wind for over 30 years. I think I'll cut the mast off and just use the engine. Last summer on a 3 week cruise into northern Lake Michigan, we never saw a wave over 6 inches and never raised the sails. This has happened many times. I can make silicon solar panels for less than 70¢/watt. The wind turbines cost way more than that and the wind doesn't blow consistently. Recently, Michigan awarded $15MM to 4 companies making 'advanced composite wind turbine blades' and awarded $0.5Mm to a solar company installing panels (not making them). My company (been in Michigan 40 years www.shelbygemfactory ) applied for $3.9MM but was turned down. It would have employed over 200 people in Western Michigan to start and many more in the future. I now have a company buying a building in San Diego for $18.1MM (210,000 ft2) and they want me to put in a factory making over 100MW/year of Silicon Solar panels. Michigan's loss is California's gain. I will be moving my entire manufacturing facility to California. Maybe when Michigan gets it's head out of it's rectum, thinks will improve. What’s the matter with Sun? The sun is an everyday occurrence. Solar cells definitely work in cloudy weather.
Even in the great lakes, the wind doesn’t blow much of the time. I have had a 43′ sailboat with a 55 foot mast looking for wind for over 30 years. I think I’ll cut the mast off and just use the engine. Last summer on a 3 week cruise into northern Lake Michigan, we never saw a wave over 6 inches and never raised the sails. This has happened many times.
I can make silicon solar panels for less than 70¢/watt. The wind turbines cost way more than that and the wind doesn’t blow consistently. Recently, Michigan awarded $15MM to 4 companies making ‘advanced composite wind turbine blades’ and awarded $0.5Mm to a solar company installing panels (not making them). My company (been in Michigan 40 years http://www.shelbygemfactory ) applied for $3.9MM but was turned down. It would have employed over 200 people in Western Michigan to start and many more in the future.
I now have a company buying a building in San Diego for $18.1MM (210,000 ft2) and they want me to put in a factory making over 100MW/year of Silicon Solar panels. Michigan’s loss is California’s gain. I will be moving my entire manufacturing facility to California. Maybe when Michigan gets it’s head out of it’s rectum, thinks will improve.

]]> By: Rich Vander Veen http://www.michigannow.org/2009/11/09/without-its-own-oil-or-coal-michigan-should-use-wind/#comment-516 Rich Vander Veen Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:09:32 +0000 http://www.michigannow.org/?p=250#comment-516 Chris we appreciate the Michigannow.org web site! This is the kind of "creativity for good" that we need. Continued success on all fronts, Rich VV Chris

we appreciate the Michigannow.org web site!

This is the kind of “creativity for good” that we need.

Continued success on all fronts,

Rich VV

]]> By: David Hartwig http://www.michigannow.org/2009/11/09/without-its-own-oil-or-coal-michigan-should-use-wind/#comment-515 David Hartwig Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:02:49 +0000 http://www.michigannow.org/?p=250#comment-515 Why doesn't anyone develop water turbines that could be placed in fast moving bodies of water like the St Clair River or Detroit River where you never have to worry about the sun going behind the clouds or the wind not blowing? Constant motion 24/7. Why doesn’t anyone develop water turbines that could be placed in fast moving bodies of water like the St Clair River or Detroit River where you never have to worry about the sun going behind the clouds or the wind not blowing? Constant motion 24/7.

]]>