Large windfarms can increase local night time temperatures by fanning warmer air onto the ground, new research has revealed. The study used satellite data to show that the building of huge wind farms in west Texas over the last decade has warmed the nights by up to 0.72C.
West Texas has seen rapid expansion of wind farms, with turbine numbers rising from 111 in 2003 to 2358 in 2011. The team compared the land surface temperatures at the wind farms with other areas across this period and detected a clear rise at night.
They note, however, that the effect on the air temperature, which is usually given in weather forecasts, will be lower than 0.72C rise because they respond less quickly to changes than land temperatures.
The scientists say the effect is due to the gentle turbulence caused by the wind turbines. After the sun has set, the land cools down more quickly than the air, leaving a cold blanket of air just above the ground. But the turbine wakes mix this cold layer with the warmer air above, raising the temperature. A previous study found a similar effect but was based on data from only two weather stations over just six weeks.
This of course does not mean we rule out wind farms as they have to be a part of the mix. All that the research means is that we still need to be careful before plunging into any new technology. Small wind farms can be the solution instead of massive ones. Or a combination of windfarms with biofuel crops?
West Texas has seen rapid expansion of wind farms, with turbine numbers rising from 111 in 2003 to 2358 in 2011. The team compared the land surface temperatures at the wind farms with other areas across this period and detected a clear rise at night.
They note, however, that the effect on the air temperature, which is usually given in weather forecasts, will be lower than 0.72C rise because they respond less quickly to changes than land temperatures.
The scientists say the effect is due to the gentle turbulence caused by the wind turbines. After the sun has set, the land cools down more quickly than the air, leaving a cold blanket of air just above the ground. But the turbine wakes mix this cold layer with the warmer air above, raising the temperature. A previous study found a similar effect but was based on data from only two weather stations over just six weeks.
This of course does not mean we rule out wind farms as they have to be a part of the mix. All that the research means is that we still need to be careful before plunging into any new technology. Small wind farms can be the solution instead of massive ones. Or a combination of windfarms with biofuel crops?
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