Two questions I have regarding this
1. How can a wind turbine "freeze"? Does moisture in the air and precipitation freeze and then stop it from rotating? Does the cold cause the metal in the inner workings to stop functioning?
2. Is there a commercially viable/available solution to this issue? I know there are massive wind farms in South Dakota, where it regularly gets as cold as Texas is/was. However during winter driving I've noticed these turbines are not always spinning. Was the issue that Texas communities were too reliant on wind power, or that the engineers who built the turbines didn't plan for such an irregular weather event and chose an easier or cheaper option thinking there would never be a scenario in which a large portion of their windmills were subjected to sub-freezing temperatures? In case that needs any more clarification, is it just going to be a fact of life that windmills freeze or can a financially viable freeze-resistant windmill be built?
I understand this is a political football, but I am only asking because I am legitimately curious and cannot find any answers. Plz no ban!
1. How can a wind turbine "freeze"? Does moisture in the air and precipitation freeze and then stop it from rotating? Does the cold cause the metal in the inner workings to stop functioning?
2. Is there a commercially viable/available solution to this issue? I know there are massive wind farms in South Dakota, where it regularly gets as cold as Texas is/was. However during winter driving I've noticed these turbines are not always spinning. Was the issue that Texas communities were too reliant on wind power, or that the engineers who built the turbines didn't plan for such an irregular weather event and chose an easier or cheaper option thinking there would never be a scenario in which a large portion of their windmills were subjected to sub-freezing temperatures? In case that needs any more clarification, is it just going to be a fact of life that windmills freeze or can a financially viable freeze-resistant windmill be built?
I understand this is a political football, but I am only asking because I am legitimately curious and cannot find any answers. Plz no ban!
