QUICK NEWS, March 20: STUDY DISCREDITS ‘WIND TURBINE SYNDROME’; BIGGEST CONCENTRATING SUN PLANT YET GOES LIVE; ENERGY-STAR CITIES

STUDY DISCREDITS ‘WIND TURBINE SYNDROME’ Wind turbine sickness 'all in the mind': study

Lenore Taylor, March 15, 2013 (Sydney Morning Herald)

“…'Wind turbine sickness' is far more prevalent in communities where anti-wind farm lobbyists have been active and appears to be a psychological phenomenon caused by the suggestion that turbines make people sick, a study has found…63 per cent of Australia's 49 wind farms had never been the subject of any health complaint from nearby residents…[and] 68 per cent of the 120 complaints that have been made came from residents living near wind farms heavily targeted by the anti-wind farm lobby…

“Study author, Simon Chapman, professor of public health at Sydney University, [called 'wind turbine sickness' a 'communicated disease' spread by the claim that something was likely to make a person sick and] caused by the 'nocebo effect' – the opposite of the placebo effect – where the belief something would cause an illness created the perception of illness…”

“…[Research] found a much greater correlation between negative attitudes to wind turbines and reports of sickness than any 'objective measures of actual exposure'…[and studies suggest communicated diseases spread] much faster when the 'illness' had a name – such as Wind Turbine Syndrome, Vibro Acoustic Disease and Visceral Vibratory Vestibular Disturbance…

“…[The study cited] a recent New Zealand study in which some healthy volunteers were exposed to actual 'infrasound' – the sub-audible noise from wind farms claimed to cause health problems – and others to complete silence, which they had been told was 'infrasound'. In both cases the volunteers who had been told about the potential harmful effects of infrasound were more likely to report symptoms…”

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BIGGEST CONCENTRATING SUN PLANT YET GOES LIVE Masdar, Total and Abengoa Launch Shams 1, the World’s Largest Concentrated Solar Power Plant in Operation; The inauguration of Shams 1, a 100 MW solar thermal plant, is a major milestone in the development and deployment of renewable energy in the Middle East.

March 17, 2013 (Abengoa Solar)

“...Shams 1, the largest concentrated solar power plant (CSP) in operation in the world...[was built by] Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company…French energy company Total and Spain’s energy infrastructure company Abengoa. The 100 MW solar thermal project will power thousands of homes in the United Arab Emirates and displace approximately 175,000 tons of CO₂ per year. The 600 MUS$ project took three years to build…

“Located in the UAE’s Western Region, in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, Shams 1 was designed and developed by Shams Power Company, a joint venture between Masdar (60 percent), Total (20 percent) and Abengoa Solar (20 percent). With the addition of Shams 1, Masdar’s renewable energy portfolio accounts for almost 68 percent of the Gulf’s renewable energy capacity and nearly 10 percent of the world’s installed CSP capacity…Shams 1 is an example of how collaboration between companies can achieve large-scale, clean-energy solutions that help meet the world’s growing energy demands…”

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“Covering an area of 2.5 km², or 285 football fields, Shams 1 generates electricity to power 20,000 homes in the UAE. Also, because solar power is generated during peak demand, the UAE is able to reduce the need for “peak shaving” generators, which are expensive and idle most of the year…

“Incorporating the latest in parabolic trough technology, Shams 1 features more than 258,000 mirrors mounted on 768 tracking parabolic trough collectors. By concentrating heat from direct sunlight onto oil-filled pipes, Shams 1 produces steam, which drives a turbine and generates electricity. In addition, the solar project uses a booster to heat steam as it enters the turbine to dramatically increase the cycle’s efficiency…[and] a dry-cooling system that significantly reduces water consumption – a critical advantage in the arid desert of western Abu Dhabi…”

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ENERGY-STAR CITIES Top 10 U.S. Cities With The Most Energy Star-Certified Buildings

18 March 2013 (Renew Grid)

“…Launched by the [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)] in 1992, Energy Star is a market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency…[C]ertified buildings typically use at least 35% less energy than average buildings…In 2012, the EPA says, more than 20,000 Energy Star-certified buildings across the U.S. helped save over $2.7 billion in annual utility bills [and over the past 20 years…American families and businesses have saved more than $230 billion on utility bills]…

“…The cumulative number of Energy Star-certified buildings increased last year by more than 24% compared to 2011. In 2012 alone, more than 8,200 buildings earned the certification…For the fifth year in a row, Los Angeles continues to hold on to first place, with 528 [Energy Star-certified buildings] buildings.”

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“…Washington, D.C., with 462 buildings, is a competitive front-runner…Chicago, with 353 buildings, has risen through the rankings each year, starting in sixth place in 2008 and increasing the number of buildings certified by an average of 32% each year…New York City, which recently required its commercial buildings to publicly disclose their energy use, had 325 Energy Star-certified buildings…

“…Atlanta had 304 certified buildings…San Francisco had 291 certified buildings…Houston, with 241 buildings, is home to one in particular that stands out: Phoenix Tower, a 34-story office building, has earned EPA’s Energy Star 14 times - more than any other building in the U.S…Dallas-Fort Worth had 214 certified buildings…Phoenix broke into the top 10 for the first time, with 202 buildings…Boston, a newcomer to the list last year, held on to 10th place with 188 buildings…”

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