Google Maps

I had a tough time selecting a location for my wind farm because I got sidetracked and drawn into reading about the politics of constructing them, but this is really outside the scope of the lab.


Wind Speed:
The location I picked is offshore, about 6 miles North of Rogers City, Michigan on Lake Huron.  Wind speed ranges between 6.5-7 m/s, which is sufficient.  I picked an offshore location because wind speeds are more constant there than on land.


Ornithology:
I had trouble assessing this factor in particular when picking my site.  I believe the major cause for concern in this location is migration of ducks, but there is a great deal of bird migration over the Great Lakes in general.  With the information I could readily access (and understand...), I can't say I know enough to be able to really analyze my chosen site in regard to the ornithology.


Noise:
The British Wind Energy Association (http://www.bwea.com) reported that the sound from a wind farm 350 meters away (a typical setback distance) was less than that of an automobile moving at 65 km/h a hundred meters away. Noise should not be a problem for communities on land.


Shadow Flicker:
The wind mills shouldn't cast a shadow on land, making this a non-issue for humans.


Shipping Impact:
Depending on the size of the farm (number of wind mills), it should be outside of major shipping paths.


Landscape and Visual Impact:
Lake Huron is on the more shallow end of the Great Lakes spectrum, making constructing a farm more monetarily feasible here than in the other lakes.  Also, at 6 miles distance from the nearest large city, the wind farm should not be visible or just barely visible.  I opted to locate the farm offshore, but closer to habitation areas so the infrastructure to carry the energy produced could be readily and economically constructed and utilized, and also so public opposition to wind farms near protected nature areas like State Parks could be minimized.