Community calls out ridiculous misinformation about wind turbines: 'A literal scam'

Online commenters took the opportunity to give the internet a lesson about how wind turbines really work after one poster made false claims suggesting that they weren't designed to produce electricity efficiently.

As one commenter pointed out, Betz's Law described how to theoretically create the most efficient wind turbine design possible over a hundred years ago.

Published in 1919, the European Academy of Wind Energy explained that the law states even the most efficient turbine can never harness more than 59% of the power of an air current.

But the original poster didn't seem to understand that principle.

"Wind turbines are a literal scam," they claimed. "Just look at those tiny little wings. Ultimately, the electrical output of a wind turbine is dependent on its surface area, it doesn't matter how fast it's moving."

They went on to say that the "obvious" best design would be to use "lightweight sails" that can capture nearly 100% of the wind's energy while prioritizing "torque over speed."

"But the current design is obviously meant to make you buy as many individual turbines as possible while using the speed to cover up the inefficiency and cause as much wear and tear as possible, and is thus a scam," they concluded.

Of course, their idea wouldn't work, as commenters were quick to point out. That's because the air still needs to be able to pass through the turbine in order to allow it to turn. Try to catch too much of the wind, and you end up with a solid surface that doesn't spin.

"Why do you think gliders have long skinny wings?" said one user.

Unfortunately, misinformation and misunderstandings about how clean energy works have caused many people to distrust this source of electricity.

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That's unfortunate, because clean energy is the most cost-effective and affordable option, and it is getting more so all the time as the technology advances.

Meanwhile, technology like solar power and wind power doesn't cause heat-trapping air pollution that overheats our planet, and it also helps protect our air quality and keep us healthy.

It's the best choice for the future of the human race, and the sooner we switch over to clean energy and stop using dirty fuels, the better off we'll be.

Hopefully, people will listen to reputable sources about how clean energy works and avoid this type of misinformation in the future.

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