Is windpower ever going to be viable

Here's an interesting one I have read quite a few debates about in recent months... is windpower ever going to be viable?

Basically with people finding turbines an eyesore and also arguments how much energy they actually generate it seems that there is a general backlash against them - people see that they are a good idea but don't want them in their backyard and also concerned about the economics of the situation by which I mean do they actually make their money back in a short enough timeframe.

Then there is the efficiency of the turbine, these can never be better than 50% or so and generally run around the 40% mark.

I am not so pessimistic because I think that offshore wind farms are sure to avoid being an eyesore get lots of wind from the sea and therefore can generate huge amounts of energy. So offshore windfarms are the way ahead and will make windpower viable.

Re : Is windpower ever going to be viable

Technologies are improving all the time and our knowledge of how to derive the most energy from processes cost efficiently too.

As long as the wind turbines are in locations where they are constantly turning at close to full speed then I think it is viable, that is really the key - if they aren't turning then they aren't generating!

So putting them in locations where they are always going to be turning, even if they are difficult locations to access or get to, are probably the most viable in the longer term as the extra effort put into putting them in those places will pay back over a long enough period of time.