Wind Power News

A former leather tannery is transformed into an apartment trio in Lisbon

Jul 20, 2018: Lisbon-based architecture firm Aurora Arquitectos has breathed new life into a former leather tannery in the capital of Portugal. Five years in the making, the recently completed apartment refurbishment project turns a single floor into three independent apartments covering a total area of 3,385 square feet. To celebrate the building’s original 18th century architectural style, the architects applied elements of Pombaline design into their renovation including modular elements and a pared-back...

Ground habitat for blade work lets repairs progress despite bad weather

Jul 20, 2018: For a faster turnaround on blade repair one company suggests bringing them down to the ground and putting them in the company’s enclosure or habitat under controlled environmental conditions. The method eliminates the stand-by periods that often accompany bad weather and up-tower repairs. “Three blades on one turbine can be refurbished and returned to service… The post Ground habitat for blade work lets repairs progress despite bad weather appeared first on Windpower Engineering & Development.

Is that bolt tight to the right…load? Ultrasonic sensor tells

Jul 20, 2018: By Paul Dvorak, Editor Windpower Engineering & Development A recently introduced handheld device has the ability to monitor and display the elongation, stress, and load on a wind-turbine fastener. Developer Hydratight says its BoltScope Ultra is for applications that call for accurate bolt loads, such as those in the wind, nuclear, other power-generation industries. It… The post Is that bolt tight to the right…load? Ultrasonic sensor tells appeared first on Windpower Engineering & Development.

Unusual Kerplunk House is envisioned as a miniature forest in the desert

Jul 20, 2018: Design collective I STIFFEN THEE has completed Kerplunk House, a desert shelter with an eye-catching arrangement of exposed wood piercing through its cuboidal volumes. Inspired by nature and traditional colonial Spanish architecture, the structure was built with stucco and exposed wood and elevated off the ground for minimal site impact. Conceived as a multipurpose live-work space, the Kerplunk House forms part of a desert propagation center and will be gradually surrounded by desert flora. Split...

First MHI Vestas offshore turbines to be installed on mono-bucket foundations

Jul 20, 2018: Deutsche Bucht will be the first offshore wind farm worldwide to test the mono-bucket foundation structure under commercial operating conditions. The foundations will be equipped with V164-8.4 MW wind turbines manufactured and installed byMHI Vestas will be installed on Mono Bucket foundations. The news continues a series of innovation-related announcements involving MHI Vestas, including the rollout… The post First MHI Vestas offshore turbines to be installed on mono-bucket foundations appeared first on Windpower Engineering & Development.

FDA re-appropriates the term 'milk,' to potential benefit of dairy industry

Jul 20, 2018: Current federal standards of what classifies as milk have been changed as of April 2017 in an attempt to boost sales on dairy related products. Alternative substitutions regarded as "plant-based dairy imitators" popular among vegetarians and health conscious individuals may no longer use the term as a result of changing regulations. Items in the category made from almond or soy must find a new label as the only recognition accepted by the FDA is "the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum...

GE turbine sales down in 'challenging' market

Jul 20, 2018: US: GE remains optimistic of a continuing "strong global demand for onshore wind" despite a "challenging price dynamic" cutting its renewables profit by half.

Australia prepares to ditch coal... eventually

Jul 20, 2018: AUSTRALIA: A new report by the Australian energy market operator (AEMO) has set out what the country will need to do in order to shift to a low-carbon grid system, following the phase-out of thermal generation over the next two decades.

Enercon subsidiary probes factory fatality

Jul 20, 2018: GERMANY: A 28-year-old man was killed at MTA Metalltechnologie's factory in Lower Saxony on Monday.

SSE's profits fall due to lower winds

Jul 20, 2018: UK: Utility SSE partly blamed low output from its renewable energy projects for its expected £80 million (€89.5 million) profit shortfall.

Vattenfall posts "mixed bag" of results

Jul 20, 2018: SWEDEN: State-backed utility Vattenfall said results in the first half of 2018 were on par with the same period in 2017, as renewables "continued to grow in importance" for the company's earnings.

Jane Goodall and conservationists move to obtain bear hunting licences in Wyoming

Jul 19, 2018: Up to 22 of Yellowstone's grizzly bears are in danger as Wyoming opens up its first bear hunt since the Endangered Species Act of 1975. Wildlife conservationists working alongside famed animal rights champion and educator Jane Goodall raised over $28,000 online for their campaign "Shoot'em with a Camera, Not a Gun" which has infiltrated the list of approximately 7,000 lottery members applying for a hunting licence in the state of Wyoming. The state's game and fish department, who unanimously voted...

This weekend home in Mexico blends in with the forest landscape

Jul 19, 2018: Mexican architecture firm AM30 Taller de Arquitectura has inserted a site-specific weekend home into a forested site in Atemajac de Brizuela, a small town southwest of Guadalajara, Mexico. Dubbed the EC House, the dwelling is split up into a series of interconnected stone-clad volumes placed around existing pine trees and oriented for best views of the nearby mountains. In addition to a natural materials palette that blends the home into the landscape, the EC House was designed to minimize site impact. Located...

UNStudio completes a marina with a luxe yacht-like clubhouse in China

Jul 19, 2018: UNStudio’s Asia office recently completed the Keppel Cove Marina & Clubhouse, a massive waterfront complex in the city of Zhongshan in China’s Guangdong province. Set on the banks of the Xi River, the Keppel Cove Marina was created as part of a 50,000-square-meter masterplan that includes a service building, high-end residential villas, as well as supporting infrastructure such as bridges, roads, and external dykes. Sinuous lines define the eye-catching new marina and clubhouse, which is...

Girl Scouts introduces 30 new badges with emphasis on the environment and STEM

Jul 19, 2018: New STEM oriented Girl Scout badges have been announced by the Girl Scouts of the USA and Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council as of July 18th, 2018. STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The 30 new badges round out last year's issuance of educational programs for girls ages 5-18. Among the curriculum are subjects that "address some of society’s most pressing needs, such as cybersecurity, environmental advocacy, mechanical engineering, robotics, computer science,...

Danish-inspired holiday cabin is a dreamy Pacific Northwest hideout

Jul 19, 2018: Seattle-based design practice Prentiss + Balance + Wickline Architects is no stranger to creating charming cabins that embrace nature in the Pacific Northwest. So when a local family tapped the firm for a vacation home on a wooded plot overlooking the Hood Canal, the architects delivered with a clean and modern dwelling thoughtfully integrated into the site. Called ‘The Coyle’, the cluster of gabled buildings draw inspiration from the owner’s Danish roots and are wrapped in dark-stained cedar...

Supreme court overrules Grain Belt rejection

Jul 19, 2018: UNITED STATES: The Missouri supreme court has ruled state regulators wrongly rejected a development permit for the Grain Belt Express high voltage transmission line.

A 19th century building is reborn as solar-powered temporary housing for families in need

Jul 19, 2018: No matter where you live or what you do for a living, there’s always a chance that fate will take a few bad turns and you’ll need short-term housing for your family. The Cambridge Health and Human Services Department (CHHSD) and Cambridge’s HMFH Architects recently joined forces to build a shelter in a lovely old 19th Century building once thought doomed for demolition. Once a grand aluminum-gilded lady keeping company among dignified homes on either side along Massachusetts...

Seastar and Mermaid merge to form 487MW site

Jul 19, 2018: BELGIUM: Two of Belgium's remaining offshore projects, Mermaid and Seastar, have been merged into a 487.2MW project known as Seamade.

Asia Pacific excluding China to add 12.1GW annually by 2022

Jul 19, 2018: ASIA-PACIFIC: Additional annual wind power capacity in Asia Pacific excluding China (APEC) could reach 12.1GW by 2022, according to a new report -- more than double the 5.5GW added in 2017.

Monobuckets set for Deutsche Bucht pilot

Jul 19, 2018: GERMANY: Northland Power has given the go-ahead to install two monobucket turbine foundations at the 252MW Deutsche Bucht offshore wind project.

Fortum's wind unit losses fall

Jul 19, 2018: FINLAND: Developer Fortum has reported operating loss of €25 million in the first half of 2018 from its "other operations" business segment, which includes wind development.

GIG finances 235MW Swedish project

Jul 19, 2018: SWEDEN: The Macquarie-owned Green Investment Group (GIG) has reached financial close on a €270 million, 235MW wind farm in central Sweden.

Statkraft plans wind expansion

Jul 19, 2018: NORWAY: State-owned energy company Statkraft plans to ramp up wind and solar development as part of an updated business strategy, the group stated in its second quarter financial report.

An updated Scandinavian summer cottage weaves Japanese influences throughout

Jul 18, 2018: There are few better places to spend a Scandinavian summer than in a breezy cottage by the water. One stellar example is the Summer House completed by Swedish architecture firm Kod Arkitekter in the northern Stockholm archipelago. Located on an island and surrounded by the forest and sea, this home makes the most of its idyllic surroundings with a design that maximizes indoor-outdoor living and combines Scandinavian cottage traditions with Japanese minimalism. Built of timber to reference the...

This minimalist timber writers studio in Switzerland is suspended in mid-air

Jul 18, 2018: Most writers need a quiet space to gather their thoughts and do their work. Tapping into this need for solitude, Oslo-based Rintala Eggertsson Architects designed ‘In Praise of Shadows,’ a minimalist writer’s cabin built primarily of timber and suspended in the air on the grounds of the Maison de l’Écriture, a literature institute in Montricher, Switzerland. The compact hut takes inspiration from the cross in the Swiss coat of arms for its geometric form and is lifted into the air beneath...

Mount Kilauea transforms Hawaii's coastline with the birth of a new island

Jul 18, 2018: Just as mass attention towards Mount Kilauea begins to diminish, the young Hawaiian volcano has commandeered this week's headlines by claiming the formation of a new island in the Pacific Ocean. Thankfully no fatalities have resulted from Kilauea's eruption, which launched its ongoing destruction of Hawaii's main island on May 3rd, 2018. Recently geologists working at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a leading organization in tracking global volcanic activity, have reported volcanic creation -...

Adorable prefab nursery in Greece mimics a tiny urban village

Jul 18, 2018: For design collective KLAB Architecture (kinetic lab of architecture), one of the biggest challenges with public buildings in Greece is the lack of architect involvement in the construction process. To circumvent the problem, KLAB Architecture turned to prefabrication for their design of a public nursery in the Athens suburb of Glyfada. Drawing inspiration from a child’s archetypal drawing of a house, the modular gabled structures are clustered together to form the appearance of tiny urban village....

An old bungalow is transformed into an award-winning home with a modern extension

Jul 18, 2018: Los Angeles-based Edward Ogosta Architecture has breathed new life into a 70-year-old bungalow with a modern new addition fitted with massive windows. Named the Rear Window House, the Culver City dwelling spans 1,450 square feet and was commissioned by clients who sought extra space for their growing family. The new extension respects the local architecture—predominately low-slung bungalows from the post-war era—and maintains the 3:12 roof slope shared by the existing house and surrounding residences....

The Eye of the Storm dome home can withstand hurricanes and it's officially on the market

Jul 18, 2018: Beachfront homes on Sullivan’s Island off Charleston, South Carolina are among the most magnificent dwellings in the country. With vistas that seem to extend beyond infinity and backyards bordering Charleston Harbor, these upscale houses offer the ideal trio of magnificent ocean views, peace and tranquility – except during hurricane season. After Hurricane Hugo demolished their prized home on the island in 1989, the owners’ son George Paul, a builder and designer of dome structures, rebuilt...

CGN buys 75% stake in Sweden's Markbygden

Jul 18, 2018: SWEDEN: China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (CGN) has acquired a 75% stake in the 650MW Markbygden project, which is part of a 4GW-plus wind cluster in the northern Piteå municipality.

LM to acquire Dutch test facility

Jul 18, 2018: NETHERLANDS: GE's blade subsidiary LM Wind Power has agreed to acquire the WMC test facility in Wieringerwerf in the north of the country.

Belgium's 'largest battery' connected to wind turbines

Jul 18, 2018: BELGIUM: Printing company Peleman has connected a battery, reported to be the country's largest, to two wind turbines at its manufacturing site in northern Belgium.

Energy-plus home is a beacon of sustainability in Tel Aviv

Jul 17, 2018: Israeli architecture firm Geotectura recently completed a striking modern home that can produce more energy than it needs. Located in Tel Aviv, the single-family home—called the Eco360—combines traditional passive design principles with improved energy-efficient systems such as solar photovoltaic panels and a gray water system. The sustainable dwelling also embraces views of the outdoors as well as plenty of natural light. The project brief was for a modern home that could elegantly...

Midcentury, Scandinavian-inspired Canadian chalet gets a spectacular renovation

Jul 17, 2018: An aging chalet in Canada that was facing demolition has been completely turned around thanks to a stunning renovation led by Montreal-based design studio Alain Carle Architecte. Originally built in the 1960s, the Maribou Residence features midcentury Scandinavian architectural influences—no doubt inspired by the rise of Alvar Aalto’s reputation during that time period. Enamored with the home’s history, the clients wanted to conserve the home’s original character while modernizing the appearance....

This massive Sun Ray could sustainably power 220 homes in Melbourne

Jul 17, 2018: What if renewable energy infrastructure could be both functional and beautiful? Exploring that notion is Italian architectural practice Antonio Maccà, who designed ‘Sun Ray,’ a massive solar collector that could generate enough energy to power 220 Melbourne homes—with approximately 1,100 MWh of electricity produced annually. Shortlisted for this year’s Land Art Generator Initiative Melbourne design competition, the conceptual design was conceived as a symbol for the future of sustainable...

Futuristic library pops up in an ancient Chinese city

Jul 17, 2018: Incredible, futuristic-looking libraries have been taking root across China, including in one of the country’s most famous ancient cities, Xi’an. Once the capital for thirteen dynasties, the Shaanxi Province city is now home to the curvaceous, all-white Zhongshu bookstore with a design that looks like something straight out of a science fiction film. Crafted by Shanghai-based Wutopia Lab, the bookstore was constructed from 300 tons of steel and 30,000 meters of light strips. Located...

This yurt-inspired modern cabin is a holiday getaway in Slovakia

Jul 17, 2018: Bratislava-based architect Peter Jurkovič of design practice JRKVC has designed a contemporary cabin by the lake that takes inspiration from traditional yurts. Created for a young married couple who own a creative studio in Bratislava, the holiday retreat—called ‘Attila’ as a nod to the nomadic tribes that used yurts in Central Asia—is located in the village of Vojka nad Dunajom, approximately 12 miles away from Slovakia’s capital city. In addition to serving as a cozy getaway, Attila...

EnBW invests in first Swedish wind farm

Jul 17, 2018: SWEDEN: German developer-utility EnBW has opened an office and invested in its first wind farm in the country.

Investor and trader launch €200m wind fund

Jul 17, 2018: EUROPE: Investment firm Low Carbon and energy and commodity trader Vitol have closed a fund to invest in European renewable energy projects, including onshore and offshore wind.

Ørsted launches Ocean Wind lidar buoy

Jul 17, 2018: UNITED STATES: Developer Ørsted has started measuring wind and wave conditions to determine the best turbine locations for its Ocean Wind project off the coast of New Jersey.

Startups launch turbine listening products

Jul 17, 2018: AUSTRALIA: Two technology startup companies have joined forces to offer a product that monitors wind projects by listening to turbines.

Escape into nature at Alberto Kalachs timber cabins in Oaxaca

Jul 16, 2018: Renowned Mexican architect Alberto Kalach has designed a series of idyllic timber cabins along the Pacific Ocean in Oaxaca, Mexico. Available to rent on AirBnB, these cabins built near the beach were developed as part of the Punta Pájaros, an ecological development located approximately 25 minutes from Puerto Escondido, a port town with stunning surf, jewel-like beaches, and a buzzing nightlife. The cabins, which are strategically placed away from the hustle bustle and are oriented to face the ocean,...

This beautiful planted bridge doubles as a public gathering place in China

Jul 16, 2018: When Beijing-based practice DnA Design and Architecture was tapped to renovate an old stone masonry bridge in Zhejiang, China, founding architect Xu Tiantian saw it as an opportunity to create a transformative and culturally significant gathering space for the public. Spanning the Songyin River, the updated Shimen Bridge now features a beautiful timber addition with built-in seating, planters, and even a centrally located square with trees. Here, villagers are encouraged to come and enjoy their surroundings...

Derelict property transformed into a vibrant, sunny hostel in Portugal

Jul 16, 2018: When design firms Aurora Arquitectos and Furo were asked to transform an old building in the Portuguese coastal resort town of Cascais into a hip hostel, they had their work cut out for them. Though the roof was still standing, the interiors were completely rundown. Using a laminated steel frame to reinforce the structure, the architects steadily transformed the building from ruin into welcoming lodgings that play up the vacation theme with tropical prints and bright, sunny colors. Located...

Lush green roof camouflages the Chameleon Villa into the Indonesian tropics

Jul 16, 2018: True to its name, the Chameleon Villa is a residence that seamlessly blends into its forested surroundings in Bali thanks to its integration of lush greenery. Designed by international architecture practice Word of Mouth House, the contemporary dwelling spans nearly 11,000 square feet, yet deftly hides its bulk with a landscaped roof. The “camouflaged” roofs also help promote natural cooling and are integrated with rainwater collection and recycling systems as well as solar panels. Located...

Glass elements dramatically open up a solar-powered Sydney home

Jul 16, 2018: In Sydney’s affluent suburb of Kirribilli, a contemporary home stands out from its Victorian manor neighbors. Local design practice Bijl Architecture reworked an existing semi-detached home into the Doorzien House, a two-story home that takes full advantage of its sweeping Sydney harbor views. In addition to floor-to-ceiling glazing installed in the rear of the house, glass elements are used throughout the house—in the form of skylights, flooring, highlight panels and balustrades—to fill the...

Secondary finance driving offshore investments

Jul 16, 2018: WORLDWIDE: Investments in offshore wind reached a record high in 2017, while spending on onshore wind fell by nearly 15%, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

UN Environment and Yale present a sustainable tiny home in NYC

Jul 13, 2018: Un Environment and Yale University’s School of Architecture just unveiled an innovative tiny-house that explores the intersection of policy and eco-conscious design. The Ecological Living Module, located at the UN Plaza in New York City, is a sustainable dwelling that embodies many of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Developments, several of which are under review this month at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. Designed by an interdisciplinary group of engineers,...

Ancient rural hamlet reinterpreted as a solar-powered modern home

Jul 13, 2018: Rimini-based GGA Gardini Gibertini Architects renovated a cluster of historic buildings into a modernist dwelling set in the lush Italian countryside. Named the AP House, the project comprises three structures with a more streamlined farmhouse aesthetic on the exterior and a light-filled contemporary interior. The striking renovation is located on one of the highest hills in Urbino atop ancient remains that date back to the Medieval Communes. Clad in rustic stonework, AP House consists...