Wind Power

Norwegian company StatoilHydro is working on a 2.3 megawatt floating wind turbine that will be attached to the top of 'Spar-buoy' and moored to the seabed by three anchor points. It is hoped that the 80 meter diameter, 65 meter high Siemens turbine will have lower deep-water installation costs when compared to traditional wind installations. The company plans to have the first prototype ready by fall of 2009, when they will begin feasibility tests to assess how it stands up to high winds. A 3 meter high scale model has already been tested in a wave tank simulator. 1 Comment

According to a recent article from Greentech Media, a Massachusetts aerospace company called FloDesign is working on a wind turbine concept that could potentially be at least twice as efficient as traditional rotor blade turbines, which force air around them instead of through them. It works by channeling wind into a vortex that spins the blades and generates electricity. The company hopes to have a working prototype completed by the end of 2009. Unfortunately their website at flodesignwindturbine.org is not currently functional, but the following video gives a great overview and technical details. 3 Comments

Thanks for participating in our recent energy poll, where we asked you to choose your favorite renewable energy sources. Voting is still open, but so far it looks like solar power is the most popular choice, with wind power in second place. We recently came across another interesting NWA news article that examines the differences between solar and wind and concludes that wind energy is more actually more efficient than solar energy. Among other factors, they quote UCEI director Severin Borenstein as stating "wind power still remains much cheaper to produce than solar." What do you think? 28 Comments

The Bahrain World Trade Center (BWTC) has completed the construction of the three wind turbines that will generate electricity between it's twin towers. The BWTC design blends maritime aesthetics with the functionality of traditional wind-towers. The buildings are the tallest in Manama and the turbines officially make it the world's first wind-powered mega structure. The three wind turbines are horizontally supported between the towers by three bridges weighing a substantial 65-tonnes each, and will provide 11-15% of the electricity needs of both towers. No Comments

The First Wind Turbine at a Mountain Ski Resort Begins Producing Power - Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock, MA begins generating its own power today. Friday August 3, 2007, the blades of a GE 1.5 MW wind turbine caught the Berkshire breeze and began generating electricity to directly satisfy Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort's electrical demands. As the first kilowatts seamlessly flowed through the resort's facilities, the resort became the first business of its kind in North America to produce its own electricity from a wind turbine. Sitting high atop the mountain resort, the wind turbine is a dramatic testament to the viability of renewable wind energy as an on-site power resource. 1 Comment

Residents of Dubai may one day experience a unique and constantly changing skyline thanks to Dynamic Architecture's wind powered rotating skyscraper. The main idea behind their concept involves a central concrete core surrounded by 59 independently rotating levels. The skyscraper would generate its own electricity from the massive horizontal wind turbines that would be stacked in between each floor. This idea may seem outlandish or impossibly expensive, but the oil price boom in Dubai has already funded many other similarly massive and complex architectural projects. If oil prices continue to increase these rotating wonders may be seen on Dubai's horizon within the next few years. 21 Comments

Toronto Inventor Tom J. Gilmour recently published his conceptual designs for what he is calling Tom's Whirligig. Patent applications have been made, and Tom hopes to reserve all rights and worldwide patents for his design. Tom believes his windmill plans to be the most complex ever devised. While he is not yet sure of the workability of this concept, he is optimistic about its feasibility and hopes to soon find the time to build a working model. His website provides detailed descriptions, illustrations, Google Sketchup files and a blog for visitor comments. 7 Comments

Manitowoc Crane Group will launch a new technology designed for the assembly and maintenance of wind turbines. The Grove GTK1100 will be unlike any crane available to the market today. MCG produces Manitowoc crawler cranes and Grove mobile cranes used for erecting wind turbines. The new GTK1100 is a result of extensive customer research within the Manitowoc and Grove global customer base. 1 Comment

Ecotricity is the U.K.'s first clean energy company, offering business and residential customers the opportunity to lower U.K. pollution levels and support the growth of alternative energy in Europe. Since 1996 Ecotricity has been selling electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. Company profits are invested in further research and development of clean energy sources. Ecotricity hopes to double the amount of renewable electricity in the U.K. and provide services for 20,000 European homes by the end of 2006. Currently one third of all carbon emissions in the U.K. come from burning fossil fuels to generate electricity. No Comments

The company constructing the Olympic Games site plans to build a wind turbine which would provide enough energy to power about 1,200 homes for a year, it was announced today. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) said the 120-metre tall turbine, which will have a lifespan of about 20 years, will be used to power local amenities including street lighting and housing in the Olympic Park area after London 2012. The turbine, which will cost about £2 million to build and install and has 40-metre-long blades, will be located at Eton Manor in the north of the Olympic Park site in east London. No Comments

The U.S. Department of Defence has released a report about the impact of wind farms on military radar installations. The report undermines previous U.S. Air Force report which stated that the impacts were minimal, and the new report calls more a more in-depth look at the risks. The report covers all aspects of risk, including the impact on military radar, commercial air radar and fishing and ocean navigation systems. The department would like to see radar 'red zones' implemented in order to appease national security concerns and maintain the credibility of current systems. No Comments

In August the electrical retailer Currys began selling photovoltaic solar panels at selected stores. Now DIY superstore B&Q plans to sell budget-priced wind turbines and solar panels in 300 towns and cities throughout the UK. The wind turbines will cost £1,498 and the solar thermal panels by R M Solar cost from the same - with a survey and installation included in the price. 1 Comment

The Airtricity firm wants to build wind farms on 38 sites in the UK, two of which are in the Harborough district around Kibworth and the Langtons. The first plot runs from the Carlton Curlieu and Shangton villages in the north, down into Kibworth and Tur Langton. Part of the land is the former site of Kibworth Rifle Range. The second boundary is kidney-shaped and runs from Burton Overy down into Kibworth Harcourt. The land is owned or worked on by different farmers. No Comments

Eurus Energy Holdings Corp., Japan's biggest wind power supplier, may scrap a plan to build turbines in the north of the country after the regional utility said it will cut purchases of wind-generated power because supply is unreliable. The project for Hokkaido island would not be profitable under a power purchase plan offered by Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Eurus Energy President Kiyoshi Haraikawa said in an interview on Aug. 22. Hokkaido Electric in June told wind power companies bidding to supply the utility that it wants to buy 25 percent less electricity than offered. No Comments