Wind Turbines

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

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. 5 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

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