Wind turbines - Articles - Zimbio

Can wind turbines generate a profit?

Wed, 13 Nov 2008 11:51:10 GMT

posted by Greenbang

Businesses are being encouraged to make money and help the environment by installing wind turbines and selling the excess power generated for a profit.

Independent electricity supplier Opus Energy is one of the utility companies that buys this excess wind power.

The company says the cost of installing a 6kW micro wind turbine is around £18,500 after using available grants and that they start to pay for themselves in the seventh year.

Wind turbine company Eagle Power says it has seen the number of turbines installed double in the last year.

Owner and manager John Gumbley said:

“All of our customers are keen to know that they can earn ‘payback’ from their turbine. Being able to earn money from the power you generate, beyond what you use to run your property, makes green energy an attractive option.”

Valpy Fitzgerald, risk manager at Opus Energy said:

“Those businesses that do take the initiative to install turbines can look to buffer the effect of rising economic costs by selling back their surplus power to the Grid.”

It’s a nice idea but in the current economic climate the idea of a cash-strapped small business blowing almost £20,000 on a glorified windmill that won’t start to pay for itself for another seven years is still a big ask.

Alternative Energy - Wind

Thu, 5 Sep 2008 16:36:00 GMT

posted by FedUpAmerican
Wind Energy Facts What do I need to know to purchase a residential wind turbine?
By Thom Watson
How do residential wind turbines work?
A wind turbine, which is installed on top of a tall tower, collects kinetic energy from the wind and converts it to electricity that is compatible with a home's electrical system.
In a normal residential application, a home is served simultaneously by the wind turbine and a local utility. If the wind speeds are below cut-in speed (7-10 mph) there will be no output from the turbine and all of the needed power is purchased from the utility. As wind speeds increase, turbine output increases and the amount of power purchased from the utility is proportionately decreased. When the turbine produces more power than the house needs, the extra electricity is sold to the utility. All of this is done automatically. There are no batteries in a modern residential wind system.
Small wind systems for remote applications operate somewhat differently.
Will a small wind turbine save me money?
The wind turbine typically lowers your electricity bill by 50 to 90 percent. It is not uncommon for wind turbine owners with total-electric homes to have monthly utility bills of only $8 to $15 for nine months of the year. In northern parts of the country where less air conditioning is used the bills can be very low year-round. The amount of money a small wind turbine saves you in the long run will depend upon its cost, the amount of electricity you use, the average wind speed at your site, and other factors.
What size turbine would I need for my home?
Homes use approximately 9,400 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year (about 780 kWh per month). Depending upon the average wind speed in the area, a wind turbine rated in the range of 5 to 15 kilowatts would be required to make a significant contribution to meet this demand.
Who should consider buying a wind turbine?
A residential wind turbine can be a relatively large device and is not suitable for urban or small-lot suburban homes. Except for very small wind turbines (i.e., with rotors one meter or less in diameter) on very small towers, a property size of one acre or more is desirable.
The economics of a wind system are very sensitive to the average wind speed in the area, and to a lesser extent, the cost of purchasing electricity. As a general rule of thumb, if economics are a concern, a turbine owner should have at least a 10 mph average wind speed and be paying at least 10 cents/kWh for electricity.
Residential wind turbines have been installed in at least 47 of the 50 states, but the majority of the units have been installed in the Northeast and the Midwest.
Will it help the environment if I install a wind turbine at my home?
Yes. Wind turbines produce no pollution and by using wind power you will be offsetting pollution that would have been generated by your utility company. Over its life, a small residential wind turbine can offset approximately 1.2 tons of air pollutants and 200 tons of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and other gases which cause climate change).
Don't I have to take wind measurements for a year or more?
For most residential systems the cost of taking wind measurements is not justified. Wind resource data published by the U.S. Department of Energy is sufficient for an experienced evaluator to predict wind turbine performance. In very hilly or mountainous areas, however, it may be best to collect wind data before purchasing a system to ensure that your site is not in a sheltered area.
Do wind turbines make noise or interfere with TV reception?
Small wind turbines do make some noise, but not enough to be found objectionable by most people. A typical residential wind system makes less noise than the average washing machine.
Wind turbines do not interfere with TV reception.
Will my utility allow me to hook up a wind generator?
Federal regulations (specifically, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, or PURPA) require utilities to connect with and purchase power from small (less than 80 MW) wind energy systems. A wind turbine manufacturer should be able to help arrange the required utility company approvals.
See State-by-State small wind information for lists of interconnection requirements for many U.S. states.
Will I have to change any of the wiring in my house?
No. A wind turbine is easily retrofitted to virtually any home without the need to change any wiring or appliances. In most cases, the utility will install a second utility meter to measure how much surplus electricity it is purchasing from the turbine owner.
What about towers?
An 80- to 120-foot tower is usually supplied along with the wind turbine. Towers this tall are necessary to raise the wind turbine above turbulence generated by obstacles on the ground and trees. Wind velocity and, therefore wind turbine performance, increases with altitude. Several different types of towers are available, depending upon which manufacturer you select. Each type has its advantages; the most economical type of tower is the guyed lattice tower, but a hinged tower can be easier for you to install yourself and provides easier access for maintenance.
How much does a wind system cost?
A small turbine can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $22,000 installed, depending upon size, application and service agreements with the manufacturer.
How reliable are wind turbines? Will I have to perform much maintenance?
Most small turbines have very few moving parts and do not require any regular maintenance. They are designed for a long life (up to 20 years) and operate completely automatically.
How do wind turbines perform as an investment?
The wind system will usually recoup its investment through utility savings within six to 15 years and after that the electricity it produces will be virtually free. Over the long term, a wind turbine is a good investment because a well-sited wind system increases property value, similar to any other home improvement. Many people buy wind systems in preparation for their retirement because they don't want to be subject to unpredictable increases in utility rates.
How would I have a wind turbine installed at my home?
Most dealers offer either complete turnkey (ready-to-operate) installations or the option to purchase direct from the factory and install the system yourself. The first option offers more customer support from the company. Self-installation offers significant savings and a hands-on understanding of the turbine. Prospective owners can discuss the options available with manufacturers to decide which method best suits their budget and technical skills.
What are the companies that sell wind turbines?
Small Wind Turbine Manufacturers List

See the AWEA Publications Catalog for books and videos. (c) 2008 Thom Watson

Top 10 Least Talked About Green Technologies

Wed, 24 Jul 2008 13:12:09 GMT

posted by garyh84

The most talked about green technologies today are ethanol (if you consider that green), solar panels, and wind turbines, but what about the other lesser known green technologies that have the capability of transforming the way we live? Here is a list of the top 10 least talked about green technologies.

10. Inflatable Solar Collectors

The inflatable solar collectors contain inflated mirror concentrators which gather sunlight and focus it onto photovoltaic cells. They can withstand 100mph wind and rain, insects, dirt and more.

9. Solar Ovens

Not only do these help sanitize water, but can also cook just about anything. These bad boys can get up to 300°F making fuel consumption unnecessary.

8. Molten Salt Storage

Not necessarily a green technology by itself, but when combined with solar collectors these bad boys will collect heat and release it in a controlled manner for steam turbine power generation.

7. Algae Biodiesel

Carbon neutral? Check. Replace oil? Check. One dollar a gallon? Holy crap get this stuff rolling!

6. Windbelt Micro-wind

This technology could possibly make wind energy 10-30 times more efficient. Currently the Windbelt Micro-wind only works on a small scale, but hopefully in a few years this technology can be harnessed for something much, much bigger.

5. Airborne Wind Turbine

Although these things look like they are going to pop any second, they will soon be capable of producing electricity for as cheap as $0.02 per KWh.

4. Bluenergy Solar-Wind Turbine

The best of both worlds. Why take up more space than you have to? Bluenergy Solar-Wind Turbines don’t use solar panels or wind turbines; instead, they use solar cells and wind vanes to capture both energy causing elements.

3. Solar Panel Windows

Why bother putting solar panels on your roof when you can turn your existing windows into solar windows? Just paint your windows with a transparent organic dye and wrap it with a window frame that has photovoltaic (PV) cells and bam! Electricity.

2. Highway wind turbines

Highways in San Francisco generate 10mph wind that could soon be harnessed by highway wind turbines. Each turbine would produce 9,600 KwH of energy annually, enough to power 700 homes.

1. Solar Textiles

Turn the sun’s energy into electricity by using textiles. KVA Matx has designed The Soft House which can create up to 16,000 watt-hours of electricity by transforming household curtains into felxible, semi-transparent, solar collectors. Currently the design is years away from being cost efficient, but as the designer says, “Never underestimate the power of the architectural imagination.”

Runner ups:
Inflatable Solar Panels
Light rail from NJ highways

We are America and we must use every one of our natural resources to keep us strong and insure growth.

Wed, 31 Jul 2008 10:05:00 GMT

posted by rswier
Our good friend Waldo Proffitt writes an interesting article about the pros of electricity provided by wind turbines in his column, "The Saudi Arabia of wind power".

Why do we compare American resources to Saudi Arabia? Is Saudi Arabia the new gold standard for energy? I prefer to think about America being the gold standard. We have been and we are.

Anyway, we agree with Waldo and T. Boone Pickens that we need to exploit wind power. That makes perfect sense. We need to find the optimal locations in America to place wind turbines and just do it. However, I am against subsidizing any form of energy production. T. Boone Pickens is asking tax payers to help fund his project with massive multi-billion dollar subsidies.

As the Wall Street Journal points out, "Mr. Pickens figures that [his plan] would save the U.S. about $300 billion a year, in addition to cleaning up the environment. But there’s a vicious circle in place: Wind can’t become a bigger part of the electricity mix until there’s a new batch of transmission lines, and nobody is willing to foot the bill for new power lines until there’s a lot of juice to move. Plus, a lot of communities hate the idea of big power lines plowing across their land. Mr. Pickens says he’s ready to pay for his own private transmission lines to get his wind farm spinning...

But to really take off nationwide, wind power needs a national solution, the Senate heard. Western governors are teaming up with counterparts in Mexico and Canada to build their own clean-energy networks across state boundaries. But so far, the patchwork of federal and state regulations and permits is acting as a brake on wind power’s growth. That means Washington has to act, Mr. Pickens said, by tackling prickly questions like eminent domain and right-of-way across big swathes of federal land."

Now for a reality check. Paul Driessen, from TownHall.com, writes, "Hydrocarbon fuels created America, gave us the technologies and living standards we enjoy today, enabled us to eradicate diseases that plagued earlier generations, and boosted our life expectancy from 50 in 1900 to nearly 80 today. They still provide 85% of our energy, and we could greatly reduce our reliance on oil imports if we would simply end the outrageous policies that keep our nation’s abundant energy resources locked up.

We have enough oil, natural gas, oil shale, coal and uranium to provide power for centuries. We have a growing consensus that we need to drill, onshore and off. But partisan intransigence and absurd environmental claims prevent us from utilizing them. Instead, we’re offered bromides like wind.

Wind contributes more every year to our energy mix. However, it still provides only 1% of our electricity – compared to 49% for coal, 22% for natural gas, 19% for nuclear and 7% for hydroelectric.

Wind power is intermittent, unreliable, noisy and expensive (even with subsidies). Many modern turbines are 400 feet tall and carry 130-foot-long, 7-ton blades that slice up raptors and other birds. They operate only 8 hours a day, on average, compared to 85% of the time for coal, gas and nuclear plants. They rarely provide power during peak summer daytime hours, when air-conditioning demand is highest, but wind speed is low to nonexistent.

Using wind to replace all gas-fired power plants would require some 300,000 1.5-MW turbines, covering Midwestern “wind belt” acreage equivalent to South Carolina. The noise, scenic impacts and bird kills caused by such an “eco-friendly” energy source defy imagination.

Building and installing these turbines requires 5 to 10 times more steel and concrete than is needed to build far more reliable coal or nuclear plants to generate the same amount of electricity, says Berkeley engineer Per Peterson. Add in the financing, steel and cement needed to build transmission lines from distant wind farms to urban consumers, and the effects multiply.

That means vastly more quarries, mines, cement plants and steel mills to supply those raw materials. But radical greens oppose such facilities. So under the Pickens proposal, we would likely import more steel and cement, instead of oil."

I am not against wind farms. I am against those that want "only" wind farms. I have said time and time again that the United States in general and Florida in particular must look at all forms of energy production. Florida has potentially billions of barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas just off of our coast lines. These natural resources belong to all Floridians. By tapping into these offshore resources and refining them we would bring billions of dollars into our economy, create high paying jobs, diversify our economy, increase tax revenues, and help America reduce its dependence on foreign oil.

Nothing should be off of the table. Wind, solar, geothermal, nuclear, oil, clean coal, oil shale, and biomass all have potential and must be developed. T. Boone Pickens is correct when he says we cannot drill our way out of this mess. We must drill, mine, build, invent, innovate, and use technology to get us out of this mess.

For those concerned about the environmental impact of drilling offshore Deroy Murdock of the Seattle Post Intelligencer reports, "U.S. offshore oil drilling is not perfectly tidy. It's only 99.999 percent clean. Indeed, since 1980 -- as MMS figures indicate -- 101,997 barrels spilled from among the 11.855 billion barrels of American oil extracted offshore. This is a 0.001 percent pollution rate. While offshore drilling is not 100 percent spotless, this record should satisfy all but the terminally fastidious. Ironically, in terms of oil contamination, Mother Nature is 95 times dirtier than Man. Some 620,500 barrels of oil ooze organically from North America's ocean floors each year. Compare this to the average 6,555 barrels that oil companies have spilled annually since 1998, according to MMS."

The Heritage Foundation states, "Congressman John Boehner of Ohio is set to introduce The American Energy Act, which will most importantly increase America’s energy supplies. The bill calls for leasing regulations for offshore natural gas by 2010, removing restrictions for outer continental shelf drilling, and opening up sections of ANWR for drilling.

As The Heritage Foundation’s Senior Policy Analyst Ben Lieberman has been arguing this even when gas prices were around $1 a gallon. More energy supplies, not more taxes and regulations, are what this country needs. It’s economics 101: expanding supply is the surest way to lower energy prices, and the quicker Congress moves to open up restricted areas, the quicker more resources will be available...

Where Boehner’s bill falters is the support for renewable fuels such as biodiesel and ethanol. Ethanol has been a prime culprit for rising food prices not only in America but also globally. The federal government has been trying since the 1970s to pick winners and losers by subsidizing unsuccessful alternative sources of energy and these sources still only comprise a small fraction of America’s energy profile."

Republicans have offered multiple bills in the Congress to develop all forms of energy. That is the best idea. That is the rational approach. That is what is best for the people. That is what we must do.

Jet Wind Turbine - 4 Times More Efficient

Tue, 16 Apr 2008 23:29:13 GMT

posted by sjsuarez

Flodesign’s jet engine shaped wind turbine is designed to be an amazingly 3 to 4 times more efficient than standard wind turbines. Present day wind turbines only capture 50% of the air flow, cannot stand high winds, have high building standards, require many trucks to deliver parts for 1 turbine and have to be built tall and away from habitable areas. Due to their large size, the large turbines force air around it instead of through it and during high winds they are usually turned off or break due to their huge slow spinning blades.

Flodesign’s wind jet turbine is designed to be made simple and small, giving it the ability to handle high wind velocities due to its effectiveness to handle off axis flow and turbulence. Slow air on the inside flares out while the fast air on the outside is deflected in. When the two flows meet at different angles they create a rapid mixing vortex. A “fin” placed on top of the Flodesign wind jet turbine has the ability to automatically align to wind direction. In addition, it can be disassembled to fit in one truck vs the traditional wind turbines which will need several trucks to just deliver parts to 1. With the costs estimated to be 25-35% less and the added ability to place these turbines closer together, who would say no?

Check out the video:

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