While wind turbines are certainly effective at producing energy, some think they aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing structure to dot our open country-sides. But that’s no reason to write them off. In fact, Altaeros Energy has come up with a fascinating solution to this little problem: a donut-shaped wind-power structure fitted in a helium-filled balloon and suspended 2,000 feet in the air.

Better yet, it turns out that the Altaeros Airborne Wind Turbine is not just less of an eyesore—it’s more energy efficient than traditional turbines as well. Wind speeds closer to the ground can vary drastically, which means the energy they generate isn’t always consistent. However, the wind speeds higher up in the air tend to remain the same. Each wind turbine is expected to generate 2 megawatts of energy.

In addition, Altaeros Energy estimates that the turbines will cost 60-65% cheaper than other wind generators and diesel generators. What’s more, the systems can be up and running in a day or two, and could solve many of the issues developing countries are facing with high electricity costs. There is also potential on military sites where soldiers have lost lives in fuel convoys.

Despite the upside to airborne wind turbines, there are a few challenges keeping them grounded. For one, only small prototypes currently exist. There are also concerns that once built, the wind turbines won’t be able to withstand harsh and unpredictable weather, e.g. extremely strong winds, ice storms, and the like.

If Altaeros Energy is able to come up with viable solutions to current issues and create a working model, the wind turbine future could look quite promising.

It may seem like wind farms are a relatively new form of green technology, but they have actually been around for years—decades, even.

In fact, the UK’s first commercial wind farm, located at Delabole in Cornwall, celebrated its 20-year anniversary with a multimillion-pound renovation. Delabole originally consisted of 10 turbines standing at 164 feet each, but has now received four new 325-foot turbines as part of the overhaul.

With the newer, more energy efficient turbines up and running, the wind farm is expected to generate 9.2 megawatts of power—a massive feat for any form of renewable energy. This operation now has the ability to power 7,000 homes.

The project cost about 11.8 million pounds to complete, but with the site slated to produce a substantial amount of power in the area for years to come, it seems well worth it.

Photo Credit: Peter Cowley via Flickr CC

It seems counterintuitive, but a recent test by Washington state-based Inland Power and Light shows solar panels outperforming wind turbines by a factor of five.

Across much of the nation, and particularly the northern quadrant, wind seems to be perpetually present, blowing dust into our homes and barbecue smoke into our eyes.

In fact, as this test proves, wind is much more intermittent – even downright absent – than our senses would have us believe.

To prove this, Inland Power – the largest electric cooperative in Washington – installed solar panels and a 35-foot wind turbine, each system costing about $22,000 and each delivering approximately the same amount of electricity under optimum conditions. Initially, the experiment was to help customers decide which renewable energy system would serve them better.

According to Inland Power engineers, the solar panels delivered almost five times as much electricity as the wind turbine. Why?

Not only is wind more erratic than sunshine, but wind turbines are designed to “kick in” at a certain lower limit. For many, this is a wind speed of between 3 and 12 miles per hour.

In addition, while very strong sunlight simply improves a solar panel’s performance, very high winds – rather than generating more energy – cause wind turbines to cut out to prevent damage to the hub and/or gearbox.

Surprisingly, even very short winter days showed solar delivering more bang for the buck than wind turbines.

Wind’s only advantage? At this point, and for a little while longer, wind is cheaper.  However, as solar cell efficiencies improve, and manufacturing techniques drive down the cost of panels, solar may soon become the clear winner.

Of course, we knew that all along.

Photo Credit: Brian Jeffery Beggerly & Living Off Grid via Flickr CC

Earlier this month, the Environmental Law & Policy Center released a report on the growth of renewable energy manufacturing in Ohio. Sure, the Buckeye State may not be the most well-established in terms of green tech, but the report lays out a unique mix of policy, history, and vision that have led to job growth in the wind and solar sector in Ohio.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Ohio’s approach is that it focused on the supply chains for these technologies. While there are instances of companies in the state that assemble and install wind turbines and solar systems, much of the job growth has resulted from  production of components for these systems, a natural fit for a state with an established manufacturing infrastructure.

Companies like Cincinnati’s Cast-Fab Technologies, Inc. and Canton’s Timken have been able to make a relatively seamless entry into the renewable technologies market, and create jobs in the process. State investment in these jobs, as well as a renewable energy portfolio standard, have also contributed to job creation in this sector.

So, what kind of job growth are we talking about? On the one hand, the numbers look small on the surface: currently, there are 7,500 workers in the wind industry, and 1,500 in solar in Ohio. On the other, ELPC notes that “renewable energy is one of the fastest-growing business sectors for job creation” in the state, and that increasing demand for wind turbines puts Ohio behind only California in terms of job growth.

If the pundits and politicians are right, and a thriving manufacturing sector based in green technology is our best hope for sustained economic recovery, Ohio may turn out to be a model for Rust Belt states. Maybe making gears and bearings isn’t quite as sexy as building turbines and systems themselves, but it seems to be putting people to work in a state hard hit by both our recent economic woes, and the general decline of American manufacturing.

Know of similar stories around the US? Companies, or even regions, retooling for renewables? Let us know about them…

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg is the founder and editor of sustainablog, as well as green product mini-sites specializing in folding electric bicycles and organic Grade B maple syrup.

Image: Refurbished Vestas turbine in downtown Cleveland Credit: Tom Maves and NREL/DOE

Just days after Illinois governor Patrick Quinn signed legislation to boost solar power in his state, New Jersey governor Chris Christie followed suit by signing the Offshore Wind Economic Development Act, a similar law aimed at boosting wind power capacity off New Jersey shores. The law will encourage the development of offshore wind through financial assistance, tax credits and utility energy mandates.

The act dictates that a certain percentage of electricity produced in New Jersey be eventually generated through offshore wind farms. It calls on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to develop an offshore renewable energy certificate (OREC) program to facilitate the production of at least 1,100 megawatts of offshore wind power.

The legislation specifies the struggling Paulsboro Marine Terminal, located on the Delaware River, as the state hub for wind turbine manufacturing, thus creating green jobs and an economic boon for New Jersey. The offshore turbines would be positioned between 12 and 20 miles of the coast.

Two offshore wind development companies, Fisherman’s Energy and Deepwater Wind, already have plans to install wind power off New Jersey shores. The OWEDA bill should help to solidify those plans. As yet, however, no company has signed on to build a turbine plant in New Jersey.

But while there are no guarantees that New Jersey will win out over other East Coast states, said David Pringle of the New Jersey Environment Federation to NJ.com, “Those states that are most aggressive in promoting polices that promote alternative energy are the ones that will reap the benefits.”

“New Jersey is now in the best position of any state to benefit,” he added.

One hitch in the plan is the potential rate hikes for utility customers, as the development of new offshore wind farms, which includes miles of new transmission lines from sea to shore, remains expensive. The New Jersey Business and Industry Association predicts that anywhere from $7 billion to $14 billion in costs will be passed on to ratepayers.

Governor Christie addressed that dilemma briefly: “Over the long haul, what I’m really concerned about is that we continue to hold ratepayers hostage to energy creation which is much more volatile in terms of its prices. What it will ultimately cost ratepayers is open to question still, but we’re going to be working to make it as efficient and effective as we can.”

Offshore wind power has huge potential for creating renewable energy off America’s shores, where wind speeds are higher and more consistent than on land. But offshore wind remains largely undeveloped in North America and questions persist as to the cost-effectiveness of building and installing offshore turbines, which must be bigger and stronger than their landlubber counterparts, as well as able to withstand the corrosive power of saltwater.

Nevertheless, the power potential of offshore wind has pushed it to the forefront of renewable energy generation, with the first American offshore wind project, Cape Wind, gaining federal approval earlier this year. The signing of OWEDA in turn solidifies New Jersey as an early adopter of the technology.

New Jersey is one of 10 East Coast states to sign on to a Department of Interior consortium to develop wind energy off the Atlantic coast.

Photo Credit: Guardian & Sustainable Energy World

While financial terms of the 20-year contract have not been released, the capacity of the wind farm is 114 MW, enough renewable electricity, Google says, to power several of its increasing portfolio of data centers. The company uses these centers to support its vast web of search engine, email and other online services.

Google has been heavily involved in the renewable energy industry. The company has invested millions in solar power and geothermal energy, covered its parking lot in solar trees, developed the Google PowerMeter and is even developing its own proprietary solar technologies. Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm, has made several key donations, including the recent giveaway of 3,000 solar chargers to the International Medical Corps to help in relief efforts worldwide.

The 20-year deal with NextEra Energy Resources is set to begin on July 30th. Google will pay a fixed rate for the wind power over that term. The purchase brings Google that much closer to its RE<C Initiative, by which the company aims to help renewable energy — for itself and for the entire electric grid — cost less than coal, currently the primary source of power in America. Google is also promoting the development and use of plug-in electric vehicles through its RechargeIT program.

Source: MSNBC
Photo Credit is a combo of Local Lender & Grinning Planet with a litle ‘shop help.

In development by NextEra Energy Resources, the two wind farms consist of 113 turbines creating 169.5 megawatts of renewable wind power — enough to power 55,000 homes. The turbines will incorporate some cutting-edge wind technology as well, improving turbine performance and lowering the overall cost of resulting electricity. In terms of control, each turbine will be able to automatically adjust blade pitch to better harness wind from all directions, and use larger blades to achieve 15 percent more swept area than previous models.

The latest in remote monitoring technology will be employed to ensure maximum time online for each turbine and increase overall power production. The tilting windmills should have little problem finding wind energy on North Dakota’s open plains. The expansive state holds the best wind resources in the nation. According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), North Dakota could produce up to 1,210 billion kilowatt-hours of wind power annually.

Other clean energy innovations by Google include its PowerMeter, which tracks home energy usage online, and a climate change tool that Google hopes will help cut down on global deforestation. The search engine giant is offering both of these resources to scientists, utilities, governments, organizations or individuals for free through its philanthropic arm, Google.org. Google has also been lobbying the federal government hard on behalf of environmental legislation.

Photo Credit: WindPowerTurbines & Great Plains Wind Energy

Anyone who’s followed renewable energy news in recent years has no doubt heard mention of Cape Wind, for it has stirred up a decade-long controversy, despite its ability to create enough wind energy to power 400,000 homes. Supporters call it a major breakthrough for the US wind industry and our collective drive toward cleaner electricity, but powerful detractors have persisted, including late Senator Ted Kennedy, who didn’t like the idea of gazing at wind turbines from his Hyannis Port home, which overlooks Nantucket Sound.

Two Wampanoag Indian tribes delayed a ruling last year by claiming the turbines would disrupt spiritual sun ceremonies and potentially even artifacts on the seabed. Other reasons for controversy have included possible damage to historic sites, birds, fishing, aviation and those who simply see the turbines as an eyesore.

So there’s no doubt that Secretary Salazar’s decision is a big one. One that even he admits will likely have further legal battles to fight, although he is confident that Cape Wind will go forward. It most certainly has the support of other governors on the eastern seaboard. Following a letter to Salazar in opposition by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, six regional governors replied with their own letter insisting the project move on, fearing that Cape Wind’s failure would signal doom for other offshore projects up and down the east coast.

The turbines will stand 400 feet high and dot 24 square miles of ocean. For the wind industry, which grew by 27 percent last year without a single offshore project, this is a major victory. There is high potential for wind power out at sea. Several European countries have proven that, including Germany, Denmark, Spain and Portugal.

German company Siemens AG will supply the turbines for Cape Wind.

Via Reuters

Photo Credit: WindDose & SB Composites

By increasing blade length by 40 percent to 176 feet, along with making the blades more aerodynamic, this vastly larger windmill can still turn in winds that are 7 to 70 miles per hour, comparable to most standard wind turbines.  Also, by simplifying the generator and drive-train to cut down on offshore maintenance from failing gear boxes (a major problem in wind turbines), GE has brought wind harvesting into the offshore arena and revolutionized the design at the same time.  Take that, oil rigs!  Just kidding.  Seriously though, there is enough wind blowing along the coastlines to power the entire American nation four times!

The blades are one of two crowning glories on this piece of renewable energy masterwork.  They are both curved and bent backwards, allowing them to handle gusts by twisting with their natural curve, rather than bending like most turbine blades do.  The bending in standard blades renders them inefficient in a gust of wind and can break or damage them severely.

The next massive improvement is the 90-ton generator with a 20-foot ring of magnets.  This massive wonder allows the turbine to keep turning without having to maintain gears or change their oil, a boon to the offshore maintenance crew.  Traditionally, the gearbox is used to speed up the drive-train to generate larger amounts of electricity at lower wind speeds.

A few other neat things: the pitch controllers can rotate the blades automatically out of harm’s way in major gusts, or adjust the blades by fractions of degrees to maximize output.  The blades are not solely fiberglass; there is carbon fiber at critical points, which adds strength and drops pounds.  Converters and transformers stabilize and boost the generated electricity from 690 volts to 22,000 for traveling well over long distance power lines.

Pretty dang cool and it doesn’t take up one inch of usable landmass.  This is just another in a growing list of  smart innovations for renewable energy (and solar power).

FYI:  Solar Power is any power source that originates in the sun (everything known to man but fission) and Solar Photovoltaic is the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity.

Source: PopularScience.com

Why Focus on Small-Scale Wind?

Small-scale wind requires all the same steps that large-scale applications do, such as product sourcing and support.  It is truly an in-depth process.  The suite helps new wind developers determine optimal set-ups based on on-site measurements rather than published data, which puts small-scale guys on-par with more commercial wind developers.  This is good news for start-ups in need of assistance.  With the addition of Garrad Hassan’s project, these smaller users can receive much-needed efficiencies unavailable to them until now.

Says Paul Gardner of Garrad Hassan:

“It is anticipated that the UK will have 750,000 sub-5 MW small-scale renewable energy projects, including wind and solar, by 2020. Of these, around 25,000 are expected to be of sufficient size to justify project-specific specialist consultancy services. In response to this, we have honed our existing services, for larger commercial projects, to offer the support required for a successful small-scale wind or solar project of up to 5 MW. This will allow developers to maximize the benefits of the Feed-In-Tariff system which DECC aims to have in place in April this year.”

While this company is UK based, there are offices around the world, including at least one in all of the following countries: US, Australia, Germany, Canada, China and Mexico.  To find an office in your country or locale, visit the Garrad Hassan directory here.

tory and Photo via RenewableEnergyWorld