Washington’s newest and largest wind farm – the Lower Snake River Wind Facility-Phase I – today began commercial operations, providing Puget Sound Energy’s 1.1 million electric customers with more renewable, emissions-free power. The new facility’s 149 wind turbines – set among the wind-blown farm lands of Garfield County, in southeast Washington – will generate enough [...]
Wind energy leaders discuss turbine challenges
Talk about irony: As 37-mile-per-hour gusts blasted downtown Minneapolis on Thursday, hundreds of wind-energy executives were inside the Minneapolis Hilton, discussing the challenges their industry still faces. Chief among those challenges: weather-related down times and – perhaps more surprisingly – utilities unwilling to accept energy from wind farms because their high-voltage transmission lines can’t accept [...]
Offshore Wind Can Power All of America
U.S. offshore areas hold enormous potential for wind energy development near the nation’s highest areas of electricity demand – coastal metropolitan centers, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said. “More than three-fourths of the nation’s electricity demand comes from coastal states and the wind potential off the coasts of the lower 48 states actually exceeds [...]
Is a Boom Coming to Offshore Wind Projects?
The ability of offshore wind to significantly contribute to the renewable energy targets of 2020 in Europe is spurring governments to support and encourage the sector. As the onshore market continues to grow in certain regions and move slowly towards saturation in others, offshore wind is expected to form a greater part of the pie [...]
Small Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Technology Ideal for Urban Settings
By Amy Berry Traditional Wind Farm Site Disadvantages Are Actually Advantages in Urban Settings For most who hear the words “wind power” the mind conjures up images of towering white propellers in a wide open rural setting. These large propeller turbines, also known as horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs), are the standard in the large [...]
Wind for a generation: From humble start to mega ‘what ifs’
by Zach Hagadone via idahobusiness.net Bob Lewandowski may have been among Idaho’s greatest do-it-yourselfers. As a farmer on 20 acres between Boise and Mountain Home he saw his seeds blown from the ground by a seemingly constant wind. Finally, after years of kicking and scratching at the soil, he realized if he couldn’t raise a [...]
US Market for Small Wind Turbines Grew 78% in 2008
By Sustainable Business – Matter Network The U.S. market for small wind turbines–those with capacities of 100 kilowatts (kW) and less–grew 78% in 2008, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). With a total of 17.3 megawatts (MW) of new installed capacity, consumer demand for clean energy options is on the rise, the Association [...]
How to Do It Yourself – Wind Power!
By Shawna Mac We will create 3 categories for wind power systems. We will primarily discuss the small size but all three have some similarities. -Large: commercial grade Wind Turbines -Medium: Windmill -Small: Long Fan blade How do wind power systems work? A fan blade system is installed on top of a tower or on [...]
Denmark – Leading the World in Wind Power
Companies like AVN Energy, a Danish manufacturer of wind-power equipment, are creating the technology which now provides 20% of Denmark’s electricity production. AVN co-operated with The Trelleborg Group’s Sealing Solutions to develop seals for their wind power actuators. Trelleborg’s reporter, Donna Guinivan, visited AVN’s plant, Silkeborg, Denmark, to get the full story on this and [...]
Callaway Gardens® Leads Southeast with Largest Wind Power Commitment
Nature-Inspired Luxury and Environmental Education-Focused Destination Chooses Wind Power to Offset 100 Percent of Its Electricity Going Green/Corporate Social Responsibility PINE MOUNTAIN, Ga.– Callaway Gardens, a 13,000-acre destination comprised of award-winning gardens, upscale lodge and spa, recreation and residential communities all focusing on connecting man with nature, has offset all of its electricity use with [...]