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 any more power.

“The grid won’t handle it, and (utilities) have to refuse wind power,” said Scott McBride, regional site manager for Texas-based Padoma Wind LLC.

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 crop from the earth, then maybe he could harvest something from the sky: electricity.

Betting the farm on wind power, Lewandowski invested a total of more than $120,000 to purchase, ship and refurbish three old turbines from California. Inventing his own performance-boosting repairs, he labored for about three years before hoisting the first 150-foot tower himself.

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 said.

U.S. manufacturers sold about half of all small wind turbines installed worldwide last year. U.S. market share amounted to $77 million of the $156 million global total. (Worldwide, about 38.7 MW of new small wind capacity was installed in 2008.)

“The U.S. wind industry is a growing bright spot in our domestic economy, and the small wind sector is no exception,” said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. “Strong federal policies like the federal investment tax credit for small wind are critical to future growth, just as adoption of a federal renewable electricity standard (RES) is essential to growth in the utility-scale market.”

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 the roof of your home and collects kinetic energy and converts it to electricity to be used by your home.

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 the future of wind power in general:

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 renewable energy by purchasing 21,000,000-kilowatt hours of renewable energy credits (RECs). As a leader in environmental stewardship, Callaway is the Southeast’s first resort to embrace wind energy with a 100 percent annual commitment.

Wind farms generally improve the scenery of locations that were not that picturesque to begin with. According to a study in Geographical Research published by Wiley-Blackwell, wind farms have a negative impact on landscapes with a high scenic quality, but a positive effect on dull and mundane landscapes.

In the paper titled “Scenic Perceptions of the Visual Effects of Wind Farms in South Australian Landscapes”, over 300 participants rated the scenic qualities of 68 photographed landscapes with, and without, digitally added wind farms.

DUBLIN, Ireland – Research and Markets has announced the addition of “Offshore Wind Power” to their offering.

The 1st Edition of Offshore Wind Power report is a 75-page overview of how and why offshore wind power is set to become a major contributor to global power production.

Wind power has been the fastest growing industry in the world over the last decade and most wind energy is produced onshore. However, a number of challenges have arisen that make continued onshore wind power deployment more difficult. This has opened the door for offshore wind power development. Offshore wind turbines take advantage of wind speeds which are more constant and stronger than those on land. Larger turbines are used, which translates into greater energy production. Since many large load centers are located near coasts, turbines can be installed closer to load, decreasing transmission losses and reducing congestion. The placement of turbines over-the-horizon and undersea transmission lines eliminate many of the aesthetic concerns that are common with onshore turbines.

WindTrain is the recipient of a 2007 Citation from the Unbuilt Architecture Design Committee of the Boston Society of Architects (BSA). This award honors innovation and experimentation in design devoid of standard contextual constraints. Award jurors described WindTrain as, “A bold notion of using found land to reduce automobile emissions.”

Arrowstreet developed the concept of a “wind train” from the imperative to reduce our regional impact on global warming. Massachusetts power plants generate 22% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the state; vehicles contribute 32%. The WindTrain addresses both sources simultaneously, offsetting CO2 production by providing 1,000 MW of power generation capacity through wind turbines located along Route 128 and 93 in Massachusetts, and by linking all existing commuter rail links from the City of Boston with a transit loop-connecting the spokes with the wheel.

The project suggests a vision for the ubiquitous interstate infrastructure in the U.S. and offers opportunities to generate renewable energy across the country without adversely impacting undisturbed land and residential neighborhoods.

Xcel Energy today issued a Request for Proposals for 500 megawatts of wind power to help it meet Minnesota’s Renewable Energy Standard. Under the company’s preferred option, once built, project ownership would be transferred to Xcel Energy. The company will consider resources with commercial operation dates through 2011.

“We support the goal of securing an environmentally sound energy future, and we are committed to achieving this goal in a reliable and timely manner,” said Mark Stoering, Xcel Energy vice president for portfolio strategy and business development. “We also are striving to achieve this goal in a cost-effective manner for our customers.”

Minnesota’s RES requires Xcel Energy to supply 30 percent of its customers’ electricity needs with renewable resources by 2020. To meet Minnesota’s standard and renewable requirements in other jurisdictions the company serves in the Upper Midwest, Xcel Energy plans to add 2,600 megawatts of wind resources to its system by 2020, over and above the 1,300 megawatts of wind resource scheduled to be on line by the end of 2008. At year-end 2007, the company will have more than 1,000 megawatts of wind power on its Minnesota system.