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.

The 90-minute turbine-performance session was part of a three-day Wind Resource and Project Energy Workshop at the Hilton, which was sponsored by the Washington, D.C.-based American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

As the primary trade group and lobbying arm for the U.S. wind-energy industry, the AWEA has pushed hard for a mixture of tax incentives and energy mandates that would result in wind farms generating 20 percent of U.S. electricity by 2030.

The Lone Star State installed 8,000 megawatts of wind turbines in the last year, said McBride, but grid capacity situations caused many Texas wind farms to shut down their turbines about 2 percent of the time.

Including that 2 percent, the turbines’ down-time totals up to 7.5 percent during a year, or about 27.4 generation days, McBride told professionals attending the turbine-performance workshop.

Particularly in Texas, a huge state that ranks No. 1 among wind energy-producing states with 8,361 megawatts of wind energy connected to the grid, Weather issues and time-consuming repairs to wind turbine gearboxes contribute to times when wind farms are not producing energy for electricity users. McBride said wind-energy developers should have crews available round-the-clock to repair damaged turbines.

Minnesota, the fourth-ranked wind-energy state, has 1,805 megawatts of wind power plugged into the grid and is home to Xcel Energy Inc., the nation’s No. 1-ranked utility in wind power.

Geographically, Minnesota is a key piece in many plans to build high-voltage transmission lines, connecting wind energy generated from wind-rich North Dakota and South Dakota to Chicago, and from there to heavily populated Eastern markets.

While many wind farms in the North Star State use 1.5-megawatt General Electric turbines, the workhorse of the domestic turbine fleet, most wind farm developers prefer German-manufactured Siemens wind turbines if they can afford them because they are reliable and durable.

Ioannis Antoniou, a measurement engineer for Siemens Wind Power, outlined his company’s efforts to maximize the amount of energy a wind turbine can generate during the turbine-performance session.

To capture more wind than they currently do, Antoniou recommended that U.S. wind-energy developers build higher meteorological, or “met” towers that measure wind speeds before developing a wind farm.

Seasonal variances in wind speed, power generation and differences between daytime and generally windier nights must be considered to get the most out of wind farms, he said.

Depending on the height of the met tower, the strongest winds in Minnesota usually are felt from November through April, with May through October serving as an extended time of lower wind speeds and opportunities to repair turbines.

By Bob Geiger in Finance and Commerce

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.

“He always thought, ‘There’s a lot of power there in the wind – that force ought to be good for something,’” recalled his widow, Illa Vermeulen. “‘We can’t have things growing out here, but I can make electricity.’”

It turned out he was right. Enough wind rifled through that one turbine to power between 15 and 20 homes, and Lewandowski saw the potential for a thriving business. As one turbine became three, a power purchase agreement was struck with Idaho Power Co. and the Gem State’s first commercial wind farm was born.

“I was for him all the way,” said Vermeulen, now 69 and living in Meridian. “When he started it other people thought, ‘Oh, well, this is a pipe dream.’ … He was actually a genius. He would look at something and say, ‘Oh, I can do that better.’”

But Lewandowski’s wind farm was short-lived. In 2005 he passed away from a heart attack and his towers stood idle. Now, with help from a range of public and private partners, Lewandowski’s pioneering wind farm is getting a second life as a teaching aide for energy experts being taught at the College of Southern Idaho and Idaho State University.

“These turbines were really sending the wrong message just standing on the side of the road, not functioning,” said Todd Haynes, an energy systems and research engineer at Boise State University. “[Now] they’re going to be put to good use in Idaho.”

Haynes’ involvement with Lewandowski’s turbines began about three years ago, when he and his father Craig Haynes, an electrician; mechanical engineer Lars Dorr; aircraft mechanic Tim Harmon; and Brian Jackson, of renewable energy consulting firm Renaissance Engineering, formed G3 LLC and purchased the farm.

Though all coming from engineering or mechanical backgrounds, the partners were flabbergasted by Lewandowski’s modified designs. Without schematics, every snag became an ordeal.

“It was like the problem du jour, everyday something would break,” Haynes said. “We would spend dozens of hours out there and it would be a $7 part. … We kept that up for about a year-and-a-half, and then we deemed it doable but not profitable.”

In 2007 the wind farm was mothballed, and went right back to being one of the state’s least appealing wind power advertisements.

Soon after, though, Haynes and his partners were approached by Ridgeline Energy Vice President Rich Rayhill, whose company is developing between 90 and 130 megawatts of wind capacity in eastern Idaho. He told them about the new training programs at CSI and ISU, and that the turbines would make perfect hands-on teaching aides.

With donations of time, labor and expertise from Ridgeline, the Tidwell Idaho Foundation, Idaho Falls-based Eagle Rock Timber, California firms Frontier Pro Services and enXco Service Corporation, and New Jersey-based Hytorc, the turbines were finally taken down, disassembled and shipped to CSI and ISU late last month.

“It’s a typical Idaho story – there’s something that needs to get done and people move together to get it accomplished,” Rayhill said. “The upshot of it is going to be that even if we educate and train more kids than we can fill space with now, the schools in Eugene (Ore.) and The Dalles (Ore.) are turning away three kids for every one they’re letting in, and they’ve got 10 to 12 jobs for every kid they turn out.”

Scott Rasmussen, chair of the Electronics Department at ISU, cited estimates from the American Wind Energy Association that 30,000 new technicians will be needed to meet the Obama administration’s goal of using wind for 20 percent of the nation’s supply by 2030. At the same time, droves of current technicians are facing retirement. “If that begins to happen there’s going to be huge demand, and salaries will follow,” he said.

ISU’s wind tech program is run out of the Energy Systems Technology and Education Center (ESTEC), where Rasmussen serves as executive director. He said about 100 students are currently enrolled, and recent graduates have gone on to find careers in the industry with starting salaries ranging from the high-$40,000s to $70,000.

“We see a vast majority of our graduates leave after two years of school for salaries that are equal to or higher than what our faculty are making,” Rasmussen said. But combined with cutbacks to higher education, that makes it hard to attract expert faculty.

“We certainly are hopeful that the state will recognize programs such as ours and help us maintain the ability to supply graduates who are in high demand locally, regionally and nationally,” he said.

Budget cuts are one problem, but another is the relative weakness of Idaho’s wind industry. According to the American Wind Energy Association, Idaho ranks 13th in the nation for wind power potential, but 23rd for installed capacity, with only 147 MW. That’s compared to Washington and Oregon, which are ranked 5th and 6th for installed capacity – with 1,479 MW and 1,363 MW, respectively – but 24th and 23rd for wind potential.

“That’s kind of frustrating to me because we’ve got the resources, but we’re just not moving expeditiously to develop it,” Rayhill said, though he praised Idaho Power for its recent announcement that it will purchase 150 MW of wind energy over the next three years.

“Between our 90 to 130 megawatts that’s coming on-line in 2010 and Idaho Power’s commitment to 150 megawatts, there’s going to be the kind of development that Idaho should see,” he said. “It’s coming and it’s coming right now by the vision of Idaho’s energy leaders – at least at Idaho Power.”

Another wind farm in the works is Renewable Energy Systems America’s 400 MW China Mountain Wind Energy Project, planned for a site southwest of Twin Falls. The development is in the early stages of an environmental impact statement and officials don’t expect a decision until 2011.

But, while many see wind as a potential cornerstone in the state’s economy, Idaho’s energy czar, Paul Kjellander, takes a more cautious tone.

“In Idaho we have some decent wind sites – three-plus category wind that is in sufficient clusters that I think you can do some large scale development [on],” he said. “[But] at the core of all of it will be transmission. Without transmission we won’t be able to get any of that to market.”

He pointed to seven major transmission projects, either under way or planned to cross the state, as key to whatever energy resources Idaho chooses to develop. Until then, Kjellander said the state is involved in two projects to map and assess wind potential, and is pursuing other resources just as actively.

“You’ve got to be aware – or beware – of those merchants of magic bullets. Renewable technologies are maturing and some of them are very mature, but no single resource is going to get us to where we need to be,” he said. “I don’t care if it’s going to be clean coal technology, natural gas, wind, solar, nuclear, geothermal, biomass or biogas – none of them by themselves will get us to where we need to be. All of them together, collectively, will get us there.”

In the meantime, though, many hope Idaho’s first wind farm will help plant the seeds for an industry driven by partnerships like the one that moved it from a roadside attraction to a green-tech teaching tool.

“Love it or hate, it’s got a lot of history here in Idaho and it’s had plenty of publicity and notoriety,” Haynes said. “We think it’s a nice ending to the story that now these turbines will be used to train the next generation of engineers who will hopefully be working on bigger and better turbines in Idaho.”

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.”

Growth in the small wind sector is largely attributable to increased private investment that has allowed manufacturing volumes to increase, particularly for the commercial segment of the market (systems 21-100 kW). The still-largest segment of the market, residential (1-10 kW), was likewise driven by investment and manufacturing economies of scale, AWEA said, but also rising residential electricity prices and a heightened public awareness of the technology and its attributes.

“Consumers are looking for affordable ways to improve their energy security and reduce their personal carbon footprint,” said Ron Stimmel, AWEA’s Small Wind Advocate. “Small wind technology can be an answer to that search. As government policies have caught up with consumer interest, we’re seeing people all across the U.S. take advantage of this abundant, domestic natural resource and U.S. manufacturers have been able to meet this increasing demand.”

The study included a poll of small wind manufacturers, who project a 30-fold growth in the U.S. small wind market within as little as five years, despite a global recession. Much of this estimated growth will be spurred by the new eight-year 30% federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) passed by Congress in October 2008 and augmented in February 2009.

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.

The fan blades are connected to a shaft that is connected to a generator. When the blades turn fast enough the generator will produce electricity. In case of a storm and wind speeds are unusually high the system has breaks that slow the fan blades down to prevent damage to the generator.

Since wind is not under our control we must rely on both wind and local utility power. If wind speeds fall below 7 to 10 mph electricity will not be generated and the utility company will provide all electricity needs.

As the wind increases above 7 to 10 mph electricity is produced and the power purchased from the utility company decreases.

When more electricity is produced than the home will use the excess electricity is sold back to the utility company decreasing our dependency on nonrenewable energy.

How much money will this save me?

It is estimated that electricity bills can be lowered by 50 to 90% . It is very common for nine months of the year to have only an $8 to $15 dollar electric bill depending on wind speed and climate.

How much electricity will I have to produce?

The majority of homes use approximately 9,400 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year (about 780 kWh per month)

Depending on the wind speed and size of the home you would need to generate between 25 and 30 kWh per day.

Will I help the environment if I use wind power?

Yes! Wind power does not produce pollution like other sources of energy. Over it’s lifetime a wind power system can save approximately 1.2 tons of air pollutants and 200 tons of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and other gases which cause climate damage).

Some critics of wind power maintain that birds are negatively effected by wind power. Research has shown that wind power is much less dangerous to birds than power lines, vehicles and pesticides.

Will I need expensive wind surveys to know if I can save money with wind power?

Wind survey information is published by the U.S. Department of Energy and can be used to determine wind power performance. Unless you live in a very hilly or mountainous area the published information should be sufficient.

Will wind power interfere with my TV reception?

Wind systems do produce some noise. The typical system makes less noise than a washing machine and does not interfere with TV reception.

How much do wind power systems cost?

To purchase a large wind turbine system can cost from $6,000 to $22,000 installed depending on the size of the unit. Do it yourself or DIY systems can be as inexpensive as $150

Most systems have very few moving parts which makes the possibilities of a break down uncommon and operation completely automatic.

DIY systems provide considerable savings and complete hands on understanding of the system.

For maximum benefits savvy home owners use wind power and solar power.

Avoid The Mistakes of Wind Power Energy DIY
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawna_Mac

Dotted all over the green and rolling landscape of Denmark, where the idea for wind power originated, are wind turbines. This renewable energy source now accounts for 20 percent of the country’s electricity needs, more than anywhere else in the world.

After traveling two and half hours from Copenhagen, I arrived at AVN Energy in Silkeborg, where I was met by the Export Sales Manager, Poul Kristensen. He proudly showed me around his company’s production site, which has more than doubled in size in the last year.

“We’ve been involved in wind power since it began back in the 1980s,” says Poul. “At first the turbine producers came to us and told us what they wanted, but over time we gained a high level of expertise which allows us to recommend the optimum hydraulic system for their application.”

In continuous pitch systems, the pitch, the position of the nacelle and angles of the blades, constantly changes in small amounts once every rotation.

In the last few years wind turbine technology has changed. Previously the wind turbines were stall machines and their position would shift only once every ten minutes. Such turbines have been superceded by continuous pitch systems, where the pitch, the position of the nacelle and angles of the blades, constantly changes in small amounts once every rotation. That could be on average 15 times per minute.

“While this optimized the production of energy from the turbine, for us, the actuator manufacturer, it presented a real challenge,” continues Poul. “Instead of hydraulics producing six long strokes per hour, they now had to give nine hundred short strokes in the same period. And it’s not just the pitch which is continuous, it is also the turbine’s operation, with the actuators needing to initiate those strokes 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“Customers have high expectations from our products, and the number one requirement of the wind turbine manufacturers is reliability. At first this was not the case. Initially demand for windmills was on a small scale, from farmers with a single turbine powering an individual generator. Then the power distributors became involved. They built relatively small wind farms and quality needs increased. Nowadays wind power is government backed and expansion is on a huge scale; the power suppliers are making the decisions and the demands. These big investors are not prepared to finance installations unless equipment can be guaranteed for 20 years with only the minimum of maintenance.

“Maintenance of turbines is difficult and costly,” says Poul. “On land it is hard enough, but offshore it is really tough. And when the windmill is switched off for maintenance, it is not producing energy and losing income. On top of that, operators are often penalized if supply targets are not met. So a primary objective for them is to minimize routine downtime, while stoppages due to component failure have to be avoided at all costs.”

AVN put a great deal of emphasis on research and development with over 20 percent of the 70 people employed at the Silkeborg site involved in R&D. “Here in R&D it’s not just about knowing the product, it’s about thinking about new solutions to the challenges imposed by turbine design and about finding new ways of doing things,” says Johnny Fruekilde from AVN’s Research and Development department.

“Meeting the target life of 20 years for an actuator required all our expertise, and initially it seemed almost unfeasible. If you imagine the actuator as a car, it’s a bit like saying to its manufacturer that you won’t buy his vehicle unless it can travel 500,000 kilometers without replacing the oil filter, brake pads or any other wearing parts. Yet we have strived to accomplish the impossible, and our actuators should provide the 20-year life span stipulated with very little maintenance.

“At the moment though, we are working a little in the dark when it comes to actual performance in application. The continuous pitch systems have only been around for three years so we are basing our expectations on extrapolating performance results from older generation wind turbines. This is combined with virtual modeling and long-term testing on individual elements of the system.”

Simulation programs are extensively used by AVN to specify the best hydraulic and actuation system for each design of wind turbine. Following on from this though, automated physical testing is a necessity. The conditions within the wind turbines are very specific to the application. This means that AVN needs to build test rigs to their own designs that can as closely as possible replicate the situation within the nacelle and hub.

“We know that the hydraulic system can only ever be as strong as its weakest link, and early on we realized that the reliability of the sealing configuration was highly dependent upon the quality of its counterparts,” continues Johnny. “So one area we have focused on is the interaction between the surface finish of the rods and shafts of the actuators and the sealing components. A special rig was constructed specifically to test this and operates 24-7.”

Typical sealing arrangement within a cylinder

The seals within the hydraulics are integral to its performance, and optimizing their life is critical to the long-term effectiveness of the total system. Several other specially built rigs are used to measure sealing characteristics, as the dynamic demands of the application are extreme.

“The requirements for sealing of the actuator for wind turbine applications were unique,” says Per Hvidberg, Sales Engineer from Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, Denmark. “Never before had I been faced with a demand for a sealing configuration on a cylinder that produced relatively rapid short strokes continuously. And not only was there linear pressure from the rear, there could be side load too.”

Per’s relationship with the engineering team at AVN goes back a long way and when asked to support them in development of continuous pitch actuators, he, the engineering team at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Helsingør and AVN worked together to come up with the best possible design.

“Within the actuators is a complex arrangement of seals ranging from O-Rings to specialist Turcon® PTFE based geometries and Slydring® in Orkot®,” says Per. “The unique configuration is specially engineered to enhance lubrication, optimize friction characteristics, and maximize service life, while preventing any external leakage. Some of the seals are expected to achieve the twenty year target, but it is impossible to guarantee this.”

“As this was the case,” says Johnny, “the hydraulics were designed for easy exchange of the seal set. This is mounted in a module that can be quickly bolted on and off. The minimum life expectancy of the sealing configuration, allowing for the seal that has the shortest predicted life, is seven years, but replacement is recommended after five. Other than this, and routine rod replacement, the actuators should run without maintenance except for the systematic checking that the operators do for any leakage or loss of pressure. We feel that this arrangement gives the ideal compromise between minimum required maintenance and guaranteed long-term performance. ”

Radial oil seals are commonly used within wind power applications

“Cleanliness of subcomponents is another important factor,” comments Poul. “Before assembly the system is flushed through to ensure there is no metal from machining or other debris such as dust or sand within the cylinder. Any residual matter such as this has been found to cause wear on the seals, shortening seal life and consequently total system life.

“The expanded factory has allowed us to construct a cleanroom. It’s not quite like the cleanrooms used in semiconductor or chemical processing, but it’s advanced in our type of manufacture. The cleanroom will be completely enclosed with barriers between it and the outside world and an extraction system to eliminate media that could potentially enter the actuator’s hydraulic system before it is enclosed.“

And what does the future hold for AVN?

“Growth and more growth,” says Poul. “We see the Silkeborg site expanding even further, but we are also supporting the turbine manufacturers as they enter booming wind power markets globally. We already have production facilities in India and are planning expansion in China and the US.”

Challenging requirements
The wind power actuator and its sealing system must be capable of operating at 250 bars/3625 psi with constant pressure on the rod from behind and differential side loads that control positioning. Seals must give minimal wear and facilitate dynamic movement that is continuous in short strokes, on average 900 times per hour.

Temperature resistance is needed down to -30°C/-22°F as standard and to -40°C/-40°F in the Artic. Below these temperatures the oil within the cylinder cannot function and requires warming with heating elements. Maximum temperature is 60°C/140°F. Beyond this the system is cooled, otherwise the oil becomes stressed, its viscosity is too low, and it carbonizes.

In addition, the actuators must withstand high humidity, salt spray and the rigors of wind and rain. Corrosion is prevented with advanced coating technology.

Maintenance – a daring occupation
It’s hard to imagine when you look at a wind turbine that the nacelle, or the structure that houses all the turbine’s generating components for the blades, is large enough for a man to stand up in. It has to be, because for maintenance the engineer has to enter this either through the side, but more commonly by climbing to the top of the tower, and down into the nacelle from there. That’s not easy 100 meters/330 feet high on land and even more daring when the turbines are up to 100 kilometers/60 miles out at sea.

Wind turbines: Facts and figures
The wind turbine tower is between 35 and 120 meters/115 to 395 feet high with blades of 12 to 60 meters/40 to 195 feet in length. These are attached to a nacelle which is over two meters/7 feet high and that can rotate 360 degrees on top of the tower. Each of the three curved blades of the turbine is positioned by an independently operated actuator with a stroke of 1.2 to 1.5 meters/4 to 5 feet and can be tilted through 90 degrees.

The higher the turbine and larger the blade size, the greater the megawatts of electricity produced each hour. The smallest turbines are producing one megawatt per hour while the largest yield up to five megawatts. In Europe most turbines are between 1.5 and 2.6 megawatts. The biggest used on land is 3.6 megawatts, with a number installed offshore between

4.5 and 5 megawatts. In Asia the trend has been for larger wind farms with smaller wattage turbines.
Bigger turbines are not always better; it depends on the size of the wind farm, the stability of the electricity grid it supplies and the promised output. So in some cases it is beneficial to have the option of shutting off a lower production source than a higher one, even though there are economies of scale in running a high output turbine compared to a smaller one.
On top of a turbine tower are two wind sensors checking wind direction and speed. One is the primary input and the second for backup. On installation the nacelle of the turbine is positioned inline with the predominant wind direction. Based on complex arithmetic calculations the wind turbine’s control system take the sensors input, and automatically yaws, or turns the nacelle to the wind, the actuators tilting each blade independently. Positioning is precise, to exacting tolerances, thereby optimizing energy production in the wind condition. The movement is calculated for every rotation, which may be 15 times per minute, continuously for 24 hours, seven days per week.

When choosing a site for a wind farm, analysis must prove it to have 2,500 hours of wind at 12 meters/39 feet per second over a year to make them viable to the utility companies. Wind turbines will normally operate from three meters/ 10 feet per second to 25 meters/80 feet per second, with the optimum wind speed being between 12 to 15 meters/40 to 50 feet per second. Though designed to withstand speeds up to 50 meters/165 feet per second, the control system will counter over rotation for speeds of over 25 meters/80 feet per second due to safety concerns.

The utility companies target 98 percent utilization with two percent allowance for maintenance. The turbines can be switched on and off remotely from control rooms anywhere in the world. This is done for maintenance or in response to grid changes.

On the stall turbines a braking mechanism is employed to stop the windmill. On the new larger turbines this can stress the tower, so tilting a single blade to 90 degrees normally stops them. In an emergency situation this method plus a brake will be employed. In these circumstances the windmills are stationary in well under a minute. The brake, in all cases, then holds the blades in position.

Green dreams result in 95% renewable energy
A 24-hour mains electricity supply finally arrived in February 2008 for residents of the Isle of Eigg, which lies in the Small Isles archipelago off Scotland’s west coast. So remote, it previously had to rely on expensive diesel generators to run homes. Now operational, a £1.6 million renewable energy system, which includes hydro, wind and solar power, is expected to generate more than 95 percent of its annual energy demand.

It has taken a decade for the islanders’ green dream to be realized. The idea was first raised after the community of less than 100 people bought the island from its previous owner in 1997. Now, a total of 45 households, 20 businesses and six community buildings are linked together by six miles of buried cable that form a high voltage network. This proves the future really can be renewable.

For more information contact: donna.guinivan@trelleborg.com

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.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that this purchase helps avoid the same amount of CO2 emissions produced by nearly 2,990 passenger vehicles annually or the electricity use of 2,162 average American homes. The renewable power being produced from off-sight energy farms is not only less polluting but helps conserve the nation’s natural resources.

“Since our inception in the 1930s, Callaway Gardens has been committed to environmental education and land stewardship,” said Edward Callaway, chairman and CEO of Callaway Gardens. “Our organization is proud to be at the forefront of enhancing awareness and educating our visitors, our region and the country on wind power and how together we can make a positive impact for future generations.”

As the 2007 recipient of the Argon Award for Success in Sustainability from Southface Institute, Callaway Gardens has provided an environmentally friendly getaway by enacting on-property recycling programs and water conservation measures such as cultivating native plantings to minimize water use, offering EarthCraft House™ homes and providing natural bath products in the guest rooms and suites. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified Lodge and Spa even goes as far as using refillable shower dispensers – saving nearly 150,000 plastic containers each year – and housekeeping chemicals that are certified as “green” by the GreenSeal Organization.

“Callaway Gardens’ choice to support renewable energy is great news for the industry and is the fifth largest commitment by a resort in the country,” said Quayle Hodek, CEO of Renewable Choice Energy. “Wind power helps supports rural communities and increases energy independence. We’re thrilled that Callaway Gardens is committed to wind energy and spreading the word about its importance.”

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.

Author Dr. Andrew Lothian says, “While people may be apathetic the appearance of wind farms, their location is critical. Wind farms in scenic areas, particularly the coastal areas, are regarded as damaging to the landscape. However, in agricultural areas of low scenic quality, wind farms seem to beautify the otherwise mediocre surroundings.”

The research also finds that the negative visual effects did not reduce with distance or size of the farm and people tend to prefer turbines that are white, blue or grey over tan and rainbow-colours.

Wind farms have been constructed all over the world as a way to increase the generation of renewable energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The main opposition to the construction of wind farms is based on the negative visual impact they have on the landscape.

This study adds to a growing body of international research on community attitudes to wind farms, and contributes useful knowledge for the planning and design of wind farms by taking into account community perceptions.-Wiley-Blackwell

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.

Offshore Wind Power aims to provide the reader with an understanding of the market potential for offshore wind, the challenges that must be overcome in deploying this technology, and current development of offshore wind projects.

Topics covered in the report include:

-Overview of wind power including its modern history

-Discussion of how offshore differs from onshore wind power

-Analysis of the development of offshore wind power

-Evaluation of the market potential for offshore wind power

-Description of offshore wind power technology including differences with onshore technology and developments needed to improve offshore technology

-Analysis of the economics of offshore wind power including a comparison to onshore costs

-Evaluation of the challenges to implementing offshore wind power

-Description of the permitting process for offshore wind in both the U.S. and Europe

-Description of economic incentives available for offshore wind in both the U.S. and Europe

-Profiles of major offshore wind projects in commercial operation or under development

-Profiles of major offshore wind project developers and turbine manufacturers

For more information, visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c84526

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.

“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.

In two recent filings with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission – its 2007 Resource Plan and its Renewable Energy Plan – Xcel Energy proposes to own approximately half of the new wind resources projected for its system. Xcel Energy also reiterated its commitment to develop at least 500 megawatts of community-based wind resources and said it expects to achieve a balanced portfolio of wind resources from various suppliers.

Proposals are due no later than Feb. 29, 2008. The full text of the Request for Proposals is available at www.xcelenergy.com. Click on the “About Energy and Rates” link and then on “Energy RFPs.” Look for the “NSP Wind RFP” link. Alternatively, you can click on the following link: http://www.xcelenergy.com/docs/NSPWindRFP.pdf.

The Minnesota Renewable Energy Plan is available at http://www.xcelenergy.com/docs/RenewableEnergyPlan_12.10.2007.pdf. The Minnesota Resource Plan will be available this week on Xcel Energy’s Web site at www.xcelenergy.com.

Xcel Energy (NYSE:XEL) is a major U.S. electricity and natural gas company with regulated operations in eight Western and Midwestern states. Xcel Energy provides a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related products and services to 3.3 million electricity customers and 1.8 million natural gas customers through its regulated operating companies. Company headquarters are located in Minneapolis. More information is available at www.xcelenergy.com.