wind turbine Archives – The Green Optimistic

Walney Extension: World’s largest offshore wind farm opens in UK waters

Matthew Fiala — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 16:26:49 +0000

On Thursday, the world’s largest offshore windfarm will open off the coast of northwest England. The wind farm, named Walney Extension, has a capacity of 659 megawatts (MW), enough to power almost 600,000 homes. The previously largest offshore windfarm was the London Array on England’s east coast which has a capacity of 630 MW. Walney […]

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DIY Wind Turbine From a Cardboard Roll

Arsenij Percov — Fri, 27 Jul 2018 14:24:39 +0000

Instructables user ahmedebeed555 found a way to build a DIY wind turbine from a cardboard roll. He explained how he did it in his post on the website. Ahmed successfully made a rotating simple wind turbine out of recycled materials. Step 1: Materials and Tools Materials: Motor – Wind turbine motor/generator. He used a 120 […]

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Global Direct Drive Wind Turbine Market to Grow

Samantha Joe — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 21:11:03 +0000

Thanks to China, the wind turbine market is expected to see growth. The world direct drive wind turbine market (or, gearless) is likely to see sustained growth over the next 10 years as plants focus on improving operational efficiency and minimizing costs of maintenance. Adoption of the gearless wind turbines will likely be seen the […]

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New German Kite Technology Traps Wind Power

Annika Tostengard — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 19:16:57 +0000

The earth’s winds get faster the higher they are above the surface, and in Germany, they are hoping to capitalize on that fact to generate tons of wind power. The new technology may come in different forms, from airplanes to helium ballon-rings, but many German researchers are looking at kites as a way to increase the […]

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Wind-Turbine Farms Less Efficient the Larger they Are

Annika Tostengard — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 20:19:56 +0000

Wind energy is quickly growing in popularity, and turbines are now a common sight for many driving through the countryside. Energy collected from wind contributes to electricity generation more and more every year, and now accounts for a solid 2-3% of global electricity. New research, however, shows that wind-turbine farms become less efficient as they grow […]

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How to Build a DIY Toy Wind Turbine for Your Kids

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 06:44:21 +0000

This fun DIY project is easy enough to make with kids, and is a great way to get them excited about renewable energy. It doesn’t produce a ton of power, but kids will be amazed at their ability to illuminate a light bulb all on their own. 1. What You’ll Need Some parts can be […]

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Donald Trump Invests in Wind Power, Despite Politics

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 06:16:51 +0000

Donald Trump has a history of speaking out against wind power. The businessman, whose mother was a Scottish immigrant, had previously complained about wind turbines ruining the Scottish countryside. He also took legal action against an offshore wind farm near the golf resort he owns in Aberdeenshire. Despite all of this public denouncement, it has been […]

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Offshore Wind Farm to Replace Fukushima’s Nuclear Plant

Guest Contributor — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 20:11:15 +0000

An offshore wind farm is set to be deployed off the coast of Japan, less than 20 kilometers from the defunct Fukushima Daichii nuclear power plant. In a region that is both supremely concerned with a lack of available land and where the long shadow of the Fukushima disaster still stretches, Japan has shocked no […]

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Owl Research Inspires Quieter Wind Turbines

Guest Contributor — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 16:20:04 +0000

Thanks to research into how owls silently stalk their prey, wind turbines could end up becoming much quieter in the future. When it comes to resistance to alternative energy, opponents of wind turbines often point to the noise pollution wind farms can create during their operation as a reason to block development of the technology, […]

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Vortex Bladeless – No Blade Future for Wind Turbines

Sarah Higman — Sun, 17 May 2015 17:56:10 +0000

A Spanish company has revolutionized the look of wind turbines and has potentially removed one of the biggest opposition to wind turbine installation. The company, Vortex Bladeless constructs exactly what their name implies – a wind turbine without the blades. Wind farms currently supply 0.2% of the worlds energy demands. The main environmental concern of […]

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General Motors to Use Wind Power for Reaching Renewable Energy Goals

Benji Jerew — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 20:10:28 +0000

We’ve been following General Motors’ renewable energy plans for a long time, and this is the first time that we’ve heard of the global company turning to wind power. In addition to recycling and energy-efficiency programs, General Motors has set for itself the goal of 125 MW (megawatts) renewable energy capacity by 2020. For the […]

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General Electric Wind Turbine Blade Extensions Improve Efficiency

Benji Jerew — Tue, 27 May 2014 15:40:47 +0000

Wind turbines, or at least their predecessors, the wind mills, have been around for millennia, always improving their power and efficiency. Generally-speaking, however, the wind turbine efficiency improvements require replacement of some very expensive components. For example, old generators or transmissions can be replaced with more efficient versions. Recently, it has been calculated that larger […]

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This Small, Light and Portable Wind Turbine Charges Gadgets on Cloudy Days

Mila Luleva — Wed, 14 May 2014 19:00:54 +0000

Losing yourself in nature for days can be so incredibly refreshing that only writing about it makes me want to ditch everything, dig out the hiking boots, and just go, taking only my most needed items with me. Unfortunately, these days, the list of these “most needed items” is a bit longer than just a […]

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Scotland – Home of World’s Largest Wind Turbine

Benji Jerew — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 16:18:32 +0000

Over the winter of 2013, pieces of the world’s largest wind turbine were carefully put into place on a beach in Scotland, and is now generating enough power for nearly 5,000 homes. Calling the Samsung 7 MW prototype off-shore wind turbine “big” is actually a bit of an understatement. To borrow from Douglas Adams’ The […]

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EV-Charging “Transport Turbine” Creates Pipe Dream Buzz

Mila Luleva — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 18:31:11 +0000

It was inevitable that after Ford showed their first solar car, it would not be long before others start exploring means to generate power and charge the batteries of an electric vehicle while it is on the move. But sometimes, a gadget that seems to be the next best thing at first, is so impractical […]

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Wind Power is More Cost Effective Than Fossil Fuels

Benji Jerew — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 20:58:06 +0000

Looking at a wind farm, including land purchases, wind turbines, and transmission gear, one might come to the conclusion that wind power isn’t all that cost-effective, but not once you figure in the ongoing costs. What ongoing costs? Exactly none, is the point that Stephen Byrd made in the November Columbia Energy Symposium. Mr. Byrd […]

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Heliade 150, World’s Largest Wind Turbine, Installed In Belgium

Mila Luleva — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 10:22:09 +0000

This week marks an important milestone in the history of wind power generation. The news comes from Belgium, where the Belwind Wind Farm has just announced the successful installation of the largest of all offshore wind turbine. The renewable energy monster has a tower, which extends up to 78 meters in height, and a set […]

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Small-Scale “Dragonfly” Wind Turbine Works at Low Wind Speeds

Mila Luleva — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 16:52:38 +0000

When we think of wind power generation, most of us imagine giant wind turbines, placed somewhere in the open, usually far from urban areas, generating electricity, which we may or may not get to use. This is pretty much all we, as average citizens, have to do with wind power generation. If we are to […]

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The Future of Bald Eagles Lies in the Hands of the Obama Administration

Leigh Hutchens — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 02:57:14 +0000

Wildlife conservationists are gearing up for a battle with the Obama administration over the future of bald and golden eagles. Every year, hundreds of thousands of birds are killed every year when they fly into gigantic wind turbine blades. It’s impossible to pinpoint how many of these are eagles, but wildlife groups say the birds […]

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Wind Turbines vs Gas Wells – “Not In MY Back Yard!”

Benji Jerew — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 03:05:40 +0000

If you could quickly rattle off a few things that you wouldn’t want to be erected in your back yard, you’d probably think of things like “pig farm” or “chemical plant.” “Gas well” probably makes the list, but would you expect to put “wind turbine” in the same category? Zoning laws are in place for […]

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New School of Fish-Like Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Boost Energy Production

Mila Luleva — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 12:09:43 +0000

Small vertical-axis wind turbines, organized in the same manner as schools of fish, are found to boost wind energy production, while occupying much less space. When placed in a close proximity, traditional wind turbines are known to interfere with each other. Although the designs have gone through major improvements over the years, the lower efficiency […]

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Airborne Wind Turbine Company Makani Power Bought by Google

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:00:06 +0000

Makani Power, the company who made an airborne wind turbine a few years ago, has been acquired by Google for an undisclosed sum. Google had already invested about $15 million in them and if they bought the idea it may mean there’s something worth following about Makani. The Makani Power team will now joing Google […]

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Large Wind Farms Need Improved Computer Modeling, Study Shows

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:00:56 +0000

As technology progresses, and wind power is becoming less expensive, the demand for larger wind farms increases. Alongside with growth comes a new challenge: the profit that needs to be obtained is in direct correlation with the accuracy with which the total power output is predicted. The total performance of the wind farm decreases when […]

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Wind Turbines Falsely Accused to Cause Sickness, Study Claims

Mila Luleva — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 21:16:33 +0000

‘Wind turbine sickness’ was found to be a purely psychological phenomenon, according to a new study by a public health scientist at Sidney University. Thousands of people around the world claim that their health is affected by wind farms. Increased blood pressure and blood glucose are just some of the symptoms triggered by sleepless nights and constant […]

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Large Wind Farms Might Produce Less Energy Than Thought

Mila Luleva — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 20:41:31 +0000

A study conducted by scientists from University of North Carolina and Harvard University claims that global wind power resources have been significantly overestimated. Amanda S Adams and David W Keith state that production levels of 2 to 7 watts per square meter, estimated before, are unrealistic and should be brought down to not more than […]

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Student-Made Micro Wind Turbines Harvest Subway Airflow in India

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:12:23 +0000

Micro wind turbines installed in subway tunnels recover the energy lost through the friction of the trains with the air. A team of 10 students and two teachers from Kalindi College at Delhi University is now studying, simulating and building a micro turbine prototype that could produce up to 200 watts of power each. The […]

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Honda Uses Wind Turbines to Manufacture Cars at Ohio Factory

Leigh Hutchens — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 03:35:34 +0000

At its transmission plant in Russells Point, Ohio, Honda is currently installing wind turbines that will supply 10% of the factory’s electricity needs. In addition to reducing CO2 emissions, experts predict the turbines will produce 10,000 megawatt hours per year. Honda will have the distinction of having the first automotive manufacturing facility in the United […]

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Technology Helping Wind Turbines Overtake Fossil Fuels for Energy

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 23:08:25 +0000

Although wind turbines do not appear to have changed much over the years, the technology behind them has gotten considerably more sophisticated. This has led to the increase in the amount of electricity wind turbines can generate and has lowered the cost of wind power. General Electric’s 2.5-120 wind turbine is a leader in the […]

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Superconductors Could Increase Wind Turbine Efficiency

Benji Jerew — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:18:18 +0000

One of the great limitations in any electrical or electronic system is resistance. Electrical resistance, measured in “Ω” or ohms, is not a constant, but dependent on temperature. As the temperature increases, resistance also increases. When considering wind turbine generators, there are limits to the amount of electricity can be generated. The problem is that […]

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Atypical Design Leads to High Output, Cost Effective Wind Generator

Leigh Hutchens — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 08:12:39 +0000

One bright-eyed startup company, SheerWind, a Minnesota based company, believes its INVELOX system might just transform the wind industry. SheerWind asserts their ducted turbine can perform in wind speeds as low as 2 MPH, thereby reducing the cost of wind power to less than 3 cents per KWh. SheerWind also claims INVELOX has a minimal […]

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Donald Trump’s False Claims About Wind Turbines Rejected in Scotland

Leigh Hutchens — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 08:42:31 +0000

Members of Scottish Parliament (MSP) have rejected Donald Trump’s incorrect, outrageous, and unsubstantiated claims that wind turbines will do incredible damage to the Scottish tourism industry. However, Mr. Trump may have an ulterior motive; he is trying to stop an offshore turbine from being developed because it is in view of his north-east golf course. […]

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Will High Altitude Kites Replace Wind Turbines?

Leigh Hutchens — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 09:32:52 +0000

Could stunt kites be the future of energy? Could high altitude kites replace the tried-and-true wind turbine? A Berlin-based wind energy developer is betting YES. NTS GmbH is attempting to harness the wind with high flying kites and convert the captured energy into electricity. NTS GmbH realized that while stunt kites are used for extreme […]

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Biodegradable Blades for Wind Turbines Could Green Up the Wind Industry

Leigh Hutchens — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 09:22:14 +0000

The United States currently has enough wind turbines to power 12 million homes and is growing by leaps and bounds, and wind energy is clearly the future of alternative energy. But few know there is a seedy side to this renewable energy. Unbeknownst to many, petroleum-based resins constitute the physical components of wind turbines, and […]

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Wind Turbine Innovator Inspires Community Involvement

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 06:32:56 +0000

On October 25, Kean Stimm of Kean Wind Turbines, Inc. announced his self-proclaimed engineering breakthrough to the Springville Area Chamber of Commerce and Springville-Griffith Institute high school upperclassmen. Stimm’s goal for the lecture was to inspire the next generation of engineers and activists and to highlight the importance of community involvement in realizing sustainable energy […]

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“Eggbeater” VAWT Design More Powerful and Efficient

Leigh Hutchens — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 06:12:43 +0000

The Darrieus eggbeater vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) has a new iteration which claims to produce 35% more annual kilowatt hours than any other turbine within the same swept area and price point. The new iteration produces considerably more power at a mounting point 25% lower than competitors thereby enabling the point of use to […]

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A Portable Wind Turbine That Fits Into a Truck Container

Mila Luleva — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:57:07 +0000

It is already well established that for isolated communities wind turbines are a perfect source of energy. However, needless to say, these turbines, especially the large ones, have a labor-intensive set-up and require expert knowledge for construction and maintenance. In this respect, The Portable Power Center (PPC), by Uprise Energy, introduced a self-contained unit that […]

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Windstrument Designs Wind Turbine That’s Smaller and Safer

Benji Jerew — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 22:19:14 +0000

Most people when talking about wind power, may have in mind giant three-bladed wind turbines, standing out in the open on poles 200 feet high, and blades reaching higher still. Some claim these green machines are eye-sores, that may limit their placement. Another limiting factor is their sheer size, meaning that they can’t be placed […]

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New Bird-Friendly Wind Turbine Technology Developed by WWII Veteran

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 18:20:32 +0000

For many years, there has been a major concern that wind farms have negative impact on birds. However, some people do not believe in that thought while others are firm that wind farms are more of destructive bird blenders. 89-year-old Raymond Green, a California resident, invented a new wind turbine technology: Catching Wind Power® Compressed […]

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7 Vertical Axis Wind Turbines Installed at London’s Olympic Park

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 20:13:13 +0000

Seven vertical axis wind turbines have been erected at the Olympic Park in London. Instead of building one big wind turbine, as it had initially been announced, the authorities instead built seven smaller versions, but ones adapted to low-speed city winds. The turbines have been announced to have the capacity of 8 kWh each and […]

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Texas Wind Turbine Research Center to Open in October

Guest Contributor — Sat, 12 May 2012 13:59:54 +0000

The Scales Wind Farm Technology Facility (SWIFT), a state-of-the-art wind turbine research facility in the Texas Panhandle, is expected to become fully operational starting October. Stephanie Holinka, a Sandia National Laboratories’ spokesperson, said that the first phase of this project is being constructed by collaboration with Sandia’s academic and private partners. The other collaborators involved […]

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French Wind Turbine Produces Water From Atmospheric Humidity

Guest Contributor — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:43:52 +0000

French company Eole Water has developed and is in the process of marketing an amazing invention- a modified wind turbine that has the capacity to produce fresh water for human consumption. This, states Eole Water, is a boon to remote communities challenged by the lack of fresh drinking water. The new product, named WMS1000, has […]

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Wind Farms Warm Local Climate Slightly, Albany Study Says

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:48:07 +0000

Researchers at the University of Albany have studied the effect of wind farms on local climate over a region of Texas that’s home to over 2,350 wind turbines. Their results showed an increase in temperature of 0.72 degrees in that area compared to neighboring sites that didn’t have wind farms on them. The study took […]

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Researchers Warning about Hurricane Effects on Offshore Wind Farms to be Built by Government

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:13:56 +0000

Whoever saw a wind turbine in action and a storm in action can imagine how it would be like these two met – and they do, on a regular basis. Not few wind turbines have been destroyed by powerful storms, but hurricanes could be even more fatal to them, they the poor expensive sticks rising […]

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Study Describes Wind Power Dependence on Atmospheric Stability

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:34:53 +0000

Scientists from LLNL, University of Colorado at Boulder and the NREL have recently assessed the performance figures of a wind turbine producing energy on the East Coast, and found how power depends on atmospheric stability. “The dependence of power on stability is clear, regardless of whether time periods are segregated by three-dimensional turbulence, turbulence intensity […]

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Enel Develops Mini Wind Turbine for Low-Speed Winds

Mike Sandru — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:43:11 +0000

Enel Green Power in collaboration with Renzo Piano Building Workshop have developed a mini wind turbine prototype that is more sensitive to low-altitude diffuse wind. The new wind turbine has a capacity of 55 kW and can generate continuous electricity as it can use the wind speeds of only 2 meters/second. The prototype was created […]

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GE Planning to Build 15 MW Wind Turbine – Their Biggest to Date

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 07:10:08 +0000

There’s only one thing bigger than big: HUGE. General Electric is now planning to build a huge wind turbine that will generate a maximum of 15 megawatts of electricity, their biggest yet. Currently, GE already has the biggest land wind turbine, but this one will generate six times the power of the first, and it […]

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Ford UK Diesel Engine Factory at Its Greenest With Third Wind Turbine Installed

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:17:24 +0000

One of Ford’s factories in the UK, the Dagenham Diesel Engine Assembly Line, is going green (actually, greener) with the installation of a third wind turbine to power its needs, doubling the CO2 savings from 2,500 tons to 5,000 tons per year. The third wind turbine will make the Dagenham Diesel Center 100% wind powered. […]

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Scrap Materials Used to Build 500W Vertical Axis Wind Turbine System

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:59:16 +0000

Along history, some said making wind turbines, transporting them to the site, installing and performing regular maintenance emits lots of carbon dioxide and uses lots of raw materials. A team of students from Cape May Technical High School in New Jersey has proved the contrary.

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Evolutionary Theories Inspire Wind Turbine Placement to Maximize Space Efficiency

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 04 May 2011 16:56:31 +0000

Building wind turbines surely is a challenging task for the engineers in charge with it. A recent study, followed by the development of a software could clear out all the issues of wind turbine placement, so they don't interfere with each other and still occupy as little space as possible. The new approach is based on evolutionary algorithms developed by Dr. Frank Neumann, from the University of Adelaide.

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Distance Between Wind Turbines Should Be Doubled, Researchers Say

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 14:24:55 +0000

Wind farms are currently a big hope of the alternative energy industry, but today, just like in the early days of existence, most of them face the issue of being underperforming. Charles Meneveau, a John Hopkins fluid mechanics and turbulence expert, and his colleague Johan Meyers, from Belgium, have devised a wind turbine arrangement that could enhance their efficiency.

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Skystream 600, Southwest Power's New Ultra-Efficient, Internet-Connected Wind Turbine

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:54:06 +0000

Southwest Windpower chose CES 2011 (Consumers Electronic Show) as the perfect opportunity for introducing their new turbine: the Skystream 600. The latest in a popular line of turbines, Skystream 600 is said to produce abut 74% more energy than it's direct predecessor Skystream 3.7.

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Researchers Show Simple But Effective Discoveries That Could Enhance Wind Turbines' Efficiency by 18 Percent

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:19:32 +0000

Even though the cost of wind power is in a continuous drop since 2008, more and more researchers aim for reducing it more while at the same time enhancing the efficiency. A couple of teams from the Syracuse University and the University of Minnesota have a few ideas about how to improve wind turbines by modding their blades and how the air flows on them.

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SpiDAR: A Newly-Developed Wind Prediction System To Improve Wind Turbine Output by 15%

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:09:24 +0000

As they say, details make all the difference when it comes to big things. Following this principle, the huge wind turbines that you see on fields all around the world, need small adjustments and a little intelligence to act efficiently. Called SpiDAR, a newly-developed system can predict where wind is coming from and is going to be a step ahead and over currently-existing monitoring systems.

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A Small and Efficient Home Wind Turbine Blade That Can Be Installed In 8 Seconds

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 09:25:29 +0000

Amateur wind turbines can often be as important to one as a 100-foot tall turbine with a giant propeller, because even if they're small, they provide the energy necessary for a family's needs, for example. Building safe and effective parts for this green technology niche is as important as building more efficient turbines at the high size.

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Increased Global Warming Could Lower Overall Wind Power, Researcher Says

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:26:18 +0000

The Earth's systems are all interlinked and their proper functioning depends on all of them. Diandong Ren, a climate researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, has recently formulated a theory according to which wind power could drop by up to 12 percent if the global temperature will rise 2 to 4 degrees.

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How Bat Fatalities Could Be Reduced By Increasing Start Wind Speed Threshold For Wind Turbines

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 17:15:40 +0000

A study performed by Edward Arnett, from Bat Conservation International in Austing, TX, and his colleagues, have determined that wind turbine operators could lower bat deaths by as much as 93 percent and at least 44 percent by raising the wind speed threshold at which the turbines begin to spin.

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Purple-Painted Wind Turbines Wouldn't Kill So Many Bats, Researchers Say

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:09:56 +0000

In an attempt to reduce the environmental impact of wind turbines on wildlife, researchers from the Loughborough University in the UK have demonstrated that selecting a color different than grey or white affect the way these constructions affect insects.

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Efficient Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Concept by Sauer Energy

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:46:34 +0000

Vertical axis wind turbines have recently been revived by a few innovations made to them by scientists all over the world. Sauer Energy is one of them, and their turbine has a high efficiency because it's designed to maximize the drag, so the blades are moved more efficiently by the wind.

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Makani Power's New Wind Turbine Producing Energy Cheaper Than Coal Plants

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 05:56:23 +0000

Makani Power, a company that innovates in the field of wind turbines, has recently received a grant from ARPA-E for developing their Airborne Wind Turbine (AWT), they call Makani M1. Unlike other wind turbines, this one is made of a wing equipped with three small propellers which spin endlessly around its ground anchor point.

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Vinalhaven, Maine, Has Three Noisy Wind Turbines That Stir Disputes

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 09:07:56 +0000

Wind turbines are not always friendly with their neighbors, because they emit loud sounds and disturb the normal activity of people, especially during nighttime. There are regulations to this, but they are interpretable, even in the eyes of experts, who see the same numbers and tell two different stories.

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North America's Largest Wind Farms to be Built by Cannon and Gamesa

Mike Sandru — Sat, 29 May 2010 15:38:29 +0000

San Diego wind farm developer Cannon Power Group and Spanish wind turbine builder Gamesa are planning to build one of the largest wind farms in North America. The companies have started to build a wind farm South of the Border to supply clean power to a quarter of a million households in both Mexico and California from 500 MW of power until 2015. Cannon also said that the potential capacity of the site is ultimately 1,000 MW.

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Bladeless Wind Turbine Built by Solar Aero, Inspired by Nikola Tesla's Invention

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 04 May 2010 18:36:25 +0000

Remember that Tesla turbine we wrote about two years ago? Or the Tesla turbine made out of a hard drive? Nikola Tesla patented these turbines back in 1913, but he wasn't able to build them properly because the metals he could use at that time didn't have the right thickness and quality.

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Siemens Introduces New Type of Direct Drive Systems for Wind Turbines to Replace Faulty Gearboxes

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:37:12 +0000

Because they are bulky and cause a lot of troubles, wind turbine gearboxes are to be shunned out of the wind power industry slowly but surely, being replaced with direct drive systems. These are indeed bigger, but the nacelle's overall weight is lower, and the chances of breaking up are also reduced, because of the reduced complexity.

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Solar Tree – An Artificial Tree to Produce Clean Electricity from Wind and Sun

Mike Sandru — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:44:41 +0000

The leaves of the tree are connected to a vertical-axis wind turbine. Every leaf has a grouping of high-efficiency photovoltaic solar cells that transmit electricity down the tree's core. The solar cells are connected from the upper turbine to the trunk through wireless energy transfer by induction.

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Friction-Drive Wind Turbine Can Withstand Powerful Windstorms

Cristi — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:47:20 +0000

In standard wind turbines, the blades turn a drive shaft which engages the gearbox. The gearbox is the most vulnerable part, as in wind blasts it has to withstand very high mechanical stress. In time, it will wear down or break some metal teeth making it in short time unusable.

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Innovative Mechanism Improves Off-Shore Wind Turbines' Safety

Cristi — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:17:13 +0000

Markus Mueller and Alasdair McDonald of the University of Edinburgh solved one of the fundamental engineering issues faced by builders of offshore wind turbines. They developed a new electric generator that is much cheaper, lighter and reliable than anything seen up to now in the industry.

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Newly Found Vertical Wind Turbines Arrangement Reduces Space Needs 100 Fold

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:40:08 +0000

CalTech scientists have discovered that arranging vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) in a certain pattern will save the space by 100 times compared to classic arrangements, will output the same amount of energy and will be safer for migrating birds.

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Researchers Use Wind Turbine Technique to Build Efficient Wave Powered Generators

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:22:21 +0000

Mankind has been adopting the working principles of natural phenomenons and animals since ages. Now, when it's time to learn from fish to develop wave-powered generators, it's also time to learn what others have learned from birds - and use them in the seas, to gather energy which they would later turn into electricity.

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Oceanlinx Prepares to Deploy 2.5MW Tidal Power System Near Sydney

Cristi — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:22:19 +0000

Engineers are performing the last tests and measurements before the grid-connection off the coast of Port Kembla, near Sydney. The system will be generating about 2.5MW by harvesting air pressure that will turn a wind turbine.

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Minesto's Underwater Turbine Will Power 4 Million UK Homes

Mike Sandru — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:34:20 +0000

A spinoff from the Swedish military and aircraft design firm Saab, Minesto has developed a new concept of underwater wave energy using a simple 7 ton kite turbine design. Exactly like a kite in the wind, the Deep Green underwater turbine collects and stores the power of the ocean.

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Helix-Shaped Vertical Wind Turbines Will Power GSM Towers in Africa & US

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:36:53 +0000

Too often, regardless of the energy sources being used, the GSM transmission towers' power fails, because of various reasons: theft, heavy rain/snow, disturbances in the grid lines. Helix, a San Diego-based wind company, is working on a wind turbine that is designed to power base stations in hard to reach, remote locations from Africa and the US.

The post Helix-Shaped Vertical Wind Turbines Will Power GSM Towers in Africa & US appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Vindicator Laser Wind Sensor Increases the Output of Wind Turbines

Mike Sandru — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:14:24 +0000

The Manassas, Virginia-based Catch the Wind has signed an agreement with National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) to test the company's Vindicator laser wind sensor that automatically optimizes wind turbine direction to boost its output.

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ADAPWING Simulates Hawk Wings for Better Wind Turbine Performance

Cristi — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 04:38:03 +0000

Analyzing stability of hawks' wings during high turbulent winds, danish scientists have come up with an idea to further develop turbine blades. The idea will be implemented in such a way so to reduce the impact of strong wings on the blades.

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Super-Efficient Vertical Wind Turbines for Home Use

Cristi — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:58:43 +0000

A Taiwanese company called Hi Energy Technology has brought onto market a new design of a vertical wind turbine which they intend to sell for home use.

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$4,500 WindTronics Ultra-Efficient Low Speed Wind Turbine Available This Fall

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:26:13 +0000

Using big things to create electricity is generally good - but not always. Big things tend to be inefficient, hard to handle and to install. Wind turbines are just the case of this example - if they are too big, they are too noisy and insensitive to slow winds - that leads to inefficiency in all related aspects.

The post $4,500 WindTronics Ultra-Efficient Low Speed Wind Turbine Available This Fall appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Wind-It: Electrical Towers Transformed into Wind Turbines

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 20 May 2009 21:02:54 +0000

This project aims to adapt the current infrastructure of electrical high voltage towers into electricity generating towers. Because they are so tall and well grounded, electrical towers are best for supporting wind turbines (of course, adapted to the towers' shape).

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WindCube: 60kW Small, Stackable Wind Turbines

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:02:09 +0000

The device below is known as WindCube, and is developed by Green Energy Technologies. It incorporates a fan and a wind concentrator system, which directs the wind at a higher speed though the fan, producing eight times more electricity than if it wasn't used.

The post WindCube: 60kW Small, Stackable Wind Turbines appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Wind Energizer: 150% Power Boost by Simple Wind Turbine Addon

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:57:49 +0000

Until now, in order to make more powerful wind turbines, you had to make longer blades, so they could capture more incoming air and transform it into mechanical work. Leviathan Energy, led by dr. Daniel Farb, has refreshed this approach towards increased efficiency not by increasing the blades, but by making the wind hit them differently.

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Japanese Innovation Makes Wind Turbines Storm-Proof

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:16:28 +0000

I have an article showing a video of a wind turbine torn apart by heavy winds. In fact, if you research more, you'll find out that this is the reason the wind turbines are placed in pristine fields, with no houses close to them and each turbine has to have a safety distance from the others. In case of a storm, if one falls down... you get the picture.

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Wave Treader: Joining Wind and Wave Power

Cristi — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 06:58:31 +0000

By combining wind and wave power, the energy output can be drastically increased. The Wave Treader that enables the mix-up will probably be available on the market by 2011.

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Largest Offshore Wind Farm Planned in Netherlands

Cristi — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:25:46 +0000

Largest Offshore Wind Farm is Planned to be build in Netherlands. The wind farm will be made from 59 wind turbines and will have an approximately capacity of 300 MW.

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Very Efficient Vertical Wind Turbine Once Thought Impossible to Build

Cristi — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:35:39 +0000

As wind industry claimed that vertical turbines are ineffective, inventor Adam Fuller developed a project to prove this theory wrong.

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Home Wind Turbines Prove To Be Less Efficient

Cristi — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 10:59:23 +0000

Though many would have though that having installed home wind turbines, electricity would not be a problem anymore it seems things do not look that encouraging.

The post Home Wind Turbines Prove To Be Less Efficient appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Could Extreme Wind Turbine Usage Alter Weather Patterns?

Ovidiu Sandru — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:25:18 +0000

While there's no Hancock to save the world from global warming, I guess we have to do that ourselves. We try and try, struggle with all the issues nature has put in our face, but yet we don't succeed with 100% efficiency, or we don't convert our efforts well enough to capture the forces that move around us freely.

The post Could Extreme Wind Turbine Usage Alter Weather Patterns? appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

New Wind Turbine Generator Gets 57% More Power

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:11:38 +0000

Wind power is one of the cheapest forms of energy available to us, because it mainly depends on wind's speed, and it works 24/7, with no dependence on the moment of the day. A new company called ExRo Technology, based in Vancouver, BC, wants to commercially develop a new type of generator to be used in wind turbines all over the world. The interesting fact is that this new generator can increase the electricity output by 50%.

The post New Wind Turbine Generator Gets 57% More Power appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

DIY Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Design (VAWT) from PVC Pipes

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:15:40 +0000

In this consumerism ruled times, the world needs to know ways to do stuff. When electricity generation is predicted to become more expensive (it's like they predict an invasion of electric vehicles), people need to build their own power generating systems for their independence.

The post DIY Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Design (VAWT) from PVC Pipes appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Hydraulically Stored Wind Power Increases Efficiency Dramatically

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:11:38 +0000

A blog whose articles I read daily, cleanbreak.ca, has published some news about a company from Alberta, Canada (Lancaster Wind Systems) that wants to bring an innovation to the classic and old wind turbines. The company itself hasn't described the exact method by which they are going to improve the efficiency of the wind turbine, but the main idea is that they're going to store a few hours of energy in a hydraulic system, so when the wind doesn't blow, you'll still have energy, converted at a higher rate.

The post Hydraulically Stored Wind Power Increases Efficiency Dramatically appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Rockport, Missouri, Powered Only by Wind Turbines

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:35:56 +0000

They only have four wind turbines, which is not much (and probably so are their enegy consumption habits). The four turbines are part of a larger setup made up from 75 of such turbines, helping the power grid of three counties.

The post Rockport, Missouri, Powered Only by Wind Turbines appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Vertical Axis Wind Turbine DIY Guide

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:17:59 +0000

Today I found another DIY project for generating alternative energy, by using the wind. It is a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT), and it works by the same principle those huge wind turbines do, but they are much more easy and less expensive to build.

The post Vertical Axis Wind Turbine DIY Guide appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Magenn’s Floating Wind Turbines: Free Power Anywhere

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:05:22 +0000

The MARS wind turbine is lifted by helium, and it floats at an altitude of 1000 feet above the ground where it can easily capture any kind of winds, whether they're as slow as 4mph or as fast as 60mph. Speed is not a big problem here.

The post Magenn’s Floating Wind Turbines: Free Power Anywhere appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

StatoilHydro to Build World’s First Floating Wind Turbine

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 29 May 2008 07:16:06 +0000

The Norwegian state oil company StatoilHydro is about to build “Hywind”, the world’s first functional floating wind turbine, and to test it for two years offshore Karmi¸y. They have developed HyWind based on familiar concrete constructions floating from North Sea oil installations. The rotor blades on their floating wind turbine will be enormous: 80 meters […]

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Jet Engine-Like Wind Turbine – 4 Times More Efficient

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:28:19 +0000

Here's an invention that should capture more of the world's attention, because it can capture more of the world's winds. Flodesign's "jet engine"-shaped wind turbine has a slightly different way of seeing the wind flow, and by this it is three to four times more efficient.

The post Jet Engine-Like Wind Turbine – 4 Times More Efficient appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Turkey’s Wind Energy Plans

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:28:40 +0000

Turkey is set to double the amount of its electricity supplied by wind power with the construction of the biggest wind farm to date. The wind farm in southeast Turkey will have an installed capacity of 135 megawatts (MW) when it is completed in 2009. General Electric (GE) Energy will be supplying 52 of its […]

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