wind energy
Colorado gained a wind research center Tuesday, helping recover from a loss on Monday as the state races toward a new energy economy.
Siemens Energy will establish its U.S. wind turbine research center in Boulder. The company, an arm of German giant Siemens, said the facility will employ 50 and focus on atmospheric science research, aerodynamic blade design, wind turbine dispatch prediction and reliability.
The Finns have been at it again, solar-wind energy fusion.
"The electric solar wind sail developed at the Finnish Meteorological Institute two years ago has moved rapidly from invention towards implementation. Electric sail propulsion might have a large impact on space research and space travel throughout the solar system." To read more....
Man, this thing is about as cool as it gets. It's a sailboat that has a special design underneath to allow it to actually be propelled by the very water and waves it floats on. Using the sails in combo with the underwater wave propulsion technology this puppy will cruise along at about 5 knots top speed.
With a maximum speed of five knots, the Suntory will take two to three months to complete a voyage that diesel-powered craft accomplish in just one. But speed is not the point. The voyage aims to prove that wave propulsion can work under real-world conditions, opening up the technology for commercial applications such as cargo shipping. “Oil is a limited power source,” Horie says, “but there is no limit to waves.”
Ken-ichi Horie, the boat's inventor, is a true pioneer in renewable sailing and a Guinness Book of World Record holder:
In 1996 he set the world record for the fastest crossing of the Pacific Ocean in a solar-powered boat. And in 1999, he made a solo trip across the Pacific in a catamaran made from recycled beer barrels.
Now, using the Suntory Mermaid II, built of durable recycled-aluminum alloy, he plans to set another record: "the longest distance traveled by a wave-powered boat".
Read more about this adventure...
Best of luck and keep up the goods, Ken-ichi Horie!
The facts are all here. If you are not the least bit concerned about the environment,or the geopolitics around fossil fuels for energy,this article will still have you praising wind power on the evening news. How could such twisted ignorant vile life forms be reached? By hitting them where it hurts. The pocketbook.This article is about the strong economics around wind generated energy and more. Read More...Wind Energy FAQ
Here is an article pertaining to different ways to store wind energy. Wind energy innovation from down under.
"The Tasmanian Hydro-Electric Corporation (Hydro Tasmania) has been investigating various ways of managing and storing wind energy. It will use a grant of $630,000 under the Renewable Energy Commercialisation Program to maximise the replacement of diesel with wind energy in a remote location, while maintaining system stability." Read More...
With the stock market in chaos, conscious energy solutions such as wind energy proves it can go the distance. The verdict is out the smart money is on renewable energy.
"SHANGHAI, Dec 26 (Reuters) - A spectacular stock market listing by China's biggest maker of wind power generating equipment on Wednesday suggested global warming was finally making itself felt among Chinese investors.
It is so encouraging to see renewable alternatives springing up in the states.Horah for Kansas Gov Sebelius.....
Another drop in the bucket,I was pleased when I read this article. Renewable Energy is the Conscious Energy Choice. Enjoy....
"The Maine Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) has approved the largest wind project in New England. UPC Wind, a Newton, Massachusetts-based wind power company, announced January 3 it received approval on the 57-megawatt (MW) Stetson Wind Project.
A very informative site; it shows that the U.S Government is very knowledgeable on the subject if not motivated.....
Wind Energy Basics
Clean-tech and wind power both soaring - Investment in clean-tech companies rose 44 percent from 2005 to 2006, and jumped an additional 44 percent from 2006 to 2007, soaring to $5.18 billion, according to the Cleantech Group LLC. Last year in clean-tech, energy generation received $2.75 billion in investment, followed by energy storage ($471 million) and transportation ($445 million). And you know what that means: "More new car companies were financed in the last 12 months than probably in the last 50 or 60 years," says the Cleantech Group's John Balbach. Um ... great? In related news, U.S. wind power grew by 45 percent last year, boosted by federal and state energy policies and green-energy incentives. The American Wind Energy Association predicts that wind could provide 20 percent of U.S. power by 2020. Let it never be said that they don't have ambition.
sources: Reuters, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal (access ain't free) [Grist Daily News]
