Alternative Energy - Windfarms: The Advantages of Floating Wind Farms - Beth Day Romulo

Floating Offshore Windmill

Clean energy engineers in the United States have been working on a project to make offshore wind farms financially and environmentally viable. At the moment, all offshore wind turbines require a fixed platform, which is built into the seafloor. But floating turbines with anchors would offer more flexibility as to where wind farms could be placed. Dr. Habib Dagher, the executive director of the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center, is testing an experiment, which simulates conditions that full-scale floating wind turbines might face off the Maine coast, at an installation near Monhegan Island, in 360 feet of water. For 18 months in 2013 and 2014, a small operating version of the wind farm sat in water off Castine, Maine, sending electricity to the grid. This experiment proved that the technology worked. Now, Dr. Dagher’s team is using the data collected to confirm the final forms of the wind farm.

Conventional offshore wind development, which has its foundation deep beneath the ocean floor, are popular in Europe, but energy companies in the United States are just starting to use offshore turbines. Statoil, a Norwegian oil and gas company, is already developing the first commercial scale floating wind farm off the coast of Scotland.

In the US the Obama administration recently released an updated offshore wind plan, which identifies the floating structures as important in fighting climate change. More than half of the US offshore wind capacity is in deep water. Since floating wind farms are more expensive to build than land-based ones, cost has been obstacle to development.

Dr. Dagher said that if all went well, his team could have two full scale turbines pumping electricity into the Maine grind by 2019, and larger commercial farms starting construction in the Gulf of Maine by the mid 2020s.

Read more:nThe Advantages of Floating Wind Farms » Manila Bulletin Newsbit

Poland - Windpower: Vortex energy constructing three wind farms of the output of 140 Megawatts in Poland

Vortex energy Polska Sp. z o.o. (Limited Liability Company) having its registered office in Szczecin, a project development company, has acquired KWE Sp z o.o. (Limited Liability Company) (Konin Wiatr Energia). The enterprise is a joint venture company established in collaboration with a project development company, Global Wind Energy Sp. z o.o., and the second largest Polish brown coal mine operator, PAK Kopalni Węgla Brunatnego Konin S.A. Upon acquisition, vortex energy took over the following three planned wind farms from KWE: Kazimierz Biskupi, Jóźwin 2A and Jóźwin 2B located in Central Poland.

Kazimierz Biskupi wind farm has been scheduled to go operational at the beginning of 2017. The JOZ 2A and JOZ 2B wind farms will probably be commissioned in 2018 or in 2019. Total output of the aforementioned three wind farms will amount to 140 Megawatts. In the past, brown coal was mined in the area. As the locations planned are neither afforested nor in the vicinity of housing areas, they are perfect for wind power generation purposes: wind turbines benefit from fixed wind power capacity and low shading effect. Moreover, probability of occurrence of conflicts with local residents caused by the shadow flicker effect and potential arduousness resulting from noise has been limited.

Usufruct of land has already been secured with relevant agreements. Moreover, KWE has already carried out geological / land surveying and environmental studies as well as wind measurements. "Once the shares have been purchases and control of the company has been taken over, we shall commence development of the farms', says Adam Pantkowski, President of the Poland-based company vortex energy Polska Sp. z o.o.

First, the project development company will analyse raw data obtained from wind measurements and results from the already completed surveys; afterwards, they will commence the process of obtaining further administrative permits and, consequently, the construction process itself. ‘Wind power generation optimisation will be the greatest challenge', adds Pantkowski.

Read more: vortex energy constructing three wind farms of the output of 140 Megawatts in Poland | AltEnergyMag

Alternative Energy USA: Proposed 62-turbine wind farm for Bingham in Maine gets preliminary OK

Energy-Fracking: British Poll finds: Wind farms more popular than fracking sites - Fracking dangerous to your health

Fracking good for the corporate world - but not for your health

More people would prefer a wind farm in their local council area than a fracking site, according to research published recently by YouGov for the renewables company, Ecotricity.

When asked “Which of the following energy projects or plans would you prefer to have operating in your council area”, 62% said a wind farm, 19% said a fracking site and 19% said they didn’t know.

The research found that a wind farm was more popular than a fracking site, regardless of political opinion.

The preference for wind farms was lowest UKIP and Conservative supporters and highest among Lib Dem and Labour supporters

Conservatives: 50% chose wind, 33% chose fracking, 17% did not know
Labour: 76% chose wind, 9% chosefracking, 14% did not know
Lib Dem: 78% chose wind,14% chosefracking, 8% did not know
UKIP (Eurosceptics): 41% chose wind, 36%chose fracking, 24% did not know

Interesting note about these figures is that the Conservatives and the right-wing UKIP Eurosceptics had the least understanding of what fracking is all about.

Women were more likely to support wind farms than men. The research found that among women, 68% of women would prefer a wind farm, compared with 9% who would prefer a fracking site. The figures for men were: 56% would prefer a wind farm, compared with 29% a fracking site.

Fracking was more popular in older people. According to the research, of those that preferred fracking over wind, 29% were over 60.

To watch a video on what Fracking does to the environment and your health click here.

EU-Digest

Denmark: Anholt windpark produces first power

Dong Energy has produced first power from the under-construction 400MW Anholt wind farm off Denmark.

The company said today that the intial Siemens 3.6MW turbine (pictured) had exported electricity just three weeks after installation on 3 September.

"We are keeping to schedule and now delivering the first green power to Danes. This effective project management is one of the reasons that we are leading the market in offshore wind," said senior vice president Christina Grumstrup Sorensen.  "Wind power is at the very core of Dong Energy’s strategy and I am delighted that by achieving first power today we are providing a sound contribution towards maintaining Denmark’s leadership position in offshore wind,” she added.

The 111-turbine Anholt is due to be fully online next year. It is located off the northeast coast of Jutland in the Kattegat.

For more: reNews Europe: Offshore Wind

Alternative Energy/Wind Power Despite the financial crisis, EU wind power should expect steady growth

Europe, Asia and North America will remain the global leaders in wind power development for the foreseeable future, a panel session at the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) conference was told on Thursday in Vancouver.

WEA President Robert Hornung, in his capacity as a board member of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), added that the wind farm sector in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, and Australia and New Zealand should also show remarkably rapid growth in coming years.

Speaking at CanWEA’s annual conference, Hornung said the wind turbines industry in general can expect a bright future despite the continuing global financial crisis.

He said that China is the key global driver of the industry right now while Europe remains a consistently solid and steady wind power region that can expect continual growth. He added, however, that the North American wind turbines sector is somewhat weak and uncertain now because of the faltering economy and policy uncertainty towards wind farm and other renewable energies.

As a region, GWEC noted that Europe was the global leader with cumulative installed capacity of 86 GW at the end of 2010, Asia was second with 58.6 GW and North America was third with 44.1 GW.

Jacopo Moccia, Head of Policy Analysis for the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), told the panel that wind power has benefited from Europe’s 2001 Renewable Electricity Directive and its 2009 Renewable Energy Directive.

Moccia said that the share of wind in Europe’s electricity demand at the end of 2010 was 5.3%.

For the complete report click on this link

Wind farms and conservation hallmarks of state ocean plan - by Beth Daley

"More than 200 wind turbines could eventually spin in Massachusetts coastal waters, according to a final state ocean blueprint released today that attempts to strike a balance on the growing number of competing and controversial uses of the sea.

The plan – the first of its kind in the nation – allows groups of coastal communities to develop anywhere from seven to 24 turbines in their coastal waters that stretch three miles from shore. Far larger wind farms – similar to what is proposed in Nantucket Sound – could be built off Cape Cod near Cuttyhunk Island and adjacent to another tiny island several miles off Martha’s Vineyard.

While the most prominent feature of the Gov. Deval Patrick administration plan centers on wind farms, it also places new layers of environmental protection on critical resources such as fish nurseries, whale feeding areas, and endangered bird nesting areas. Developers of each proposed coastal water use -- from wind turbines to sand and gravel mining to fish farms -- will have to avoid the critical areas or prove it will not be harmful to them."

Wind farms and conservation hallmarks of state ocean plan -The Green Blog - A Boston Globe blog on living Green in Boston:

London Free Press - Wind farm worries must be addressed, not dismissed - by Joe Belanger

For the complete report from the London Free Press click on this link

Wind farm worries must be addressed, not dismissed- by Joe Belanger

It's really quite easy to dismiss opponents of wind farms as suffering more from the "not-in-my-backyard" (NIMBY) syndrome than any particular health problem. Wind farms are the cleanest form of energy we have, consuming no fuel and emitting no pollution. They are one part of the solution to wean the world off fossil fuels. And they are being built as quickly as the turbines can roll off the assembly lines, especially in Southwestern Ontario,Canada where the wind coming off the Great Lakes and the relatively flat landscape provide optimal conditions.Not unlike many new technologies, it can sometimes take time for problems to surface, for connections to be made linking the technology to the problems. Look no further than pesticides such as DDT and its impact on wildlife, such as bald eagles.

As history has shown, business has little interest in uncovering the negative impacts of its products or technologies, especially when they're dealing with a government desperate to find solutions to a growing shortage of electricity, growing public concern about global warming and an economy searching for new industries unrelated to the automobile.

Cleantech Group: Econcern partners on €863M Chinese wind farm deal

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Econcern partners on €863M Chinese wind farm deal

Netherlands-based Econcern has announced a partnership with subsidiaries of China National Offshore Oil and Sinohydro to invest €863 million ($1.1 billion) to build onshore wind farms in China. The four wind farms are expected to have a capacity of 720 megawatts. Construction is slated to begin in 2009. Econcern is partnering on three wind farms with CNOOC New Energy, a subsidiary of Beijing-based China National Offshore Oil New Energy, one of the largest state-owned oil giants in China.

EU-Digest: Romanian group to build euro60 million wind farm

EU-Digest - Windfarms

Romanian group to build euro60 million wind farm

(AP)Blue Planet, part of Romanian group Blue Investments Holding, is to build a euro60 million (US$77 million) wind farm in the east of the country by the end of next year, the company said Tuesday. It will be Romania's first wind farm and comes as the European Union sets targets for the country to provide more of its energy from renewable energy sources, said Emilian Jianu, general manager of Blue Planet. The wind farm will be located in the town of Baia, near the Danube Delta. The EU says that by 2012, 8.3 percent of Romania's energy consumption must come from renewable energy.

The Engineer on-line: UK - Relaxing constraints on off shore Wind farm regulation to cut euro 20 billion from costs

For the complete report from The Engineer on-line

UK - Relaxing constraints on off shore Wind farm regulation to cut euro 20 billion from costs

Relaxing the constraints that dictate where offshore wind farms can be built could cut £16bn from the overall cost of developing offshore wind, according to a new report from The Carbon Trust. Applying all the current constraints would require the UK’s next round of offshore wind farms to be built at great expense 70 miles from the shore and in deep waters. But allowing wind farms to be built nearer to the shore and in shallower waters could enable 29GW of offshore wind farms to be built by 2020. This, the trust argues, would help the UK meet renewable energy targets, cut carbon emissions by 14 per cent, create 70,000 new jobs and bolster energy security.

Tom Delay, chief executive of The Carbon Trust, an independent company set up by the UK government in response to the threat of climate change, said: 'If we are to meet our 2020 renewable targets we need a dash for wind on a comparable scale to the dash for gas of the 1990s. ‘Slashing the costs of offshore wind must now be a priority for UK energy policy.

Utility Products - Wind Energy Corporation Showcases Revolutionary On-Site Vertical Axis Wind Turbine at Japanese Tech Expo

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Wind Energy Corporation Showcases Revolutionary On-Site Vertical Axis Wind Turbine at Japanese Tech Expo

Wind Energy Corporation (Wind Energy) announced today that they will be participating in one of the largest trade shows in Asia later this month. Taking place in Fukuoka, Japan, the Eco-Technology Expo attracts the most advanced developers of renewable energy, pollution control and eco-system restoration technologies. The Expo attracted more than 200 exhibitors and 29,000 visitors in 2007 and is expected to be even larger this year. The show runs from October 22-24. Wind Energy Corporation which has developed Vertical Axis wind turbine technology will be setting up a prototype of their product at the Exposition.

Wind Energy Corporation is a pioneer in the untapped commercial and community distributive energy market. "Distributive" means providing power directly to, and under the control of, consumers and businesses. While many are focused solely on massive wind farms designed to sell electricity into the overtaxed national power grid, Wind Energy Corporation is bringing an on-site, alternative wind energy solution to the marketplace.

EU-Digest:: USA - Offshore Windfarms: Green light for New Yersey Garden State Wind Energy

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USA - Offshore Windfarms: Green light for New Yersey Garden State Wind Energy<

New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities gave a green light to Garden State Wind Offshore Energy, a joint venture between PSEG Renewable Generation and Deepwater Wind, one of several competitors, including BlueWater Wind, Fishermen’s Energy of New Jersey LLC, Occidental Development & Equities LLC, and Environmental Technologies LLC. The $1 Billion project will generate 350 megawatts of power, enough for 125,000 homes, and meet approximately 5% of New Jersey’s needs. The $1 Billion cost for the 350 mw facility is $2.86 per watt for construction, compared to $1.87 for the Atlantic City wind farm, and $6.00 per watt, according to Rebecda Smith in the Wallstreet for Florida Power & Light’s proposed Turkey Point 3 & 4 nuclear plants. The wind farm will be generating energy within four years, and be completed by 2013. The first 1 gw wind farm that T.Boone Pickens Mesa Power, is building in Texas is forecast to cost $2.00 per watt and be operational by 2011.
New Jersey’s wind farm will be historic. It will be the first offshore wind farm in New Jersey, and with the Delmarva Wind Farm that BlueWater Wind is building off Delaware, and the plant that Deepwater Wind is building off of Rhode Island, one of the first three offshore wind farms, possibly the first in the United States.

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