Alternative Energy HQ » Wind Power

Home Wind Turbine – Creating Cheap Electricity Using Home Wind Generators

newenergy — Mon, 09 May 2011 09:26:42 +0000

It is interesting to discover how you can generate free electricity as you can save a whole lot on electrical expenses. Let us look into a couple of great environmentally friendly ways to make electricity with the use of a home wind turbine. You may prefer to have this system in your house or even one for your working office. According to statistics, the amount of harmful gases out there has been rising drastically. At the same time, we are using up more of our natural resources that we are unable replace every single day. The use of home wind turbines can help in putting an end to such negative activities.

Alternative energy solutions such as the use of home wind turbines are becoming increasingly popular in light of ever-escalating energy costs as they relate to fossil fuel, or else known as ‘non-renewable’, resources. With the cost of a barrel of oil, for instance, rising on consistent basis, it would seem wise indeed to start switching to alternatives energy sources.

Home wind turbine depends on the wind to operate. Wind energy is a natural resource that can never be depleted. As a result, it is known that home wind generators has the power to create free supplies of usable electricity from the natural wind energy. In addition, this amazing system is environmental friendly. Relating to that, it can also help to keep our planet a greener and healthier place to live in.

The key to generating free electricity is by installing a home wind turbine into your house, and that isn’t a difficult task. There are a lot of qualified professionals out there that will do an excellent work for you. Searching for a professional is as easy as going online. The professionals will always quote you an estimated price so that you can decide on making the investment. On the other hand, if you plan to save more money and consider that you can manage the installation on your own, a home wind turbine kit is what you need. This kit is not really a type of equipment you can order from a general hardware store. You’ll need to do some searching. The internet can be a very useful tool to help you work out where to get an ideal kit. In fact, you can build your very own home wind generators with just a few simple tools that can be easily found around your house.

The use of a wind power generator is very economical and efficient. The fact that it does not give out any harmful gasses into our environment is even more of a reason to really consider this implementation. Get to know the various attractive benefits you can take advantage of so that you can get it in place. You have so much to gain and nothing to lose when you implement a wind turbine in your house.

Alternative power solutions with home wind generators are made much more accessible these days than ever before. And with the stocks of non-renewable energy sources like oil and natural gas running out, it only makes sense to start converting to alternative sources of energy like the home wind turbine.

New Wind Turbine Technology

newenergy — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:55:46 +0000

Honeywell Wind Turbine by WindTronics Now Available for Purchase

Wind is Nature’s Energy-Savings Generator

Muskegon, Mich. – April 21, 2011 – WindTronics announced today the launch of its much-anticipated Honeywell Wind Turbine, which is now available through authorized dealers, retailers and partners. Best noted for always turning and generating power in as little as two miles per hour (mph), the Honeywell Wind Turbine’s small size, light weight and negligible noise, ensures everyone with wind has the ability to generate renewable wind energy for their home or business.

“Our vision is to make renewable wind power truly distributed and widely available,” said Reg Adams, president of WindTronics. “The ability to generate onsite power will help communities around the world convert the wind – bringing renewable energy technology into the mainstream.”

The Honeywell Wind Turbine is now available for purchase around the world through WindTronics’ authorized dealer network. For a complete list of dealers, please visit www.wheretobuyone.com. This ever-expanding network of distributors, partners and retailers, includes the following companies:

· WindTronics Full Sales, Service & Warranty Dealers

· Honeywell Resellers

· Ace Hardware

· True Value

· WESCO Distribution, Inc.

· Mid-States Distributing Co.

Weighing less than 185 pounds and measuring only six feet in diameter, the Honeywell Wind Turbine produces up to 1500kWh annually depending on height and location. This gearless wind turbine features an innovative Blade Tip Power System™ that utilizes a system of magnets and stators surrounding its outer ring to capture power at the blade tips where speed is greatest, practically eliminating mechanical resistance and drag. This enables the Honeywell Wind Turbine to start turning at 0.5 mph and generating energy in two mph of wind.

“The design of the Honeywell Wind Turbine is unlike anything I have seen before,” said Kyle Biedermann, CEO of WindBucks Energy, a distributor of Honeywell Wind Turbine in Texas. “This product, which lives harmoniously in almost any setting, is beneficial anywhere there is wind and is a viable option for sustainable energy.”

Designed to be flexible, the Honeywell Wind Turbine gives customers the choice to have the turbine mounted directly on a rooftop or use a pole. Additionally, customers can choose to connect the power directly to the building, to the grid, or to batteries using one of three connector options:

· Grid-tie – using the Power One Aurora® Grid Tie Inverter to feed renewable power to any utility worldwide

· Non-Grid Tie – using the WindTronics battery power management system called the SmartBox that converts wind power into electricity for the building

· Direct DC – an option which captures the power directly into 12, 24, or 48 volt batteries for storage in remote areas

Depending upon which connector option is chosen, the cost of the Honeywell Wind Turbine ranges starting at $5,795 (plus installation). Similar to installing an electric generator, the Honeywell Wind Turbine was designed to be installed by a licensed electrical contractor. WindTronics offers a list of authorized installers to help customers properly install the Honeywell Wind Turbine.

Texas Football Stadium To Get Wind Power

newenergy — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:35:22 +0000

Wind turbines to generate power for new UNT football stadium

DENTON (UNT), Texas , The University of North Texas has received a $2 million grant from the State Energy Conservation Office to install three wind turbines that will feed the electrical grid that provides power to UNT’s new football stadium and other buildings on the west side of Interstate 35E.

The stadium, which will open in September, is the first collegiate stadium designed to incorporate onsite renewable energy. The turbines are expected to be installed by the end of the year.

“The effort by the staff of the UNT System and the university to meet the requirements of the Department of Energy and the State Energy Conservation Office to win the grant for these new turbines underscores our commitment to creating a carbon-neutral campus,” said V. Lane Rawlins, president of UNT. “Our university has a 50-year legacy of environmental research and sustainability and we’re proud to be the first university in Texas to install wind turbines on campus. “

It is estimated that the three wind turbines will offset the energy consumption of Mean Green Village, the area of campus surrounding the new stadium, by about 6 percent and eliminate 323 metric tons of carbon dioxide being emitted annually. The turbines will be visible from I-35E and I-35W providing visual evidence of UNT’s commitment to sustainability.

A web-based monitoring system will provide details on energy production, carbon reduction statistics and empirical data that can be used for both educational and research purposes at UNT. Designed for low wind conditions, the community-scale 100kW wind turbines are well suited for the North Texas region, which has a wind speed average of approximately 12 mph.

Unlike the very large turbines generally found at wind farms, community-scale turbines are considerably smaller and ideal for municipalities, schools, neighborhoods, and universities. The approximate noise level of the turbines is 55 decibels at 40 meters (131 feet), which is equivalent to that of a normal conversation between two people.

“The construction of wind turbines at UNT will be an invaluable asset to the university and surrounding communities,” said Richard Escalante, vice chancellor for administrative services. “The reduction in carbon emissions from the use of fossil fuels will be a collective benefit for the entire North Texas region. Sustainable initiatives, such as the use of renewable energy technologies, ensure that future generations of the UNT and Denton communities are equipped with the necessary tools to continue economic expansion while simultaneously protecting the environment and human health.”

The wind turbines will be located southwest of the new stadium, and aligned approximately parallel to Bonnie Brae Street. The turbines will be on the east side of Bonnie Brae.

Design and construction of the turbines is expected to begin immediately. At its November meeting, the UNT System Board of Regents selected HKS DesignGreen for the design of the turbines and supporting structure. The construction manager will be selected shortly, according to Raynard Kearbey, UNT System associate vice chancellor for system facilities, whose team is overseeing design and construction of the stadium and wind turbines.

“These wind turbines will give UNT a trifecta of benefits,” noted Chris Mundell, sustainable design manager with HKS DesignGreen. “They will be an innovative educational tool for UNT students and faculty. The turbines also will be a symbol of sustainability for all the stadium’s spectators. Lastly, they help offset energy consumption of the new stadium, making it one of the most energy efficient in the country.”

The new stadium, which will replace 57-year-old Fouts Field, is designed by award-winning architects HKS Sports & Entertainment Group (www.hksinc.com), the firm that designed the new Dallas Cowboys stadium. The UNT System will be seeking LEED Gold or Platinum certification. If the project is awarded LEED Platinum, it will be the first of its type to achieve this rating in the country.

Wind Turbine Cost – Installing Wind Power

newenergy — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 02:46:00 +0000

Wayne O Sullivan asked:

Wind turbine cost will be a major factor when investigating if it is economical to install and use wind power. There are several different parts to a turbine and you will need everything installed in order to harness the power of wind. The cost is generally determined by the tower height, generator size and rotor diameters. Basically you are collecting the energy needed for the wind to turn the rotor blades.

There are several wind farms around the world that use wind turbines to create electricity. Over 3, 000 MW of wind power is produced in Denmark by several wind farms that they have in the country and offshore. This takes over 5, 500 wind turbines to collect this amount of energy. If you drive over the mounts in to San Francisco you will see them on the mountains. There are also some wind farms around Palm Springs that collects wind power. The more kW you are interested in collecting then in general the more expensive the wind turbine costs associated with it. A single wind turbine that produces 700 kW can cost around half a million dollars. Smaller wind turbines can cost between $150, 000 to $200, 000 dollars though many companies are looking to design smaller more economical wind turbines that can be used for residential homes. A smaller wind turbine can produce 100 to 200 kW of energy.

With the expense involved with purchasing a wind turbine it is more cost efficient to install a larger one as the cost needed to produce a larger turbine is not much more expensive then a smaller one. If you are interested in produce 600 kW of energy rather than 150 kW, so quadrupling the power, the cost only triples, it does not quadruple.

A slight guide for the cost of a wind turbine is that it will cost you $1, 000 per kW power. Collected wind power is measured by kW per hour and your cost will be based upon kW per hour. The most wind turbine competition is found at the 1, 000 kW per hour range as this size is built by many different companies.

Besides purchasing the wind turbine there are other costs that are involved with the wind turbine installation. All of these additional costs need to be take account of as they can dramatically increase the cost of your wind turbine. Some additional costs include cabling, connection to the electrical grid, transformer, road construction, and turbine foundations.

The soil where you want to install the turbine will dictate the type of foundation you will need to keep it upright and steady. If you are installing your turbine in a remote area then you may have to build roads in order to get all of the equipment and the wind turbine to the site. Actually getting your turbine to the site will accrue some steep transportation costs, particularly if you are installing many turbines or very large wind turbines.

With all of these costs it actually makes more sense to install several rather than one wind turbine. Ultimately this means you are doing everything in bulk. It is less expensive to install 12 in one area rather than building multiple roads to several different locations and then connecting each of those wind turbines to an electrical grid form several different areas.

Man wind turbines are being installed off shore as individuals in urban areas can also take advantage of the power created form wind turbines. Offshore wind turbines are perfect for those communities that do not have any land that can be used for wind farms. One of the largest wind farms is located of the shore of Denmark at Horns Rev.

Wind power has been used for years. The very first types of wind turbines were in the form of wind mills. Wind mills were used to grind grain into flour and much more. Wind power is the cleanest and most efficient form of energy as it does not produce pollution and wind will always be available.

Solar Power for homes

Funding Alternative Energy For The Future Through Bonds

newenergy — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:32:14 +0000

NEW INITIATIVE TO BRING IN TRILLION DOLLAR BOND MARKETS TO FINANCE THE LOW CARBON ECONOMY

BRUSSELS, 15 March 2011 – The Climate Bonds Initiative announced the count down to the world’s first Climate Bond issuance – worth a quarter of a billion US dollars – with the release of the draft Compliance Standards today that will assure the environmental integrity of bonds issued to fund low carbon projects. The first version of the Standard will apply to wind energy.

The Climate Bond Initiative’s Standards break new ground by providing independently verified assurance to institutional investors that the proceeds of such bonds are being used to build the low carbon economy, and will not be diverted for other purposes.

The Climate Bonds Initiative also announced that the first wind energy Standard-compliant Climate Bond issuance of over a quarter of a billion dollars is being prepared for release and is expected to be launched in May this year.

The Climate Bond Standard was announced at the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) Conference in Brussels today and the Climate Bonds Initiative is now seeking public and industry comment on the draft Standard for bonds used to finance wind energy projects with the objective of finalizing the standard by the end of April.

The Climate Bonds Initiative brings together some of the world’s largest financial institutions together with experts advising the development of the Standards from climate change and clean technology industries and respected environmental groups.

“The issuance of certified Climate Bonds that meet strict environmental standards will make it simpler to invest in the low carbon economy with confidence,” said Climate Bonds Initiative Chair Sean Kidney. “A certifiable Standard that applies across different types of low-carbon investments will increase investor confidence and deepen the pool of capital allocated to investments that address climate change.”

Institutional investors like pension funds manage some $70 trillion of the world’s wealth and yet renewable energy industries have largely been unable to tap directly into this source of finance due to their small scale and lack of supportive institutions to accredit their projects.

“The Climate Bonds Standard will give investors assurance about the environmental integrity being stated by bond issuers by verifying that their funds are being used to build the low carbon economy,” said the Climate Bond Initiative’s Director of Renewable Energy Development, Dr. Karl Mallon. “It will allow investors to buy clearly branded bonds issued to finance different types of low-carbon projects knowing that they really are comparing apples with apples when it comes to climate related environmental integrity.”

The Climate Bonds Initiative’s Standard will also provide a useful tool for project aggregators, as they will be able to acquire different clean energy investments using compliance with certified Standards as a filter. That will make it easier to hold investments with different underlying technologies, such as wind, solar or biomass, in a single portfolio that could then be securitised to attract large investors.

At the EWEA Conference, Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council said,“Wind is the fastest growing investment in the grid-connected energy sector and we need Standards like the Climate Bond Initiative’s to help secure new sources of large-scale finance to help the industry maintain its growth:”

“We look forward to a step-change expansion in the availability of clean energy finance as Climate Bonds hit the market,” Mr Kidney said in Brussels.