Leading Businesses and Non-Profit Organizations Will Develop First Global Consumer Label for Companies Using Wind Energy

“I think it’s an incredible thing that we can now decide in the same way that we can decide whether we want to buy food that has, you know, certain things in it which we don’t necessarily think are healthy, now we can actually know whether something has been created by wind power which I think is important for the public because a lot of people want to make those choices but aren’t really able to do so.” – Tina Brown, Editor in Chief Newsweek and The Daily Beast

Wind power. It’s clean. It’s renewable.

And consumers will soon be able to know if wind energy was used to make the products they buy.

The Global Wind Energy Council, WWF, the LEGO Group, the UN Global Compact, Vestas Wind Systems, PricewaterhouseCoopers (the Official WindMade Verification Partner) and Bloomberg (the Official Data Provider to WindMade) recently announced their support and initiative for the development the first global consumer label identifying corporations and products made with wind energy during the World Economic Forum in Davos. Simply put, how a product is made is just as important as what is in it and consumers will now have a choice.

Windmade is an initiative leading to the first global consumer label identifying products and companies made with wind energy. The driving force behind this initiative is the simple idea that one of the most important ingredients in a product is the energy used to produce it. The case for wind power is strong. Research indicates many energy-conscious consumers would prefer products made using wind energy, even if they cost more.

While many companies have already made bold statements about their commitment to renewable energy, consumers have to date no way of verifying the source of the energy used. WindMade will offer them the transparency they require for making informed choices. The WindMade consortium hopes to attract leading consumer brands as members. To use the WindMade label for their communications or products, WindMade members will undergo a certification process to verify their wind energy procurement. The standard for certification is currently being developed by a technical expert group. The aim will be to drive the development of new wind power plants, over and above what would be developed anyway.

Windmade™ is dedicated to offering consumers the opportunity to choose products and services that utilize wind energy. The label will be appearing soon, so please keep an eye out, because your choice can power change.

TO LEARN MORE, VISIT: www.windmade.org

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The world’s largest offshore windfarm, partially built by a Norfolk firm, was officially opened off the UK coast yesterday.

The Thanet offshore windfarm, off the south east coast of England, has 100 turbines which will produce enough green energy a year to power the equivalent of more than 200,000 homes.

The project was completed by energy company Vattenfall and the turbines were installed with the help of Great Yarmouth-based engineering firm CLS Offshore, an EDP Business Awards finalist.

The total capacity of the UK’s onshore and offshore wind turbines now exceeds 5 gigawatts, enough to power all the homes in Scotland.

CLS installed part of the turbines, helping slash installation times from 24 hours to five-and-a-half hours while delivering a perfect safety record.

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The cost of wind energy tends to be the first matter that may come to mind when this topic is raised. Harnessing energy is a costly matter, and thus it is generally a deciding factor to whether folks will look to these alternative sources of energy. While there’s certainly a up-front expenditure for the equipment required, the expenses concerned will sort themselves out and rapidly you will see the monetary benefits of wind-powered energy.

It’s a wonderful idea for a backup to a main power supply, and with the right kit you’ll be able to fully transform how you harness energy and claim your place in the records of environmental thinking and conservationism. Most of the cost of wind energy is an one-time deal, and aside from the occasional repair bill, there aren’t many other costs to consider, making it very economical to run as well as being environmentally sound. The cost of wind energy is small, as you will soon be aware.

The opening cost of wind energy is naturally somewhat daunting to some folks, yet while the fiscal issue of erecting a wind farm can seem disproportionate, the payback vis energy is tough to deny. Customarily, a bigger wind farm is cheaper to form than a tiny one, however wierd that may seem at first. Remember, the more turbines at your disposal, then the larger the quantity of energy generated, and the cost of wind energy is then reduced.

Additionally, the Cost Of Wind Energy turbine technology has fallen in recent years, making it an increasingly attractive concept. Different factors to take into consideration are legal matters, placement, planning permissions and any place- specific issues that must be sorted out. Wind generated energy has the potential to be very helpful to the environment with your bank account, and it is being utilized moreand more by private home-owners as well as companies who want to see exactly what the Cost Of Wind Energy is able to for them.

As with many new energy technologies the core issue is getting the generated power from the location to the demand. With coal and oil you just send it down and expensive pipeline or load it onto trains and ship it to the power plant. But with technology like solar or wind you have resources for these energies that may lay outside of a service demand area and you have to figure a way to get that power to those who will use it.

By most measures, wind energy has been a great business lately.

The U.S. wind energy industry shattered previous records in 2008 by installing 8,358 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity, and did even better in 2009, building out another 9,922 MW. That’s enough wind power to deliver electricity to 4.4 million homes, according to the American Wind Energy Association.

But if you think it’s easy — or cheap — to get wind-powered electricity to places where it’s needed, talk to Tom King.

As the executive in charge of the U.S. business of National Grid, a global utility company with extensive operations in the Northeast, King would like to see wind turbines built off the coast of New England, as well as along a wind belt that stretches across the northern border of New York and runs east through Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

“When you look at the Northeast,” King says, ” it’s bracketed by some very significant wind resources.”

To read more…

Lots of new developments going on around the globe with regard to wind power and wind energy generation. Here is summery of recent news on the wind energy front.

Please comment on your favorite wind news story and let us know what you think of the development of this natural resource.

Wind Power is the Best Alternative Green Energy Solution | Textio

Although it is much less expensive to initially get hooked into the local electric company’s grid than it is to set up and hook into wind turbines, in the long.

SBI banks on wind power (Central Chronicle) — Affordable Green Energy

The article SBI banks on wind power (Central Chronicle) is syndicated for use on Affordable Green Energy. The original content in it\’s entirety can be found here. 01.jpg. Categories. Biofuel · Biomass · Energy Efficiency · Geothermal …

Large Wind Power Project Proposed (KMVT Twin Falls) — Affordable …

The article Large Wind Power Project Proposed (KMVT Twin Falls) is syndicated for use on Affordable Green Energy. The original content in it\’s entirety can be found here. 04.jpg. Categories. Biofuel · Biomass · Energy Efficiency …

EWEB adds to wind power (The Register-Guard) — Affordable Green Energy

The Eugene Water & Electric Board’s power supply just got a bit greener. The publicly owned utility, in cooperation with several other Pacific Northwest utilities, has brought a new batch of wind turbines online. …

Capacity of wind power base hits 2 GW – China Economic Net …

The installed capacity of China’s first massive wind power base in northwestern Gansu Province reached two gigawatts, local authorities said Friday. The Jiuquan wind power base achieved the landmark capacity as China Datang Corporation, …

When John Sweazey introduced his new wine label late last year, he decided to call it Anaba after the unique, upward flowing air currents — called anabatic winds — that flow through the vineyards on his Carneros property. This week, the name took on new meaning when Anaba became the first winery in Northern California to use wind power in the production of wine.

On Thursday, a construction crew from Jonas Energy in Lake County, aided by a crane, installed a 45-foot Skystream 3.7 wind turbine on Anaba’s vineyard and tasting room property, located at 60 Bonneau Road in Sonoma, at the intersection of Highways 116 and 121. According to Sweazey, the turbine is expected to generate 40 to 75 percent of the electricity needed to power Anaba’s tasting room, offices, irrigation system and cased goods storage facility.

“From all indications, we’re the first in Northern California to utilize wind power in wine production,” Sweazey explained. “And while we’re excited about that, it’s just the first step for us. When we start construction on our new winery, we plan to install solar panels to harvest sunlight as well. That will give us a powerful combination of wind and solar, which will move us well on our way to becoming a ‘green’ winery.”

The Skystream 3.7 wind turbine has a 2.4kW rating and was produced by Southwest Windpower of Flagstaff, AZ.

In addition to becoming a national leader in small-scale renewable energy use, Anaba also will reap other benefits from the installation of the wind turbine.

“We expect it to attract visitors, especially since it’s so visible at what is already one of the busiest intersections in Sonoma County,” Sweazey said. “And we also plan to use the turbine’s image on the labels of a new portfolio of Anaba wines that we will be introducing shortly after the first of the year.”

For those interested in seeing Anaba’s wind turbine in action, the Anaba Tasting Room, located at 60 Bonneau Road in Sonoma, is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Additional information is online at www.anabawines.com.

Lots of talk these days about expanding wind energy installations both commercially and in residential installations around the world as the price of wind power approaches that of fossil fuels energy. Here is some of the latest wind power news and updates:

Causes Of Land Pollution And Energy Facts | WGC2005.org

Wind forecasting played a significant role in enabling large-scale wind power penetration and we believe that forecasting PV production is less complex and will have similar results for enabling industry growth. Wind energy in Spain has …

Wind Energy Gaining Momentum in China | patrilicious.com

It gives an insight into the trends persuading the market at present. Besides this, the factors fuelling the growth of the Chinese wind energy market have … See all stories on this topic.

Global Wind Energy Market Analysis and Forecasts to 2020

Though Europe is the leading region in terms of the current global cumulative wind energy installed capacity, its share in the world’s wind energy industry has dropped from over 73% in 2001 to 61% in 2007 and 54% in 2008. …

Wind Energy Turkey / Rüzgar Enerjisi Türkiye / Wind Energie Türkei …

The turbine, a “fan” spins a generator, thus converting energy in the wind into electricity. Most believe wind is caused by solar impacts on the earth. So wind energy is a dynamic form of solar energy. …

New Study says Wind Farms have no Measurable Effect on House …

A new study released by the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory reveals that the view of wind farms does not appear to have a significant effect on the sale of houses.

NYPA has announced a major step forward on its Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project. On December 1, President Richard Kessel released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of utility scale (120 MW to 500 MW) wind generating projects in New York State waters of Lake Erie and/or Lake Ontario.

The release of the RFP followed several months of outreach to community and business leaders, local and state officials, environmentalists and the general public, whose feedback was incorporated into the document. NYPA had announced the major public-private initiative for the potential development of wind power projects in the New York State waters of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario in April.

Watch this video showing the giant 134 foot wind turban blades being masde and transported.

If you’re driving anywhere between Iowa and upstate New York this week, honk if you like wind! One of the giant blades — nearly half a football field in length — that powers GE’s 1.5-megawatt line of wind turbines is making a cross-country journey on the back of a flatbed truck as it winds its way from the factory to GE’s Schenectady plant, where it will be put on permanent display.

Pioneering Wind Power

GE wind turbine technology features robust designs for long, reliable performance, variable speed control, independent blade pitch for reduced loads and cost-effective operation and unique WindVAR electronics for local grid support and improved transmission efficiencies. For the first time, wind turbines can remain online and feed reactive power to the electric grid right through major system disturbances with our low-voltage ride-thru technology.

Go to PowerOfWind.com to tell Congress that you support a national renewable electricity standard.

Today’s most significant sources of power is the wind energy It is fueled by the wind, meaning it doesn’t pollute the air unlike power plants which depends on combustion of fossil fuels like natural gas and coal. Wind is formed by the heating of the atmosphere and the earth’s rotation, making it an inexhaustible and least expensive renewable energy source today. But is a wind powered home really a viable option?
With the current state of our environment today, now more than ever do we need to turn to using such renewable energies. Many residential homes mostly in farm lands and open fields installs their own wind turbines as source of energy
The first thing to consider in installing a wind turbine generator in your homes would obviously be the wind. Your area should nowhere be near tall buildings and structures, as it will have a pronounced effect on the wind turbines’ efficiency to deliver electricity According to American Wind Energy Association, it is best if the home is located on one acre or more due to the size of a small wind turbine. It should rise high enough above objects on the ground to lower wind turbulence With an average home requirement of 9,400 kilowatt-hours per year, a turbine should be rated 5 to 15 kilowatts.
Individual turbines vary in size and power output from a few hundred watts to two or three megawatt, the typical domestic system would be 1 – 6 kilowatts. Re-wiring is not necessary as it can be retrofitted in any home There are two basic types of home wind turbine : the horizontal and vertical axis. The more common horizontal axis needs to be aimed directly at the wind The vertical axis, although it can face any direction the wind is blowing requires more ground space than horizontal axis turbines.
More on The facts about home wind power -is it right for your home?

Evolution of Financial Crisis, Policies of New Administration Will Shape Wind Power Outlook for 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. wind energy industry installed 1,389 megawatts (MW) this quarter, bringing to 4,204 MW the total of wind power projects completed in what is expected to be another record year, the American Wind Energy Association announced today in its 3rd quarter market report.

With even more reported under construction, the industry is on track to surpass the banner year of 2007, when 5,249 MW were installed, with a total of about 7,500 MW this year (7,500 MW would generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of about 2.2 million homes).

In welcome news for the economy, the industry is also aggressively expanding its manufacturing base in the U.S., creating jobs and fostering investment and growth even in a difficult financial climate. AWEA’s report tallies the opening of eight new wind turbine component manufacturing facilities this year; the expansion of nine facilities; and the announcement of an additional 19 facilities. As a result of recent manufacturing investment, AWEA estimates, the share of domestically made components in wind turbines has risen from about 30% in 2005 to 50% today. The new facilities will create an estimated 9,000 jobs.

“The convenient truth here is that wind power provides a stimulus for our economy, as well as a climate change and energy security solution,” said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. “The market, in spite of all its turmoil, clearly points to wind power as one of the most attractive energy options available today. But if we are to keep this momentum going, the new President and Congress will need to put in place what the majority of the American people support but the country still lacks: a long-term renewable energy policy.”

More on WIND ENERGY INDUSTRY INSTALLS 1,400 MW IN 3RD QUARTER OF WHAT WILL BE ANOTHER RECORD YEAR

Company Announces Plans to Address Power Reliability Concerns

American Electric Technologies, Inc. (NasdaqCM:AETI – News), the premium supplier of custom-designed power distribution and control solutions for the traditional and alternative energy industries, today announced its formal entry into the wind power market at the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) WINDPOWER 2008 conference. The company also released results from a survey they sponsored about the wind energy industry’s perceptions about the state of its electrical infrastructure and offered valuable advice to overcome risks associated with a wind farm’s sub-optimal electric infrastructure.

In conjunction with the company’s wind power market entry, AETI also announced today a new West Texas wind farm construction operation and the addition of a wind power construction veteran to help bring the company’s traditional engineering and instrumentation (E&I) construction and electrical maintenance services to the West Texas wind farm market.

“With our formal entry into the wind market, we are leveraging our power distribution and control technology, our 60 years of technical expertise, and our construction and services capabilities to enable the wind power industry to reach its maximum potential,” said Charles Dauber, president of the M&I Electric business of AETI.

More on AETI Enters Wind Energy Market, Uncovers Power Infrastructure Risks

The almost daily rising cost of diesel fuel has spurred the utility company in Kodiak Alaska to order up more wind turbines to provide electricity to its customers. They already have some wind power in their system but it now makes sesne to proactively add more with energy costs skyrocketing for municipal utilities.

From AP:

Kodiak utility to add 3rd wind generator

Kodiak’s electric utility will expand its plans to incorporate wind as a power generator in response to the high cost of diesel.

Kodiak Electric Association board members voted last week to buy a third wind generator during the evaluation phase of their Pillar Mountain wind power project.

“With the price of fuel going where it’s going, the added generation is a good thing for our community,” said KEA president and chief executive Darron Scott.

It makes sense to purchase a third wind generator now instead of waiting because it’s likely to be more expensive later, Scott said.

“We feel the added generation is a cost benefit back to the community due to the cost of diesel,” Scott said.

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Wind power outlook weak in Europe, report says
CNET Thu, 29 May 2008 11:23 AM PDT

Meeting the growing demand for wind power in Europe will be a struggle, according to a report.

Wind-Power Sector Gets A Slight Shift In Political Breeze Nasdaq Thu, 29 May 2008 1:38 PM PDT A new government report released by the U.S. Energy Department this month looked at whether wind power could provide 20% of U.S. electricity by 2030, a feat that would require the U.S. to triple annual construction of wind power sites.

Southern MN wind farm signs power agreement BizJournals Thu, 29 May 2008 1:12 PM PDT A wind farm being built in southern Minnesota by a French company will provide power to Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency.

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Imagine that. The DOE has come out with a report that actually supports wind power and the role it could play in our energy strategy going forward. Instead of belittling it as an energy source as many have in the past the DOE study shows that wind power could help get us up to 20% of our energy supply by the year 2030.

“To dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance our energy security, clean power generation at the gigawatt-scale level will be necessary, and will require us to take a comprehensive approach to scaling renewable wind power, streamlining siting and permitting processes, and expanding the domestic wind manufacturing base,” said Andy Karsner, DOE assistant secretary of energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The report, “20% Wind Energy by 2030,” was released Monday.

Now of course there are obstacles to overcome in this wind development, such as building transmission lines, the pace of building turbines would have to quicken significantly, and the industries ability to ramp up would have to be increased. But the bottom line is that it is a positive step in the right direction. Instead of saying these energy sources won’t help we are now saying let’s give it a go and that is the right way to approach it in my opinion.

Still, the benefits are clear. Supplying 20 percent of our electricity from wind could reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the electric sector by 825 million metric tons, according to the report. It would also reduce water used in electricity generation, while reducing demand for fossil fuels.

Other impacts the DOE notes are a new source of income for rural landowners from leasing land for wind farms, tax revenues for municipalities in local communities, and the creation of well-paying jobs in a green industry.

Read the DOE report here

Over the past couple of decades, we’ve seen an increasing demand for alternate forms of energy. This demand has led to the proliferation of wind farms across North America. It really is hard not to be optimistic about the potential benefits wind energy can provide. However, with the increasing cost of manufacturing and the lack of investment in technology we often find our progress stinted with less than expected results.

Many people see wind energy as the way of the future, but little fully understand how it will become part of our energy mix.

I’ve recently had the opportunity to collect some preliminary data regarding the efficiency of wind turbines. This data is being used to determine how Power Factor is related to wind turbines and how we can improve the amount of energy they generate. This data has shown us that wind turbines are actually quite inefficient. In fact, large scale turbines are producing only about 30-35% of the energy they are rated for at the best of times.
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