Wind power. There’s an obvious reason, okay, maybe not so obvious reason to some why it is such a good thing. Wind power was attributed to helping Tyson Gay run the fastest ever 100 meters in history - 9.68 at the U. S. Olympic trials in Eugene, OR. The record, however, was aided with the help of a tailwind that was deemed too strong.

In competition, winds over 2.0 meters/second cause a runner’s time to be disqualified. Gay had a tailwind of 4.1 meters/sec.  The world record is 9.72 seconds, set by Jamaica’s Usain Bolt. GP wants to point out that when the wind is at our backs, wind power, too, there is potential to set even more important records than dash. How about a record for the least amount of fossil fuels used for example.

Wind power…there’s something to it.

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Japan was going great guns on adding wind power generating facilities…until last year. The number of new facilities added in ‘07 was half of what was added in ‘06. New wind turbines that started operation in Japan last year had a capacity of 185Kw. It was double that in ‘06.

There are reasons for the drop off:

1. Utilities in northern Japan which is best suited for wind turbines have restricted the construction of new sites

2. New earthquake-resistance standards are tougher even for planned facilities

3. The strong euro and high prices for steel materials make wind turbines much more expensive

4. activists fighting for protection of scenery in the area are preventing progress in use of wind turbines

5. activists fighting on behalf of animals in the areas are preventing progress as well

Japan has a goal of 3 million KW generated by 2010. As of 2007, the capacity was 1.67 million. The goal now seems unattainable. Some 40% of the country’s overall wind power capacity is generated in Hokkaido, Aomori, and Akita, all in northern Japan.

Question: Why can’t we all get along?

Dubai continues to set standards and, why not with all the money the little kingdom has in the bank. Oil money. Our money.

Dr. David Fisher is the designer of this Dynamic Architecture - a wind-powered rotating skyscraper, 420 meters high and with 80 floors that rotate independently. A total of 48 wind turbines will be installed between each floor making it very environmentally friendly and capable of sustaining itself with electricity.

Dubai has some 4,000 hours of wind annually and with that kind of wind generating power, the tower will get all the annual power it needs from just four of the turbines and the other 44 will send power to support Dubai’s power grid .

The wind-powered rotating skyscraper will be built in parallel stages instead of from the ground up, with a solid concrete core and a factory nearby prefabricating each floor in segments. Each apartment will be modular and should be tailored to the individual tenant’s desires.

Another similar project, but smaller is planned for Moscow. Only 400 meters and 70 floors. I now wonder if HSBC knew about this design, before they built their eco-friendly skyscraper.

Meanwhile -‘The Donald’ and His $2B Golf Course is heading the other way.

And maybe Dubai will use Beer Bottles for their hot water system. We can only hope.

Broadstar Wind Systems has designed what is supposed to the be next generation wind turbine. Based on principles first established by the French aeronautical engineer Georges Jean Marie Darrieus who invented a wind turbine capable of operating from any direction and under adverse weather conditions, the AeroCam is capable of generating power virtually anywhere.

Though it looks a lot like a water wheel because of the horizontal axis with multiple blades, rest assured that it’s really capable of delivering energy.

Probably the most interesting feature of the AeroCam wind turbine is the fact that it has the ability to automatically and interactively adjust the pitch or angle of attack of the blades that will rotate it. Much like a bird which is changing the shape of its wing when it flies.

“It all adds up to a solution that delivers more power and more choice of location, with a lower total cost of acquisition and ownership and a faster payback period. The AeroCam has the potential to equip almost every local community, business and government building with its own renewable energy power station and it can supplement existing turbines,” said Stephen Else, president of the company.

The price is $250,000 for a 250kW AeroCam wind turbine which is $1 per watt if we do the math. It’s the lowest in the industry.

Now you understand why oil business men are switching to wind?

via Energy Daily

T. Boone Pickens Jr. is one of Texas’s richest oil men who’s making a small fortune every minute thanks to the high oil prices. He’s also now seemingly setting his safety net by building the largest wind farm in the world (he says). The farm will have a 4,000 megawatts generating capability, enough to be able to power 1.3 million houses with green energy.

To become a Texas wind tycoon, Pickens is going to invest $12 billion in the project with an expected 15% - 25% return on the money.

“For a number of years I’ve watched the wind turbines develop—and I feel like it’s time for it. I think that oil has peaked at 85 million barrels in the world. We’ve got to other forms of energy - wind, I think solar will be next, and I hope I’m still around to be in the solar deal” Pickens said.

Though he’s not a fan of the current President, Pickens is confident that the federal wind energy production tax credit will pass Congress, because the United States needs to develop more alternate energy sources, including wind.

“We’re now importing 72 percent of the oil we use every day. I think everybody can see that we’re gonna break the country if we pay 700 billion dollars a year for, uh, imported oil.”

When a Texas oil man worth $3 billion (according to Forbes), bets against oil on renewable energy like wind or solar power you may want to think again which boat you’ll be in for the next few years.

Here’s the whole interview on the Living on Earth Show.

Image by fieldsbh

Using wind to get from place A to place B is quite unusual for most of us. But, how about about the Nereus, the water pad racer for adrenaline junkies? Inspired by kite sailing, these pix are aconceptual design of a kite-powered water craft capable of achieving relatively high speeds both on and under the water.

Inspired by ET?!

Though I’m not sure if how much of a storm is necessary to get your 200 lb body out of the water with all that sea drag, I’ll have to believe the designers when they say the design of the vessel and the kite is sufficient. Controlling the Nereus is just as easy as riding a bike they say. All you have to do is turn the handlebars which are attached to the kite. To dive, just push down.

Though we wouldn’t expect to go from Newport Beach to Long Beach, even if you’re well trained to use wind power, the Nereus sure looks capable to deliver. I’m game for test-driving it.

Anyone else?

You may also be interested in:

Honda Has an SUV-sized Vehicle That Goes 1,300 Miles between Fill-ups

Spiderman Climbs for Global Warming

Source

This is the construction timelapse of a big PYCO 1 megawatt wind turbine that was built from March 31st 2008 to April 4th 2008 in Lubbock, Texas. Sooner or later we will understand that we can live a life on renewable energies if we stop wasting and though they build bigger mills around the world this is a good step forward.

This video is copyright in whole or in part by PCCA.

The answer? Easy. Get yourself twenty 80-ton batteries that look like small buildings, were designed by the Japanese and have a life expectancy of 15 years. Enough right ?

Xcel Energy is the company who’s trying to store the energy from its 11-megawatt wind farm in southwestern Minnesota and store it on such batteries that will discharge 1 megawatt of power, enough energy for 1,000 homes. The main concern with the wind is that the speed is always changing so the system had to be designed to charge the batteries while the wind blows and when the speed goes down the batteries will help even out the flow of electricity to the grid.

Xcel Energy is the first company that added batteries to a wind farm to capture the power and help with peak power demands.

via Sustainablog