DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Renewable Revolution
HTML https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Renewables
*****************************************************
#Post#: 293--------------------------------------------------
Snowtown II: Wind Power At A Cut-Throat Price!
By: AGelbert Date: November 10, 2013, 1:31 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Snowtown II: Wind Power At A Cut-Throat Price! [img width=140
height=080]
HTML http://carrieamedford.com/wp-content/uploads/money-emoticon.gif.jpg[/img]
[img width=640
height=480]
HTML http://i2.wp.com/cleantechnica.com/files/2013/11/Siemens-wind-turbine-blades1.jpg[/img]
Windenergieanlagen für das Projekt "Snowtown II" / Wind turbines
for Snowtown II wind farmSnowtown is a small rural community
which is famous throughout Australia on account of how it once
snowed there. Or possibly the place was simply named after a man
called Thomas Snow. Either one. Land nearby is already the
location of the imaginatively named wind farm Snowtown I, and is
now the construction site for a brand new wind farm for which
they’ve really gone out on a creative limb for and named
Snowtown II. When completed towards the end of 2014 it will be
Australia’s second largest wind farm and South Australia’s
largest. One very exciting thing about this wind farm sequel is
it looks set to provide some of the cheapest grid electricity in
Australia. But more on that later. Now it’s time for me to give
some bodacious details about this development.
Ninety Siemens wind turbines of three megawatts capacity will be
erected on 80 meter high steel pylons for a total of 270
megawatts. The blades on 80 turbines will be 53 meters long
while the remaining 10 will have 49 meter blades. Local farmers
will receive $2.4 million a year for the use of their land and
the expected lifespan of the wind farm is 25 years. Enough
electricity will be produced to meet the demand of 90,000
Australians or 173,000 Italians. The total cost will be $439
million Australian which is $413 million US at current exchange
rates.
The turbines are a gearless direct drive design. Not having a
gearbox cuts the number of moving parts almost in half and saves
money by reducing maintenance requirements by about 20% while
having the disadvantage of increased weight. An interesting
thing about this design is it rotates the generator around a
shaft which is the opposite of how it’s usually done. Another
interesting thing is that 10 of the turbines will have blades 4
meters shorter than the others meaning they will catch about 14%
less wind. While this may seem a waste as it will make them less
efficient in slow to moderate winds, they will be able to keep
operating at very high wind speeds that can force longer bladed
turbines to shut down and so makes the output of the wind farm
more constant.
One thing I should probably tell you about Snowtown is the place
really blows.
HTML http://www.4smileys.com/smileys/seasons-smileys/storm.gif
It blows so much that the existing wind farm has an excellent
capacity factor of about 42%.
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/19.gif
This is one of the reasons
why the new development will provide electricity at very low
cost. Just what the exact cost will be depends on a variety of
factors, but since air is currently free this means wind power
has no fuel cost and so the capital cost of borrowing money is
the largest component.
Using a 5% discount rate and a 25 year lifespan gives a capital
cost of 3.1 cents per kilowatt-hour produced. ;D This may
actually be a little high as the current parlous state of the
world economy means it might be possible to borrow money for
less than 5%, but it would be almost correct for Australia and
as these sorts of calculations often use a 5% figure there are
benefits in being consistent. Note that in places such as
Europe, Japan, China, and the USA it is possible to borrow money
at a considerably lower rate which significantly decreases the
capital cost of wind power for them.
In addition to the capital cost there are payments to farmers
for using their land. While less than 1% of the land will be
removed from use by the wind turbines and they will improve the
land by reducing wind speeds, the payments do add up and
increase the cost of electricity to 3.4 cents per kilowatt-hour
produced. Then there’s the cost of maintenance, integrating wind
power into the grid, and other miscellaneous costs. Just exactly
what they will add up to for the latest direct drive wind
turbines I’m not sure, but a very rough rule of thumb for modern
wind farms is 2% of the total capital cost per year which gives
a total amount of 4.3 cents per kilowatt-hour.
But are my estimates correct? To check that I’m not merely
tilting at windmills of the mind, I looked up the costs of
running a wind farm given by the United States’ National
Renewable Energy Laboratory. Adding the latest figures from 2012
for the fixed and variable costs for wind power to the capital
cost give a result very close to my own of around 4.4 cents a
kilowatt-hour or about 4.1 American pennies. Given that the
average cost of Australia’s mostly fossil fuel generated
electricity is about 5.6 cents a kilowatt-hour that’s quite a
bargain. And the cost may actually be lower because, generally
speaking, the more modern a wind farm is the lower the
maintenance costs.
Some people mistakenly believe that electricity from wind farms
isn’t as useful as that from coal power because wind is variable
in its output, but[color=red] when it comes to selling
electricity to customers, wind and coal power are basically
equal[/color]. In Australia our electricity market is divided
into two parts.
The main part is selling electricity to consumers and over the
time scale that electricity is sold we can very accurately
predict the output of wind farms making wind and coal power
almost the same for this purpose.
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/tuzki-bunnys/tuzki-bunny-emoticon-005.gif<br
/>The other much smaller part of the electricity market involves
stabilizing the grid and making sure it can deal with sudden
increases in demand or falls in the supply of electricity.
In Australia we call this ancillary services. And when it comes
to ancillary services wind power truly sucks. It sucks because
the wind does not blow on command. But the solution to this is
simple. Don’t use wind power for ancillary services. It’s a
really stupid thing to do. While it’s not hard to find people on
the internet complaining that wind is not suited for providing
grid stabilization, it makes about as much sense as complaining
that steel wool is not good for polishing your car. It’s not
supposed to be!
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/tuzki-bunnys/tuzki-bunny-emoticon-005.gif
The low cost of electricity from Snowtown II combined with other
developments such as the decreasing cost of solar power means
that Australia will never build another coal power plant. This
is something I’m very excited about. [img width=45
height=100]
HTML http://www.clker.com/cliparts/c/6/7/1/12065737551968208283energie_positive_Wind_Turbine_Green.svg.hi.png[/img]Renewable<br
/>energy schemes like Snowtown II will leave coal for dead in
Australia and that’s something you can take all the way to the
bank.
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/128fs318181.gif
Local residents are also very excited about the wind farm and in
fact it is the most interesting thing that has ever happened to
Snowtown.
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/emoticon-animal-067.gif
If
you don’t believe me, ring up the town and ask them. I dare you.
[img width=80
height=80]
HTML http://www.imgion.com/images/01/Angry-animated-smiley.jpg[/img]<br
/>
[i]About the Author
Ronald Brakels Ronald Brakels lives in Adelaide, South
Australia. Now that his secret identity has been revealed he is
free to admit he first became interested in renewable energy
after environmental mismanagement destroyed his home planet of
Krypton. He is keenly interested in solar energy and at
completely random intervals will start talking to himself about,
"The vast power of earth's yellow sun."
HTML http://cleantechnica.com/2013/11/10/snowtown-ii-wind-power-cut-throat-price/#B6eGdRSDo5DrkXEA.99
#Post#: 333--------------------------------------------------
Re: Wind Power
By: AGelbert Date: November 14, 2013, 3:21 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[img width=45
height=100]
HTML http://www.clker.com/cliparts/c/6/7/1/12065737551968208283energie_positive_Wind_Turbine_Green.svg.hi.png[/img][img<br
/>width=240
height=080]
HTML http://www.jrcompton.com/photos/The_Birds/J/Feb-12/Forsters_Tern_Looking_Down-DSC_5644.jpg[/img]
Efforts to Protect Raptors from Colliding With Wind Turbines
Make Progress
SustainableBusiness.com News
Wind developers have long struggled with how to prevent birds -
especially eagles and hawks - from crashing into turbines, and a
solution may be at hand thanks to efforts at Montana's largest
wind farm.
126 wind turbines comprise the 189 megawatt Rim Rock Wind
Facility that's spread across 21,000 acres. By today's
standards, the turbines are small at 1.5 megawatts each.
When NaturEner USA developed the project, which at peak
production supplies 60,000 homes, it worked with the local
Audubon group to site turbines as far as possible from raptor
nesting sites.
Wind Farm RimRock Montana
But it's been a combination of human observers and radar
tracking cameras that "provides the best kind of protections
that have been deployed anywhere in the US," Greg Copeland, vice
president of wind energy development told Associated Press.
Protecting raptors is being put to the test because the wind
farm is near sandstone cliffs - prime habitat, where eagles and
hawks nest in rocky outcroppings.
Since Rim Rock started operating late last year, only two
raptors have died - a tiny number compared to typical wind
farms.
How They Do It
Human observers - trained avian biologists - scan the skies from
three locations throughout the day using high resolution
spotting scopes.
Combined with radar tracking cameras, they can detect raptor
flight patterns as far as 1200 miles away. When a likely
collision is identified, they alert the San Francisco operations
center to shut down turbines, which can be done in as little as
30 seconds.
That isn't a problem for power output because the wind farm is
divided into zones, each with 4-8 turbines. When a shut down
order is given, it applies to a particular zone, allowing the
majority to keep operating. And shut down times range from 3- 30
minutes.
Rim Rock has had much more success using radar because it places
the detection system outside the wind farm instead of in the
interior, as most other developers do (which causes
interference).
If raptors somehow get past the radar and human "biomonitors,"
there's a last line of defense - cameras mounted on turbines.
The cameras have software that visually tracks raptors and if a
bird flies within 200 meters of a turbine, it triggers a high
frequency noise and flash of light that drives them away.
Finally, during times of year when wind patterns tend to push
birds toward certain turbines, the company proactively shuts
them down ahead of time and keeps them that way until the wind
shifts.
Copeland calls this a "layered approach" and credits it as the
key to successfully avoiding bird collisions. Through all this
monitoring they have found that raptors are on the wind farm's
footprint only about 10% of the time.
Copeland estimates the cost for buying and maintaining the radar
units at about $750,000 over 5-10 years. That may seem like a
lot of money, but it's worth it, he says, because they are a
green company that cares about wildlife. And it also keeps
potential regulation at bay.
Wind turbines generally kill fewer birds these days than older
versions of the technology because blades are much larger and
move more slowly. Still, at their tips they can turn at 200
miles per hour. Raptors are looking down for food, they don't
expect a huge airborne object to strike them, Steve Hoffman,
Executive Director of Montana Audubon told Great Falls Tribune.
More Difficult for Bats
Because bats are so small and fly at night, it's much harder to
protect them from collisions - which happen at just about all
wind farms.
In addition to colliding with turbine blades, they can be
traumatized by changes in air pressure created as they turn.
Well over 600,000 bats are killed by turbines every year,
according to research by Mark Hayes at University of Colorado,
Denver. Other researchers believe it's as high as 880,000
deaths. Bat deaths are highest in the Appalachian region, says
Hayes.
He believes a solution will be found for bats. Research is
underway on sounds that may deter bats from turbines; another
solution could be closing down turbines during times when bats
are found to be most active.
Both raptors and bats are of particular concern because of their
low fertility rates, giving birth to just one offspring a year.
And bats are being further decimated by white nose syndrome.
The Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative has been working on ways
to help bats for years. The alliance consists of Bat
Conservation International, the American Wind Energy Association
(AWEA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National
Renewable Energy Lab.
Studies are also underway to track the flight patterns of marine
birds that could collide with offshore wind turbines.
HTML http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/25349?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SBGeneralNews+%28SustainableBusiness.com+General+News%29
#Post#: 429--------------------------------------------------
Alstom Completes World’s Largest Offshore Wind Turbine
By: AGelbert Date: November 23, 2013, 12:29 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Alstom Completes World’s Largest Offshore Wind Turbine
French engineering company Alstom have announced the completion
of their at-sea installation of its new-generation offshore wind
turbine, the 6-MW Haliade 150, located off Ostend Harbour at the
Belwind site in Belgium.
The turbine, the largest offshore wind turbine ever installed in
sea waters, boasts a 78 metre tower, a nacelle that stands 100
metres above the waves, blades over 73 metres in length, and
pillars sunk over 60 metres into the seabed to support the
mammoth construction.
As a result of its impressive specifications, the Haliade sports
a yield 15% better than existing offshore turbines, allowing it
to power approximately 5,000 households on its own.
[img width=640
height=380]
HTML http://i0.wp.com/cleantechnica.com/files/2013/11/Installation-Haliade-offshore-windturbine.jpg[/img]
“This project with Belwind asserts our technological leadership
and our innovative abilities,” said Alstom Wind Senior
Vice-President Alfonso Faubel. ”The installation of our turbine
which is simple, robust and efficient thus contributing in
boosting the competitiveness of offshore wind energy.”
The Haliade operates without a gearbox, [img width=40
height=40]
HTML http://www.clker.com/cliparts/c/8/f/8/11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png[/img]<br
/> instead working with direct drive, and due to a
permanent-magnet generator there are fewer mechanical parts
inside the device, which not only makes it more reliable but
also helps to minimise operating and maintenance costs faced by
traditional offshore wind turbines.
Given the specific expertise necessary to not only maintain a
wind turbine, but one located offshore in likely-stormy waters,
reducing operating and maintenance costs is a necessity many
companies are striving towards.
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/earthhug.gif
“Belwind’s tried and tested expertise in completing offshore
projects and setting up wind farms has helped Alstom to perform
the installation work in sea waters under the best possible
conditions,” said Belwind chairman Wim Biesemans. “We are
convinced that Alstom’s innovative wind energy technology will
contribute in providing one of the future solutions to ensure
clean, reliable and efficient energy.”
HTML http://cleantechnica.com/2013/11/22/alstom-completes-worlds-largest-offshore-wind-turbine/#ZJLqim4eOsYMsxsg.99
My Comment:
Five thousand households from just ONE wind turbine.
Outstanding!
The fossil nukers out there will, once again, be forced to lower
their ridiculous hyperbole about "how many" of this, that or the
other Renewable Energy devices from PV to wind turbine numbers
it would take to replace fossil fuel centralized dirty energy.
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/looksmiley.gif
#Post#: 446--------------------------------------------------
Latin America Report: Wind Sweeps Brazil's A-3 Power Auctions
By: AGelbert Date: November 24, 2013, 11:56 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Latin America Report: Wind Sweeps Brazil's A-3 Power Auctions
[img width=640
height=580]
HTML http://images.angelpub.com/2009/18/2119/brazil-wind-energy-map.gif[/img]<br
/>
Brazil Wind energy resources Map
Renewable Energy World Editors
November 21, 2013
New Hampshire, USA -- Brazil's latest A-3 auction, matching up
developers and power purchasers to prepare renewable energy
projects to meet the nation's electricity demand by 2016, was a
landslide win for wind energy -- but a shutout for solar, which
was included in the process for the first time.
More than 58 million MWh were sold for a total of U.S. $7.2
billion, according to the National Electric Energy Agency
(ANEEL). An extra feature of the A-3 auction: developers are
responsible for hooking their projects to the grid. The pool of
qualified participants had included 429 projects exceeding 10.4
GW, the vast majority of which were wind (381 projects totaling
over 9.1 GW) but also some solar PV (31 projects, 813 MW
capacity) and some small hydro and biomass.
The overwhelming winners were wind energy developers, who saw 39
wind projects approved totaling 867 MW of capacity, nearly half
of them in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Two-thirds
of those purchases were backed by Electrobras subsidiaries
Electrosul and Furnas. By the end of this year, Brazil could end
up auctioning a record 3 GW of wind.
On the downside, no bids were offered for any solar PV projects,
:( which had been included for the first time. The low pricing
(average 124.43 Brazilian reais/MWh, just under the ceiling
price of R 126/MWh) had been roundly expected to be too low for
solar projects which currently cost more than R 200/MWh. Two
solar-friendlier alternatives reportedly are being explored:
reducing the price of power on the market, or conduct solar-only
auctions with a more applicable pricing structure.
----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
IN THE NEWS
Chilean Solar Plant Updates: SunEdison has closed $100.4 million
in debt financing for its proposed 50.7 MWp; San Andres solar
plant in Chile, said to become the largest merchant solar plant
in Latin America when it comes online in early 2014. Lenders
include the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC, $62.9
million), the IFC ($37.5 million), and Rabobank via a Chilean
Peso VAT facility equivalent to $25.6 million. Also getting
financing help from IFC and others is Saferay to help expand its
solar PV plant in La Huayca, Northern Chile from current 1.4 MW
to 30 MW. Meanwhile, solar project proposals filed for Chile's
Atacama desert include SunEdison's proposed $160 million 80-MW
Javiera solar project and a pair of 90-100 MW plants proposed by
AustrianSolar totaling $380 million in investments.
IFC Mulling Support for Enel's Big Brazil Wind Plans: At its
December 12 board meeting, the International Finance Corp. (IFC)
will examine whether to provide up to $200 million in loans,
plus possibly arrange another $220 million in bank financing,
for Enel Green Power's proposed $600 million plans for 12 wind
projects totaling 342 MW in Brazil: roughly 206 MW in Bahia
state, 80 MW in Pernambuco, and 56 MW in Rio Grande do Norte.
Canada's Brookfield Investing in South America: Brookfield Asset
Management's $7 billion Brookfield Infrastructure Fund II
program, which closed at the end of October with over 60
investors (and $2.8 billion of the company's own money), is
roughly 40 percent committed to projects in North America, but
some of those funds will head to hydro and wind projects in
South America. "We like the investment attributes" there, and
Brazil's renewable energy industry is "one we know well and in
which we can make future investments," Sam Pollock, CEO of
Brookfield's infrastructure group, told Bloomberg.
ERB, Dow Team for Brazilian Sugarcane Biomass: Energias
Renovaveis do Brasil and Dow Chemical are partnering for a
46-MW, R237 million sugarcane biomass plant at a Dow ethanol
facility in Minas Gerais, expected to begin operations next
year. The two previously teamed up for a R$210 million
cogeneration project in the Bahia state.
IDB Backs Uruguayan Wind Project: The Inter-American Development
Bank (IDB) has approved a $132 million loan to partly finance
construction of the Carapé I and II wind farms in in the Sierra
de Carapé, north of San Carlos in the Maldonado region. The
combined 90-MW project using 31 Vestas turbines would generate
approximately 364,700 MWh/year, and incorporate a 40-km 150-kV
transmission line.
"White Gold" from Brazil's Yellow Sun: Energy Team Brasil plans
to build a 40-MW rooftop solar PV array at a dairy farm in Rio
Grande do Sul, online by the end of next year, said to be the
region's first such agricultural application for solar PV. About
three-quarters of available rooftop space will be used for the
"Noa Ouro Branco" deployment; 30 MW is promised to be sent to
the grid another 10 MW will be off-grid for on-site use.
Solar Partnership in Puerto Rico: Schneider Electric and
Fonroche have agreed to develop a 40-MW solar field in Humacao,
promised to be the Commonwealth's largest plant upon completion.
70-MW Solar PV Plant Coming to Argentina: Schmid and M+W, with
state energy supplier Energia Provincial Sociedad del Estrado
(EPSE), have committed to design and build a 70-MW solar PV
production facility in San Juan to produce monocrystalline
silicon ingots through glass/foil modules starting in mid-2015,
targeting use in the region's gold and copper mines and
irrigation systems. A second phase will expand into upstream
polysilicon manufacturing.
----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
A DEEPER LOOK
The Untapped Potential of South American Geothermal: South
America holds great potential for geothermal energy, but
barriers to development have kept it largely unrealized. However
some private investors and development banks are on the cusp of
unlocking the abundant energy source. Our own Meg Cichon takes a
closer look at this "open frontier" for geothermal energy
development here on this lower end of the Ring of Fire
horseshoe.
Tracking Latin America's Clean Energy Investment Climate: Latin
America and the Caribbean captured six percent of the total $268
billion invested worldwide in clean energy in 2012, slightly
more than the year before, thanks to strengthened government
policy support and expanding supply chains, according to
Climatescope 2013, a report from the Multilateral Investment
Fund (MIF) and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). Their
interactive deep-dive and infographics illustrate where each
nation stands in four key areas: enabling framework, clean
energy investment and climate financing, low-carbon business and
clean energy value chains, and greenhouse gas management
activities. Among the study's encouraging data points: retail
power prices remain generally high across the region which makes
deployment of renewables more attractive, and nearly all of
identified "value chain" links are filled. There are 927 carbon
offset projects across the region, more than half of which are
for power generation. And eight countries now have net metering
laws.
----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
ON THE HORIZON
Latin American Wind Capacity Doubling in a Decade: Latin America
is the hottest growth market for wind energy, and installed
capacity will roughly double by 2022 to 4.3 GW, according to a
report from Navigant Consulting. Policy and macroeconomic
challenges are slowing wind energy adoption in other regions,
but Latin America will account for nearly 6 percent of global
new wind power installations this year alone, and will "exhibit
double-digit compound annual growth rates through the next 10
years," according to research director Feng Zhao. Brazil's
latest wind power auctions led to 1.5 GW of new wind capacity
and helped stabilize higher prices, he noted, and will provide
the foundation for wind energy growth in the entire region.
Pricing Hydro Bids for Brazil's A-5 Auction: The second A-5
auction to be held Dec. 13 has been approved, contracting for
renewable energy projects coming online in mid-2018. They
include several hydropower projects bigger than 50 MW and priced
at around $107-$139/MWh, with smaller ones priced at R 144/MWh.
HTML http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/11/latin-america-report-wind-sweeps-brazils-a-3-power-auctions-whither-solar?cmpid=rss
#Post#: 457--------------------------------------------------
Vestas Supplies Refurbished Wind Turbines to Developing World
By: AGelbert Date: November 26, 2013, 7:20 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
11/25/2013 12:11 PM
Vestas Supplies Refurbished Wind Turbines to Developing World
SustainableBusiness.com News
To help the developing world stop relying on dirty diesel
generators and switch to clean energy, wind turbine manufacturer
Vestas and Masdar's renewable energy arm are bringing hybrid
wind to rural communities that are off the grid.
Their collaboration, "Wind for Prosperity", plans to bring wind
energy to one million people in 100 communities in the next
three years.
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/emoticon-object-081.gif
"This is one of the biggest corporate initiatives to combat
energy poverty and deploy green technology in developing
countries. It's a triple win - generating growth, reducing
pollution, and doing both profitably," says Morten Albæk, Group
Senior Vice President for Vestas.
Communities will receive factory-refurbished wind turbines that
are easy to transport, erect and maintain, combined with
advanced diesel for backup.
[img width=640
height=380]
HTML http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/files/2012/12/Wind-turbine1.jpg[/img]
Using Vestas's weather data processing capabilities, the
partners are identifying parts of the world that desperately
need energy and where there's lots of wind.
Masdar will serve as project developer and Vestas will focus on
project design and sourcing and refurbishing wind turbines.
About 13 communities in Kenya - where about 200,000 people live
- will be the first project sites starting in mid-2014, in
partnership with investment group Frontier Investment
Management. Other countries that are on their short list:
Ethiopia, Tanzania, Yemen, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Nicaragua.
"We expect this to be a successful investment commercially
-adding to the bottom line in the near term and helping to open
new markets to wind energy further down the line," says Albæk.
"There was a time when corporate executives like me would throw
money at solving these problems, ignoring our business savvy,
our models, our metrics, in the spirit of aid. But we arguably
did more harm than good -- and we certainly haven't solved the
problem of poverty. So I believe it's time for a new vision.
It's time for partnerships that promote collaboration, not
dependency.
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/47b20s0.gif
It's
time for investment, not charity. It's time to deploy the
world-class knowledge and technology we have, putting it to use
for profit -- in multiple senses of that word. It's time for an
initiative like Wind for Prosperity," says Albæk.
"We can help bring the many benefits of electrification --
improved health care, brighter educational prospects, easier
access to water, better tools for agriculture, some new jobs, a
big boost to business. We can lower the cost of electricity
generation by at least 30 percent. We can take fuel trucks off
the road and provide an alternative to the dirty diesel that, if
even available, is often the only power-generating option. And
we can make money doing it. It's a win-win-win-win scenario. Who
could or would say no?" ;D
HTML http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/25363?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SBGeneralNews+%28SustainableBusiness.com+General+News%29
#Post#: 488--------------------------------------------------
U.K. Wind Turbines Generate Record Power as Gas Plants Halt
By: AGelbert Date: December 2, 2013, 8:23 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
U.K. Wind Turbines Generate Record Power as Gas Plants Halt
Rachel Morison, Bloomberg
December 02, 2013
LONDON -- Wind power in the U.K. rose to a record, leading
operators from RWE AG to SSE Plc to halt more expensive
gas-fired power generation plants.
Wind output rose to as much as 6,053 megawatts at 2:10 p.m.
London time today, beating a previous record on Sept. 15 and
accounting for 14 percent of total supply, according to National
Grid Plc data on Bloomberg. Generators halted 7,872 megawatts of
gas-fired plants since yesterday, grid data show.
The U.K. plans to almost triple the amount of wind capacity by
2020 as it seeks to meet a target to get 15 percent of power
demand from renewable energy sources. Wind and solar have no
fuel costs, generally making them cheaper than coal or gas.
“As well as the higher wind power, demand is down by about 2
gigawatts from yesterday as well so it has given the chance for
less efficient gas-burn facilities to drop output,” Gary Hornby,
energy markets analyst at Inenco Group Ltd., said by e- mail
today.
Wind may generate an average of 5,301 megawatts for the rest of
today, 5 percent more than yesterday, according to Bloomberg’s
wind model at 16:55 a.m.
Power demand is forecast to peak at 49,902 megawatts at 5 p.m.
today, 6 percent less than yesterday’s maximum of 52,815
megawatts, according to National Grid data. Gas was generating
14,064 megawatts of power at 5 p.m., compared with 21,803
megawatts at the same time yesterday, grid data show.
Low Pressure
“Wind will peak today, before slumping considerably overnight,”
Byron Drew, lead forecaster at MetraWeather said in an e-mailed
report. “It will then increase considerably toward the end of
next week and next weekend as low pressure becomes influential.”
Wind generation is forecast to average 2,103 megawatts next week
and is set to peak at 4,844 megawatts at 6 p.m. on Dec. 5,
according to Bloomberg’s wind model. The U.K. got 8.2 percent or
1,952 gigawatt-hours of its power from wind in October, up from
5.8 percent the previous month, according to data compiled by
Bloomberg Industries.
Power for today settled at 52.55 pounds a megawatt-hour, down 5
pounds from the previous day, in an auction on the U.K.’s N2EX
exchange yesterday.
The U.K. seeks to install a total of 18 gigawatts of offshore
wind farms and 13 gigawatts of onshore turbines by 2020. Current
combined capacity is about 10.4 gigawatts, according to
RenewableUK, a lobby group.
“We’re generating from a home-grown source which gives us a
secure supply of power at cost we can control,
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/47b20s0.gifrather
than leaving
ourselves exposed to the global fluctuation in fossil fuel
prices which have driven bills up,” Jennifer Webber, a
RenewableUK spokeswoman, said by e-mail. “Wind energy is
consistently setting new records.”
HTML http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/12/u-k-wind-turbines-generate-record-power-as-gas-plants-halt?cmpid=rss
#Post#: 506--------------------------------------------------
Re: Wind Power
By: AGelbert Date: December 6, 2013, 5:45 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[img width=45
height=100]
HTML http://www.clker.com/cliparts/c/6/7/1/12065737551968208283energie_positive_Wind_Turbine_Green.svg.hi.png[/img]Two<br
/>Facilities, One Goal: Advancing America’s Wind Industry
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/maniac.gif
November 27, 2013 - 1:35pm
[img width=640
height=430]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-061213182049.jpeg[/img]
Energy Deputy Secretary Daniel Poneman speaks at the Clemson
University Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing Facility dedication
in South Carolina. | Photo courtesy of Clemson University
Jim Ahlgrimm
Wind Testing Infrastructure Manager
Two state-of-the-art wind turbine drivetrain test facilities are
now open for business: the Clemson University Wind Turbine
Drivetrain Testing Facility in South Carolina and a National
Renewable Energy Laboratory dynamometer at the National Wind
Technology Center in Colorado. The two test facilities will be
used to evaluate in a controlled environment the mechanical
systems that convert the aerodynamic forces of wind turbine
blades into electricity from a generator. Funded in part by the
Energy Department (DOE) through the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act, the new facilities will help accelerate the
development and deployment of next-generation technologies for
both offshore and land-based wind energy systems.
Former Military Base Now Home to Advanced Wind Facility
[img width=640
height=430]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-061213181316.png[/img]
Located on the site of a former Navy base with easy access to
both rail and deepwater transport, the Clemson facility in North
Charleston is ideal for testing the large, commercial scale
turbines being developed by manufacturers for offshore wind
farms. This facility, which opened last week, is equipped with
7.5-megawatt (MW) and 15-MW dynamometers that will enable the
wind industry and testing agencies to verify the performance and
reliability of drivetrain prototypes and commercial machines by
simulating operating field conditions in a laboratory
environment. Verifying a wind system's performance before it is
commercially deployed reduces risk for both the manufacturer and
system operator, and facilities like Clemson’s can simulate as
much as 20 years’ worth of wear and tear on drivetrains in a few
months.
In addition to testing the performance of the drivetrains,
Clemson is using the facility's electrical infrastructure to
build a 15-MW hardware-in-the-loop grid simulator. The grid
simulator will mimic real-world circumstances, such as wide-area
power disruptions, frequency fluctuations, voltage drops,
cascading accidents, and cyber or physical attacks, to determine
the effects of wind turbines on utility grids and grids on wind
turbines.
Gaining Insight through Expertise
[img width=640
height=430]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-061213181658.jpeg[/img]
DOE's second new test facility at NREL’s National Wind
Technology Center near Boulder, which also opened last week,
offers industry the capability to perform accelerated tests on
wind turbine drivetrains with capacity ratings of up to 5-MW. In
addition, industry partners that use the facility gain access to
on-site engineers with more than three decades of engineering
experience.
NWTC now has two dynamometers that can be connected either
directly to the grid or to a controllable grid interface (CGI).
The dynamometer and CGI work in tandem to provide engineers with
a better understanding of how wind turbines react to grid
disturbances. With these additions, the NWTC is one of the only
facilities in the world that can use these capabilities
alongside operating multi-megawatt wind turbines in the field at
the NWTC and energy storage devices undergoing testing there.
Watch the video above to find out how the dynamometer and the
CGI work. Read this factsheet (at link below) for more
information about the new NREL facility.
HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHeI351B22k&feature=player_embedded
The two facilities are part of DOE’s overall strategy to
increase the amount of electricity generated from renewable
sources such as wind, reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions,
and create a more sustainable future for generations to come.
Learn more about DOE’s work to advance the wind industry and how
wind energy works.
HTML http://energy.gov/eere/articles/two-facilities-one-goal-advancing-america-s-wind-industry
#Post#: 519--------------------------------------------------
Re: Wind Power
By: AGelbert Date: December 8, 2013, 1:39 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Record German Wind Power Lifts Renewable Share Over ’20 Goal
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/balloons.gif
Rachel Morison, Bloomberg
December 06, 2013
BERLIN -- Record output from wind farms lifted Germany’s share
of renewable electricity production above its 2020 target of 35
percent today as a storm from Scandinavia battered the nation’s
northern coast.
A low pressure system dubbed Xaver, with hurricane-force winds
of more than 140 kilometers (87 miles) an hour, hit the northern
coastline of Germany today, according to the country’s weather
service. Electricity produced by sun and wind supplied 27.2
gigawatts, or 36 percent, of Germany’s power at 1 p.m. Berlin
time, according to the European Energy Exchange AG.
Germany is already Europe’s biggest producer of electricity from
wind and sun and its newly formed coalition government agreed
last month to get as much as 45 percent of electricity from
renewables by 2025.
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/tuzki-bunnys/tuzki-bunny-emoticon-036.gif<br
/>The share of power from wind and solar rose to 49 percent on
Nov. 9, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The average
share of renewables in Germany across the whole of last year was
22 percent.
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/earthhug.gif
“Germany might already be meeting its 2020 target for some
hours, but it would need a lot more installed capacity to
average 35 percent over a year,” Gary Keane, principal
consultant at Poeyry Oyj, an adviser to governments and
utilities, said by phone from Oxford, England.
Wind output in Germany hit a record of 25.2 gigawatts at 1:45
p.m. and will account for 39 percent of supply at 11 p.m.,
according to EEX data.
Forced Shutdown
The strength of the storm forced turbines to shut down in some
parts of Germany.
HTML http://www.4smileys.com/smileys/seasons-smileys/storm.gif
The
48-megawatt Baltic 1 offshore wind farm operated by
Karlsruhe-based EnBW Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg AG automatically
halted operations at 1 p.m. when winds became too strong,
Friederike Eckstein, a spokeswoman, said by phone.
“Wind turbines can start to cut out when wind goes above 60
miles an hour, so with a storm there is an increased risk of
that happening,” said Keane.
German power for tomorrow declined 10.3 percent to 30.79 euros
($42.05) a megawatt hour on the Epex Spot exchange in Paris at
5:22 p.m. That’s 38.63 euros lower than the same contract in
neighboring France which settled at 69.42 euros a megawatt hour,
the data show.
Wind and solar power are given priority access to the grid in
Germany, meaning peaks in production can force coal and gas- fed
plants to reduce their output.
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/47b20s0.gif
The proportion of
power produced from conventional plants is expected to fall to
61 percent at 11 p.m., compared with 79 percent at 7 a.m. today,
according to EEX data.
“The storm will also bring heavy gusts of wind to the
Netherlands, Denmark and Poland until tomorrow afternoon,”
Andreas Gassner, meteorologist at MMInternational, said by
e-mail from Appenzell, Switzerland. “Denmark and Poland could
see as much as 15 gigawatts of wind until early on Monday.”
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/emoticon-object-081.gif
Copyright 2013 Bloomberg
HTML http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/12/record-german-wind-power-lifts-renewable-share-over-20-goal?cmpid=rss
[move]And let us NOT forget the INVOLUNTARY "contribution" of
the fossil nukers to more storms. Next thing ya know, MKing
will want us to PAY for "all these freebies" for Renewable
energy. LOL![/move]
January 1, 2009:
[quote]Global Warming Causes Severe Storms
Research Meteorologists See More Severe Storms Ahead: The
Culprit -- Global Warming
January 1, 2009 — Research Meteorologists found that the
temperature changes brought on by global warming are significant
enough to cause an increase in the occurrence of severe storms.
Severe storms are those that cause flooding, have damaging
winds, hail and could cause tornados. Their study revealed that
by the end of this century, the number of days that favor severe
storms could more than double certain locations, such as Atlanta
and New York. Researchers also found that this increase would
occur during typical stormy seasons and not during dry seasons
when it may be beneficial.[/quote]
Full Article published BEFORE IRENE :o here:
HTML http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2009/0109-global_warming_causes_severe_storms.htm
[move][b]But always remember the WISE, CONSCIENTIOUS AND PRUDENT
words of our pet GW Denier Fossil Nukers who are ONLY INTERESTED
IN OUR BENEFIT... [img width=40
height=40]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-051113192052.png[/img]<br
/> 1) WE JUST DON'T, DON'T, AIN'T SURE AND AIN'T CERTAIN KNOW!
2)
WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER... [img width=50
height=50]
HTML http://www.imgion.com/images/01/Angry-animated-smiley.jpg[/img]<br
/> [b][/move]
[img width=140
height=140]
HTML http://www.desismileys.com/smileys/desismileys_2932.gif[/img]
#Post#: 527--------------------------------------------------
Re: Wind Power
By: AGelbert Date: December 9, 2013, 2:51 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/emoticon-object-106.gifFact<br
/>Check: IER Finds it Hard to Kick Habit of Attacking Wind Power
Elizabeth Salerno, AWEA
December 09, 2013
Like a chain smoker, the fossil fuel-funded Institute for Energy
Research (IER)
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/2rzukw3.gif
seems
addicted to spreading misinformation
HTML http://www.u.arizona.edu/~patricia/cute-collection/smileys/lying-smiley.gif<br
/>about wind power.
In IER’s latest report, the fossil-fueled group claims that some
states are benefitting more than their fair share from the tax
relief encouraging wind power’s growth. As others have pointed
out already (including the Union for Concerned Scientists and
ThinkProgress), IER fails yet again.
The reality is that the wind industry provides clear economic
and environmental benefits for all 50 states. Its incentive, the
federal wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC), is far smaller
than the cumulative incentives provided to other energy sources,
and has been so successful at driving private investment that it
more than pays for itself by creating additional tax revenue.
Here’s the truth about wind power and the PTC:
1) Using tax policy to spur growth in energy sectors is nothing
new
It’s important to understand that there is no comprehensive
energy policy in the U.S. The reality is that much of what the
U.S. has relied on to spur domestic energy growth is a
collection federal, state, and local public policy techniques,
including the tax code.
A new report out earlier this year, “Energy tax policy: Issues
in the 113th congress” by the Congressional Research Service
(CRS) makes this point clear:
“Energy tax policy involves the use of one of the government’s
main fiscal instruments, taxes (both as an incentive and as a
disincentive) to alter the allocation or configuration of energy
resources and their use. In theory, energy taxes and subsidies,
like tax policy instruments in general, are intended either to
correct a problem or distortion in the energy markets or to
achieve some economic (efficiency, equity, or macroeconomic)
objective.”
The truth is, tax incentives for the energy sector began in
1913, when intangible drilling costs were given to the oil
industry and dozens have been added since then, most of which
support fossil fuels. In fact, the Nuclear Energy Institute’s
own tally concludes that federal subsidies to fossil and nuclear
energy sources totaled more than $650 billion from 1950 to 2010.
Despite their remarkably long life spans, such incentives are
mostly ignored
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-311013201314.png<br
/>in the current energy debate.
Had the study looked at the more than $650 billion in federal
support for fossil and nuclear energy over the last 60 years, it
would have found the benefits and costs of that to be very
unevenly distributed because only a few states produce the
majority of those fuels, while all other states get the triple
whammy of having to pay for the subsidy, having to send money to
those states to buy the fuel, and then getting stuck with the
pollution in their states.
And while other industries continue to receive tax incentives
carrying an expensive price tag, the PTC more than pays for
itself in local, state, and federal taxes over the life of wind
power projects according to a NextEra Energy analysis.
2) All 50 states benefit from wind power equipped with the PTC
IER’s report strategically ignores the NextEra analysis
demonstrating that the PTC more than pays for itself in addition
to the sizable economic benefits wind power has produced in all
50 states.
Wind power generated $25 billion in private investment, paying
millions to landowners and local communities. Every state in the
union, including 70 percent of all U.S. congressional districts,
has an operating wind project, manufacturing plant, or
wind-related jobs.
[img width=640
height=380]
HTML http://ecowatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/feech1.jpeg[/img]
All online wind energy related manufacturing facilities and wind
energy projects, by Congressional Districts.
Wind energy is one of the most broadly dispersed energy
industries, with manufacturing currently in 44 states and
turbines installed in 39 states plus Puerto Rico.
[img width=640
height=480]
HTML http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pGV0j0H3DFY/T4WD9cwCHbI/AAAAAAAAwMc/S--w1uaUfcU/s400/1south.jpg[/img]
U.S. Wind energy Capacity Installed by State
[img width=640
height=340]
HTML https://fbexternal-a.akamaihd.net/safe_image.php?d=AQBRDXmfR_US7uKl&w=377&h=197&url=http%3A%2F%2Fecowatch.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F12%2FScreen-Shot-2013-12-04-at-8.53.47-AM.png&cfs=1[/img]
In fact, “Made in the USA” is now a label American wind power
can proudly display on a majority (over 70 percent) of its parts
and supplies. ;D
American wind power supports 80,000 full-time jobs and according
to a Department of Energy analysis, with the right policies in
place, wind power could support 500,000 full-time domestic jobs
by 2030.
Wind energy brings taxes and other revenues to rural
communities, benefiting county and local services, schools, and
health care and public safety facilities. Plus, land lease
payments to rural landowners, farmers, and ranchers hosting
America’s new drought-resistant cash crop often total millions
of dollars in states across the country.
[img width=640
height=480]
HTML http://aweablog.org/uploads/images/Slide03.jpg[/img]
WIND leases are FOREVER;[img width=30
height=30]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-141113185701.png[/img]
Fracking LEASES are temporary and pollute your
LAND!
HTML http://www.desismileys.com/smileys/desismileys_1593.gif
3) Wind energy is reducing electricity prices across the country
More than a dozen studies by grid operators and state
governments have confirmed that wind energy reduces electricity
prices by displacing more expensive sources of energy. That
includes a recent report by Synapse Energy Economics that found
that doubling the use of wind energy in the Mid-Atlantic and
Great Lake states would save consumers $6.9 billion per year on
net, after accounting for both wind and transmission costs.
Because the electric power system is a highly integrated
network, many of these electricity price reduction benefits
accrue to states that have little to no wind energy. For
example, the Synapse study found that the $6.9 billion in
benefits of wind energy would be broadly spread across the 13
Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes states, even to states without wind
energy, as wind plants allow fossil-fired power plants in other
states to reduce their output and fuel use. These interstate
consumer benefits of wind energy are even more clear when
utilities buy wind energy from other states. For example,
Southern Company’s Georgia and Alabama utilities have made three
large purchases of wind energy from Oklahoma and Kansas,
explaining that those purchases reduce its customers’ electric
bills. (April 22, 2013 press release)
4) Environmental benefits from wind power are also spread across
all 50 states
Another goal of the PTC was to establish better U.S. energy
security and address concerns about the environment. As the 2013
CRS report notes:
“The U.S energy tax policy as it presently stands aims to
address concerns regarding the environment as well as those
surrounding national security. Incentives promoting renewable
energy production, energy efficiency and conservation, and
alternative technology vehicles address both environmental and
national security concerns. Tax incentives for the domestic
production of fossil fuels also promote energy security by
attempting to reduce the nation’s reliance on imported energy
sources.”
Adding wind power displaces the most expensive, least efficient
power source on the utility system — usually an older fossil
fuel plant. The total wind power installed today now allows us
to avoid the equivalent of 100 million metric tons of CO2
annually — the equivalent of taking over 17 million cars off the
road.
Wind power uses no water to generate electricity, while most
other types of power plants use substantial
quantities.Installing over 60 GW of wind power has resulted in
saving the equivalent of 37 billion gallons of water annually.
That’s 130 gallons of water per person.
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/emoticon-object-103.gif
Wind energy does not emit particulate matter, which is
associated with heart and lung disease, and it also does not
emit mercury or other heavy metals, which collect in the food
chain and are harmful to human and animal health.
In fact, according to a report completed for the New York State
Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), wind power
has the lowest impact on wildlife and the environment of any of
several technologies studied — including coal, oil, natural gas,
nuclear, and hydropower.
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/emoticon-object-060.gif<br
/>[img width=80
height=90]
HTML http://robservations.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/happy-cat1.jpg[/img]
The bipartisan support that the PTC has historically received
has been a reflection of Congress understanding that the
majority of American people want more wind energy. With all
these economic and environmental benefits, it’s easy to
understand why that overwhelming support exists.
IER’s best (worst) efforts will not change these facts.
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/128fs318181.gifhttp://www.desismileys.com/smileys/desismileys_0293.gif
This article was originally published on AWEA Into the Wind blog
and was republished with permission.
HTML http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/12/fact-check-ier-finds-it-hard-to-kick-habit-of-attacking-wind-power?cmpid=rss
Agelbert NOTE: The following is me just piling on! [img
width=30
height=40]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-141113185047.png[/img]<br
/>
[img width=640
height=480]
HTML http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/installed20wind20capacity20by20state.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg[/img]
The FUTURE SUCKS for Fossil Fuels and Nukes TOO!
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/tuzki-bunnys/tuzki-bunny-emoticon-022.gif
#Post#: 531--------------------------------------------------
Re: Wind Power
By: AGelbert Date: December 10, 2013, 1:47 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Offshore Wind Turbine Vendors Unveil Next-Generation Wind Power
Machines
[img width=45
height=100]
HTML http://www.clker.com/cliparts/c/6/7/1/12065737551968208283energie_positive_Wind_Turbine_Green.svg.hi.png[/img]At<br
/>the recent EWEA Offshore 2013 conference and expo, turbine
vendors displayed their latest and greatest turbines.
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/balloons.gif
Eize de Vries, Wind Technology Correspondent
December 10, 2013
FRANKFURT -- EWEA’s biannual offshore wind conference and
exhibition took place between 19 – 21 November in Frankfurt,
Germany. International exhibitors and visitors could be clearly
subdivided into typical marine and wind-industry related and
additional companies and organizations offering specific
products and dedicated offshore wind services such as a
supersize HVAC submarine cable and several new foundation
solutions.
ThyssenKrupp Mannex of Germany for instance presented a clever
and innovative jacket foundation called Hexabase, described as
the first industrial solution for offshore wind. The
large-diameter open lightweight structure consists of so-called
bionic elements, standardized pipes and pre-cast nodes, all of
which mean a high automation level.
Here's a look at some new turbine product developments.
Integrated
Samsung of Korea had a prominent display at the show with a
large booth dedicated to the 7-MW S7.0-171 offshore turbine, a
prototype of which was recently installed in the UK. The
behemoth is designed for 25-year operating life and features the
world’s longest 83.5-metre blades offering a record 171.2-metre
rotor diameter. The compact medium-speed drivetrain comprises a
two-stage planetary gearbox designed and built by UK firm David
Brown. A rather unusual design feature is that the gearbox has
been integrated inside the large-diameter hollow main shaft,
which in turn is supported by two rotor bearings.
The medium-voltage permanent magnet generator (PMG) operates at
3.3kV, and all power electronics including power cabinets,
power-electronic converter, MV-transformer and switchgear are
located in the tower base. According a Samsung spokesperson the
turbine can achieve 73 percent capacity factor at high-wind
sites. The S7.0-171 under such conditions generates at 63
percent of the time measured over the year over 80 percent of
its rated power, qualifying it as a “true power plant.” The
company expects to receive certification in 2014.
High-speed PMG
Power engineering specialist ABB introduced a new 7-MW
high-speed permanent magnet generator in Frankfurt. The
generators come available in low voltage (690V) and
medium-voltage (3.3kV, and either water or air-cooled. All ABB
high-speed generators for wind turbines (DFIG, PMG and
induction-type) are based on a standard modular platform
principle and feature an adaptable turbine interface. The
modularity also allows changing from DFIG to PMG and vice versa
depending upon customer preferences. Developing a new high-speed
generator in the 7-MW high-end capacity range could come a bit
as a surprise, because most new super-class geared turbine
developments now seem to focus at medium-speed solutions.
Successor
[img width=640
height=380]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-101213141336.png[/img]
REpower of Germany introduced the long-awaited successor to its
6.15-MW 6M (2009) flagship model, a product platform history
that commenced in 2004 with a pioneering 5-MW 5M turbine, both
with 126-metre rotor diameter. The new offshore model
technologically builds on the 6M (now renamed 6.2M126, pictured
above) and comes with unchanged power rating. New main features
include the switch to a load-optimized cast main chassis and an
enlarged 152-metre rotor diameter. This offers 46 percent more
rotor swept area and, according Repower, a 20 percent higher
yield at 9.5 percent average wind speed sites. The new slender
blades are a dedicated REpower in-house product development. The
6.2M152 incorporates again a high-speed geared drivetrain with
DFIG and 6.6kV stator voltage. 66kV transformer output voltage
is now optional and is expected to become a new offshore wind
standard for intra-array wind farm cabling.
Two-bladed and Downwind
[img width=640
height=380]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-101213142151.png[/img]
German engineering consultancy aerodyn based in Frankfurt
introduced an innovative two-bladed 8-MW SCD 8.0 down-wind
offshore turbine with 168-metre rotor diameter. (SCD stands for
Super Compact Drive.) The SCD 8.0 incorporates a medium-speed
drivetrain with a single rotor bearing flanged to an in-house
developed planetary gearbox plus PMG. These main components in
turn are flanged directly to a cast main carrier, and there is
no separate nacelle cover.
One special product feature of the SCD 8.0 is a
helicopter-landing platform integrated in the nacelle upper
part, whereby actual landings are enabled only after locking the
rotor in horizontal position. (See image, left, for an example
of the 3-, 6-, and 8-MW products.)
Two-bladed turbines are new in the offshore market, but do offer
specific advantages including easier deck stowage of fully
assembled turbine heads (nacelle + rotor) plus time and
cost-saving single-hoist installation. The SCD 8.0 is aimed at
the European offshore market, and aerodyn owner/director Sönke
Siegfriedsen firmly believes that a favorable 395-tonne head
mass makes the turbine well-suited for both seabed-fixed and
floating foundations solutions.
Optimization
[img width=640
height=380]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-101213141919.png[/img]
SCD 8.0 is a further development and optimization of the 6-MW
SCD 6.0, an IEC class IIB turbine featuring 140-metre rotor
diameter. Aerodyn’s Chinese partner and licensee Ming Yang is
currently testing the SCD 6.0 prototype, with installation
planned for early 2014. The SCD 6.0 was specifically developed
for the hurricane-prone coastal stretch between Shanghai and
Hong Kong, which, according aerodyne, is one of the world’s
largest future offshore wind markets. Ming Yang already operates
several 3-MW two-bladed onshore upwind SCD 3.0 turbines with
110-metre rotor diameter for IEC class IIIA locations. (See
image, right, for an example of an onshore two-bladed turbine.)
SCD was first presented at the 2007 Husum wind industry fair and
was one of the world’s first medium-speed turbine designs.
SCD technology is built upon aerodyn’s (design) experiences with
its patented 5-MW hybrid-type offshore turbine called Multibrid
M5000. This groundbreaking turbine was developed and patented
during 1996/7 and is comprised of a single rotor bearing and a
highly compact fully enclosed cast chassis that incorporates a
single-stage planetary gearbox and permanent magnet generator.
AREVA Wind commercialized the M5000-116, and an optimized 5-MW
M5000-135 prototype with enlarged 135-metre rotor was installed
this autumn.
Reducing CoE
[img width=640
height=380]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-101213142334.png[/img]
Siemens Energy finally presented its new 4-MW and 6-MW offshore
turbines in Frankfurt, including a new 4-MW SWT-4.0-120 model
version with 120-metre rotor diameter. The company said that it
wants to reduce lifecycle-based cost of energy (CoE, which
equals turbine cost/kWh/20-25y) for both the 6-MW direct drive
and 4-MW geared turbine models by up to 40 percent compared to
today’s levels.
Substantially reducing CoE remains the offshore wind industry’s
main overall challenge for the future of offshore wind power,
and is a huge task ahead for all parties involved. Achieving
this goal requires sustained combined efforts from project
developers to wind turbine and submarine cable installation
vessel designers/suppliers, foundation designers/manufacturers,
advanced transport-logistics, installation contractors, and wind
farm upkeep specialists.
Eize de Vries was from 2001 to March 2010 Wind Technology
Correspondent for Renewable Energy World magazine. He currently
works as a Technology Writer and Technology Advisor for
Windpower Monthly, and is since 1997 Contributing Editor for...
HTML http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/12/offshore-wind-turbines-are-getting-bigger-all-the-time?cmpid=rss
*****************************************************
DIR Next Page