Breakthrough Design Uses Electrical Towers to Harvest Wind Power

The winners of this year’s Next Generation design competition have unearthed an idea that’s brilliant in its simplicity: retrofitting wind turbines onto already existing electrical towers. The project, aptly called Wind-It, would have wind turbines built on pylons and towers along high voltage lines across the US, sparing the need to build entirely new structures on private or government land while generating as much as a megawatt of power per tower.

The concept is the brainchild of French designers/architects Nicola Delon and Julien Choppin, and Raphaël Ménard, an engineer.

Wind-it answers one of the greatest challenges to the development of wind power: where to site wind turbines. Choppin, Delon and Menard’s design uses existing infrastructure – the towers and pylons that dot the more than 157,000 miles of high voltage power lines in the U.S. – to locate their turbines, which can be stacked within already sited structures. Moreover, Wind-it solves the problem of linking energy generation and electricity transmission in the same way – by co-locating them.

- Metropolis

Wind-it XL calls for new and taller pylons. The design is most promising for developing regions and can generate as much as one megawatt of power for each pylon.

Wind-it L loads eggbeater turbines onto the core of existing towers in medium- and high-voltage grids.

Wind-it retrofits low- and medium- voltage pylons for a nominal one ten kilowatts of power.

Here are the artist impressions

Here’s how the retrofit would look on a standard transmission line.

“The genius of the proposal is that it solved probably the biggest issue of wind production, which is where to locate these very large structures. By incorporating them into transmission towers, which are already located and of the same scale as wind towers, the idea of how it looks on the landscape is very cleverly integrated.”

- Alexandros Washburn, NY Chief Urban Designer and Next Generation Judge

Texas Wind Farm Uses NASA Radar to Prevent Bird Deaths

Photo Credit: Chrishna via flickr

What do you do if you build a wind farm smack dab in the middle of a major bird migration route? A radar system that’s designed to shut down the entire thing when it detects a mass of birds on the way has been installed at the 202 MW Peñascal Wind Farm in Texas.

System Detects Birds Approaching Four Miles Away
The system uses radar originally developed for NASA and the US Air Force to detect birds as far as four miles away, The Guardian reports. When it picks up the approaching birds, it analyzes the existing weather conditions and determines in real time whether those birds are in danger of flying into the blades. The system then automatically restarts the turbines when the birds have passed.

During Inclement Weather Birds May Fly Lower
The reason that the system takes into account the weather is that in ordinary conditions the migratory birds—at peaks times which can number 4,000 an hour—pass well over the wind farm, flying thousands of feet up. But when the weather turns nasty, the birds, which typically fly at night, can become disoriented. The risk which the radar system attempts to minimize is that when they’re disoriented the birds will lose altitude and crash into the turbines.

Buildings & Cats More Threat to Birds Than Turbines
It’s estimated that about 7,000 birds are killed annually in the US by wind turbines (and that in some areas bats are more in danger than birds), but all told that’s a far lower number than are killed by birds simply flying into buildings or are killed by your neighbor’s cat.

via: The Guardian

Wind Power
Offshore Wind Power in Great Lakes Touted as Untapped Resource
Common Eco-Myth: Wind Turbines Kill Birds
Cool Interactive US Wind, Solar & Biomass Power Potential map Released by NRDC

Kenya: Plans to Develop 300MW Wind Farm

Located near Lake Turkana, initial electric production could begin in three years. Photo: Wikipedia

Lake Turkana Wind Power has announced plans to develop a 300 MW wind farm on 150,000 acres of land in northwest Kenya near, appropriately enough, Lake Turkana. 

30% of Funding Coming from African Development Bank
Planned to be built in stages, with each of the project’s 360 turbines coming online as it is installed, the wind farm will start initial production in June 2011 and reach full capacity in 2012. Total costs for the project are expected to be about $760 million, 30% of which will be financed by the African Development Bank.

Though the plan is to stop at 300 MW, a company spokesperson indicated that the possibility of expanding it once sufficient transmission capacity is in place is being investigated.

Currently Kenya has an installed electric capacity of about 1,200 MW, with demand being just below that and growing at 8% per year.

More: Lake Turkana Wind Power

via: ENN

Renewable Energy, Africa
Largest Wind Farm in Sub-Saharan Africa Planned for Ethiopia
UN Supported African Enterprise to Set Up Major Geothermal Facility in East Africa’s Rift Valley
Solar Thermal Power in North Africa: How Much Land to Power the World?

Scotland Crafts Own World-Beating Climate Bill

Source:”Scotland Crafts Own World-Beating Climate Bill“, treehugger.com, Business & Politics, Jeremy Elton Jacquot, 6th Dec 2008

 

Image from amandabhslater

If you liked Obama’s proposed climate agenda, then you’ll love Scotland’s. Not only would it require an 80 percent cut in carbon dioxide emissions below 1990 levels by mid-century, it would also require equivalent reductions from the five other major greenhouse gases. Emission levels would have to be reduced 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. Unlike most other international variants, it would target shipping and aviation emissions as well, reports the BBC.

Image from robertpogorzelski  

Other goodies the bill includes are measures on recycling and packaging, waste reduction, energy efficiency and renewable energy for the forestry sector. In case retailers are unwilling to charge customers for the use of plastic bags, the bill also authorizes government ministers to make them do so as a “last resort”. (Several retailers have already begun charging for their use.)

A Committee on Climate Change, or other advisory body, would be established by the government to provide recommendations and guidance on its implementation. If passed by the Parliament, the bill would give the country one of the most forward-looking climate change portfolios in the world. Stewart Stevenson, the Climate Change Minister (don’t you love the sound of that?), hopes that developing a range of short, medium and long-term measures will help guarantee the bill’s success.

Scotland has been on a roll of late in the climate change/renewable energy arena, committing to building one of Europe’s largest onshore wind farms (Romania took the cake in that category) and one of its largest biomass plants while also launching theworld’s largest prize for marine renewable energy. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that Edinburgh remains one of Northern Europe’s most sustainable cities (though it’s a shame the government caved on Donald Trump’s proposed golf course project).

President-elect Obama could certainly do worse than consult with the Scottish government before crafting what many hope will be his own world-beating climate bill.

More about Scotland
Europe’s Largest Single Onshore Windfarm to be Built in Scotland
U.K. Set to Build Largest Biomass Plant in Scotland

Obama’s Energy Plan

 

Many of you have probably seen, heard or read about Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver last night. For those who haven’t seen it and who have 45 minutes to spare, a video of the entire speech is embedded above. However for those with less time on their hands, here are the relevant portions in regards to what Mr Obama has said in regards to energy policy. 

Environmental and climate change policy were not mentioned.The fact that these are absent from this speech is slightly disconcerting, but if pushing forward the economic benefits of renewable energy is what it takes to convince more people of its virtues (and the end result is lowered greenhouse gas emissions), then I won’t begrudge Barack for not mentioning them in this venue.

Ending Oil Dependency

And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as president: In 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East. We will do this. 

Washington — Washington has been talking about our oil addiction for the last 30 years. And, by the way, John McCain has been there for 26 of them. And in that time, he has said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels.And today, we import triple the amount of oil than we had on the day that Senator McCain took office.

Now is the time to end this addiction and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution, not even close.

 

It probably goes without saying that better fuel efficiency standards, more investment in renewable energy and more consistent government policy on incentives (too bad this last one wasn’t mentioned…) are all perennial themes on TreeHugger. It’s also good to see that Obama has said that simply drilling for more oil is not a realistic proposition for kicking the oil habit.

Energy Security/Independence

As president, as president, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I’ll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I’ll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. [...] Yes, government must lead on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient.

 

I would have liked to see renewable energy come first in the speech—and as we’ve said before, there’s really no such thing as clean coal— but then again I don’t have to carry coal-producing states. I guess we’ll have to see how this one pans out if Obama is elected.

In regards to the government leading on energy policy, but all of us having to do our part to improve how efficiently we use energy: It sounds like he’s been reading TreeHugger.

On Renewable Energy

And I’ll invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy — wind power, and solar power, and the next generation of biofuels — an investment that will lead to new industries and 5 million new jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced.

 

Can’t complain here, especially considering there’s mention of the next generation of biofuels, rather than the support he’s previously shown for corn ethanol.

Obviously there’s no specific policy to comment upon here, but the fact that he recognizes the economic benefits of increasing renewable energy investment is good to see. As I said at the outset, while I might argue that the environmental benefits of renewable energy are even more important than the real economic benefits, in uncertain economic times if that’s what it takes to sell the concept, then so be it.

:: Barack Obama

Offshore Oil Drilling, Fuel Efficiency, Renewable Energy, More…
Offshore Oil Drilling Will Still Not Lower Gasoline Prices: Barack Obama and Legislative Compromise
Bush’s New Fuel Economy Rules Look Good…Until You Read All 417 Pages
Important U.S. Renewable Energy Incentive Package Still Stalled in Senate
New Generation of Nuclear Power Plants More Expensive than Expected
There Is No Such Thing As Clean Coal
First Commercial-Scale Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Approved for California
Mapping the Alternative Energy Potential of the United States

Source:

“Economic Advantages of Green Energy Take Precedence over Environmental Benefits in Obama Acceptance Speech“, treehugger.com, Business & Politics, Matthew McDermott, 29th August 2008 

Norwegian Wind Power Could Become Europe’s Battery

by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 28th May 2008 by www.treehugger.com

Norway and Wind Power, Sitting in a Tree…
What’s the best thing you could buy with oil money right now?

Norway’s Oil and Energy Minister, Aaslaug Haga, seems to think that wind turbines is a good bet. The scandinavian country is the 5th biggest exporter of oil in the world, but it also has the longest coastline in Europe and lots of strong wind. A 30-page report by the Energy Council, comprising business leaders and officials, says: “Norway ought to have access to up to 40 terrawatt hours of renewable energy in 2020-2025, of which about half would come from offshore wind power.“

Turning Oil Into Renewable Energy

Sufficient wind parks — totalling 5,000 to 8,000 megawatts installed capacity — would cost between 100 billion Norwegian and 220 billion Norwegian crowns ($43.89 billion) assuming prices of 20-28 million crowns per installed megawatt. The energy would be equivalent to up to about eight nuclear power plants.

 

That’s a lot of money, but that’s also the value of about half a year’s oil output for Norway. It would be kind of a giant offset scheme.

Wind Power Even When the Wind Doesn’t Blow
One thing that makes Norway – like Quebec – particularly well suited for wind power is the presence of hydro. When the wind blows, you can slow down the flow of water and accumulate it behind the dams, and when the wind doesn’t blow, you can open up the valves. And since Norway has about half of Europe’s reservoir capacity, it could keep producing even with long periods without wind (which is fairly rare offshore).

Links by Treehugger

Wind Power
::Quebec Buys 2,004 Megawatts of Wind Power, Wants to Export to Ontario and USA
::Wind Power Produces 123% of Residential Energy Demand in Rock Port, Missouri
::Enercon E-126: The World’s Largest Wind Turbine (for now)

Green Norway
::Norway: Carbon Neutral by 2030
::Strange But True: Norway Announces First “Ecological Prison”
::Norway’s Hydro Develops Floating Wind Turbines

More on Norway’s Wind Power Project
::Wind power could make Norway “Europe’s battery”

Nano Vent-Skin of Micro-Wind Turbines

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.28.08 for treehugger.com

Some think big when it comes to wind turbines; designer Agustin Otegui thinks very small, at the nano scale, with his idea for Nano Vent-Skin, the ultimate green wall.

“Using nano-manufacturing with bioengineered organisms as a production method, NVS merges different kinds of micro organisms that work together to absorb and transform natural energy from the environment. What comes out of this merging of living organisms is a skin that transforms two of the most abundant sources of green energy on earth: Sunlight and Wind. There is another advantage of using living organisms: the absorption of CO2 from the air.”

The outer skin of the structure absorbs sunlight through an organic photovoltaic skin and transfers it to the nano-fibers inside the nano-wires which then is sent to storage units at the end of each panel.

Each turbine on the panel generates energy by chemical reactions on each end where it makes contact with the structure. Polarized organisms are responsible for this process on every turbine’s turn.

The inner skin of each turbine works as a filter absorbing CO2 from the environment as wind passes through it.

The fact of using nano-bioengineering and nano-manufacturing as means of production is to achieve an efficient zero emission material which uses the right kind and amount of material where needed.

These micro organisms have not been genetically altered; they work as a trained colony where each member has a specific task in this symbiotic process. For example, an ant or a bee colony, where the queen knows what has to be done and distributes the tasks between the members.

Imagine NVS as the human skin. When we suffer a cut, our brain sends signals and resources to this specific region to get it restored as soon as possible.

NVS works in the same way. Every panel has a sensor on each corner with a material reservoir. When one of the turbines has a failure or breaks, a signal is sent through the nano-wires to the central system and building material (microorganisms) is sent through the central tube in order to regenerate this area with a self assembly process.”

view from interior of building clad in Nano Vent-skin

Detail of exterior. More information and bigger pictures at Agustin Otegui’s 

Source:

www.nanoventskin.blogspot.com

Nano Vent-Skin is a personal project aimed to trigger new approaches into greener and more energy efficient structures. This website (Nano Vent-Skin) is a platform to show the progress and developement of this project. All the images and concepts are copyright protected and taken from this site.