Wind Power

Copenhagen Update: European Countries Agree to Construct Offshore Wind Supergrid

Ariel Schwartz — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:07:25 -0500

Community Wind Gets a Boost on Maine's Fox Islands

Ariel Schwartz — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:58:20 -0500

As utilities scramble to reach emissions targets with massive renewable energy projects and smart meter rollouts, it's important to remember that community-owned renewable energy is a viable--and sometimes better--alternative. And now community energy is getting some attention as the East Coast's largest community wind project, located on Maine's Fox Islands (Vinalhaven and North Haven), launches.

Harvard to Power 10% of Its Campus Cith Wind

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:35:58 -0500

Is China the Next U.S. Renewable Energy Superhero?

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:19:02 -0400

Oh, the irony. All-American oilman T. Boone Pickens scraps his plans for the world's biggest wind farm--a $10 billion project in Texas--and who comes in to pick up the pieces? China. The communist country is honing in on the Texas wind industry with a $1.5-billion, 36,000-acre project in West Texas. It's not quite Pickens-scale, but it is the biggest Chinese investment in U.S. renewable energy to date.

WSI, EnvaPower Bring Wind Energy Forecasting to the Grid

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:14:22 -0400

OceanWorks International: San Diego's Offshore Airport?

Ariel Schwartz — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:50:32 -0400

Is Your Neighborhood Blustery Enough for a Wind Turbine? There's an App for That.

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:28:34 -0400

E.ON Unveils World's Largest Wind Farm

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:05:25 -0400

Texas is home to the world's biggest wind farm, according to officials at E.ON Climate & Renewables. The wind energy company recently put the finishing touches on its 781.8 megawatt (MW), 627-turbine facility in Roscoe, Texas.

What Does Iberdrola's $295 Million Grant Mean for U.S. Wind Power?

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:43:19 -0400

The Department of Energy gave a big boost to solar and wind projects across the United States yesterday when it handed out nearly $503 million to companies in an attempt to raise their prospects of receiving outside capital. The luckiest recipient is Iberdrola, a Spanish wind energy company working on five projects in the U.S., including the Penascal Wind Farm in Texas and Locust Ridge II in Pennsylvania.

How Much Surface Area Would It Take to Power the World Completely With Solar or Wind?

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:44:39 -0400

Ever wonder how much space we would need to use to power the entire world with solar energy or offshore wind power? So did the good people at the Land Art Generator, who created two infographics that show the amount of surface area required to power our planet with renewable resources.

Can Forests of Artificial Trees Stop Global Warming?

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:09:31 -0400

As climate change accelerates, scientists keep coming up with increasingly fanciful schemes to fight it.

Wind Turbines: A Hazard to Your Health?

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:17:43 -0400

A warning to wind turbine installers: be careful where you set up shop. People living near wind turbines have long complained of health problems, and now a study from New York pediatrician Dr. Nina Pierpoint attempts to confirm the legitimacy of their complaints.

Texas to Host Biggest U.S. Offshore Wind Farm, but T. Boone Pickens Isn't Involved

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:03:31 -0400

Move over T. Boone Pickens, your grand Texas wind farm dreams have been overtaken by energy start-up Baryonyx, which has won bids for three land leases--two offshore, and one in the Texas Panhandle--to build data centers in Texas powered by massive wind farms. When complete, Baryonyx claims that the coastal projects, set to be built on sites that are each over 19,000 acres, will be the biggest offshore wind farms in the country.

Forget Global Warming; Could Wind Farms Affect the Weather?

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:45:10 -0400

Everyone (well, mostly everyone) is worried about the effects of climate change on global weather patterns. But what if wind power--one of the most prominent clean energy solutions--affects the weather too? According to scientists at the University of Maryland, large wind farms could potentially change the weather patterns of areas downwind. And that could lead to a whole new kind of NIMBYism.

T. Boone Pickens Scrapped the World's Biggest Wind Farm. Now What Happens to U.S. Wind Power?

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:42:01 -0400

Wind power in the U.S. appears to have taken a turn for the worse this week with T. Boone Pickens' announcement that he is scrapping plans to build the world's biggest wind farm in Texas. But according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the wind situation isn't too dire--yet.

Dale Vince Drives 100 mph in a Wind-Powered Car

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:31:02 -0400

Wind energy might not be the power source of choice for most forward-thinking car makers, but that hasn't stopped Ecotricity founder Dale Vince from working on a wind-powered electric car. Last year, Vince described the car as "An out and out sports car. Capable of 0 to 60 faster than a V12 Ferrari, able to top 100 mph for sure--and do 150 miles on one 'tank'. All with zero emissions.

5 Steps To Building Your Microgrid Dream House

Anya Kamenetz — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:30:47 -0400

Small-scale, local power--the microgrid--is a big part of the path to sustainable energy (for more detail, read Why the Microgrid Could Be the Answer to Our Energy Crisis in the July/August issue). With today's rates and rebates, typical systems pay for themselves in just a few years, and in 43 states you can even sell excess power back to the utility when you're not using it. The only barrier now is figuring out how to plug in your house. Here are the steps you need to take to get in on the microgrid action in your own home.

New York City: A High-Altitude Wind Energy Powerhouse?

Ariel Schwartz — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:09:10 -0400

The phrase "wind power" conjures up images of sweeping plains and large, open spaces. But according to new research from Caldeira and Christina Archer at California State University, Chico, the North American Eastern Seaboard and the Chinese coastline have the best potential for high-altitude wind power.

The Next Step for Urban Wind Power: Water Tower Turbines

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:31:05 -0400

Cleveland State University professor Majid Rashidi intends to prove that small-scale wind power can be cost-effective on city roofs with a turbine design using the same principle that lets airplanes fly. Rashidi's turbine, in development since last year, attaches to water storage tanks commonly found on the roofs of New York City apartment buildings.

EarthTronics' Home Wind Turbine Coming to Ace Hardware This Fall

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:44:28 -0400

Rooftop wind power won't be limited to wind-filled areas once EarthTronics' Honeywell Wind Turbine is released this fall at ACE Hardware. Earthtronics' 2-kilowatt wind turbine can generate power with wind speeds as low as two miles per hour and as high as 45 miles per hour. That means the turbine could be placed on rooftops that have objects like trees and buildings blocking high-speed winds.

Pumping Green Power from Fake Plastic Trees

Clay Dillow — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:40:31 -0400

With all the potential good wind power could do for the carbon economy, one of the objections hindering its implementation is aesthetic; people simply don't want massive turbines dotting the landscape and marring their views. The Dutch founder of London's Solar Botanic Ltd. was wrestling with that very issue in 2002 when the idea began to blossom: why not redesign the technology to blend into the natural world?

World's Largest Offshore Wind Farm Green-Lighted

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:30:02 -0400

The world's largest wind farm, dubbed the London Array, has been given the go-ahead after months of doubt caused by Shell pulling out of the project. The project, funded by E.ON, Dong Energy, and Masdar, is back on thanks to changes in the U.K.'s budget that have increased incentives for offshore wind farms. Once completed, the U.K-based 341-turbine array, located in the Thames Estuary, will produce up to 1,000 MW of electricity.

Google To Take Its Servers to the High Seas?

Cliff Kuang — Fri, 01 May 2009 12:26:04 -0400

NRDC's Online Renewable Energy Map Examines Cleantech Potential in the U.S.

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:17:11 -0400

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) launched a Google Earth mash-up map earlier this month to show alternative energy installers where they might run into trouble with legal restrictions or endangered wildlife advocates. Now the NRDC has unveiled a more optimistic map that looks at which areas in the U.S.

Carbon Trust Competition Aims to Cut Offshore Wind Energy Costs

Ariel Schwartz — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:18:52 -0400

At some point recently, a group of world leaders must have gotten together and decided that the best way to save our planet was through prizes. Hence we have the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE, the Financial Times Climate Change Challenge, the Saltire Prize for ocean energy, and now the U.K. Carbon Trust's multi-million dollar competition to cut the cost of offshore wind energy.