Month: March 2016

New Forecasting Machine to Boost Wind Power Sector

Professor Coimbra and Jan P. Kleissl have come up with a weather forecasting machine that they claim it is more effective than the ones that are commonly being used now. Power grid experts believe that the accurate forecast of the machine would encourage companies to use wind power more judiciously. It could also be instrumental in greatly saving the cost of energy. The machine takes photographs of five square miles of the sky every half a minute and can forecast about the weather conditions for the next three to twenty minutes.

The forecasting engine has generated much interest among the wind and solar power grid operators who believe that this would give leverage to use renewable energy sources more profitably. The ability to know about the availability of wind beforehand can help to utilize it, and the industry will be able to plan its utility in advance. Moreover, the assurance of its availability can encourage them to rely more on the renewable energy source like the wind. The homeowners can turn on their electrical appliances like the air conditioners in time. This, in turn, will surely decrease the dependence on the back-up power plants.

At present, it is not possible to gauge accurately the velocity and duration of the wind that would be available through the traditional forecasting devices. Wind firms have to store the surplus energy through back-up batteries at high costs and use it when the need arises. Similarly the grid operators also have to purchase power, sometimes at exorbitant costs. The exact weather forecast would enable them to buy power when the price is less.

Sudden changes of wind conditions described as ‘ramp events’ also affect the plant. It can cause damage to the equipment. Back-up batteries may drain out quickly, which shortens their longevity. Proper forecasting of it will enable to ensure safety measures for it.

Growth of Wind Power in Latin America

Wind power is becoming the main renewable energy source in Latin America. It is expected to attain a capacity of 10, 000 MW in the next eight years.

Many wind projects are currently underway not only in Brazil and Mexico but also in other countries like Argentina, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Chile. At present, the wind power sector produces power to the tune of 3,5000 to 4,000 MW in the region, and industry observers believe that this will go up to 10,000 by end of the decade.

The governments are taking measures to encourage wind companies to take up initiatives in developing and setting up wind turbines. This has greatly improved the power situation.

The surge in the wind power sector could also be due to the insistence of the authorities to adopt more environmental-friendly measures while harnessing energy resources like coal and hydro-electricity. The new biofuel and solar technologies are yet to be adopted on a large scale in the region. Photovoltaic technologies are still too costly.

There are many challenges for the growth of wind market in the region. In Chile, financial institutions are not yet ready to take up the much-needed risks due to the absence of adequate support system and pricing. Lack of infrastructure in the region for the transport of equipment is also one of them.

Brazil by far is the leader in the region as far as wind power is concerned and is expected to constitute as much as 70 percent of the total installed wind projects in Latin America by 2025.

The Wind Energy Association Latin America, LAWEA formed to promote the use of wind energy as a form of clean energy in the region, believes that in the present wind power scenario will usher in an improvement in the quality of life in Latin America in the coming years.

Wind Power Generation Can Overtake that from Natural Gas in 2012

With the expiry of the tax credit coming to a closer, companies are gearing up to install the wind turbines in the U.S. As a result, the installation of wind turbines may be more than that of power plants that run on fuel.

As per the Ventyx Inc., a subsidiary of Swiss Power transmission equipment maker ABB Ltd. (ABBN), the power capacity through harnessing wind energy was 6,519 MW by the end of November. This is more than that produced through gas and twice that of coal.

Industry experts believe that the wind power generation will cross 8 gigawatts for the year of 2012, which would definitely be more than gas and coal.

The reports of New Energy Finance echoes the same view and points that the setting up of number of wind firms in the last couple of months in 2012 would make wind a more dominant player in the power sector.

This surge in production is due to the fact that companies are in a hurry to take advantage of the production tax credit that is in vogue till December 31st.

Wind energy undoubtedly is treated as a valuable source of energy. This is something that was not the case five years ago.

The tax credit provides the wind companies with 2.2 cents for the production of each kilowatt-hour of power over a period of ten years. If congress does not extend the incentive, the installation of wind turbines will drastically fall down.

The Senate Finance Committee approved a bill to extend the wind production tax credit which was first initiated in 1992.

There is a proposal to phase out the credit over a period of six years by the Atomic Wind Energy Commission instead of stopping it abruptly. Apart from denting the wind energy sector gravely, the stoppage of tax credit will also lead to huge loss of jobs.

Seven Wind Projects to Benefit from Energy Department

The Department of Energy has announced that it would award seven wind projects in a bid to help the wind industry on the design and development technology of off-shore power generation. The total award is to the tune of $28 million and the companies will receive their shares of $4 million each. The amount is to be spent on completing the work they have undertaken in six states after which three of them will receive $47 million over a period of four years in order to construct and install the machineries to start commercial production by 2017.

The projects will be taken up at New Jersey, Texas, Virginia, Oregon, Ohio, New Jersey and Maine after their approval by the Congress. The New Jersey project constitutes the installation of six turbines three miles off the Atlantic City in state waters. Similarly, four 3 megawatt turbines are proposed to be built in the Gulf of Maine.

The progress of the installation of wind farms in the U.S. is slow compared to that in Europe.

The companies welcomed the announcement of awards by the Energy Department and said that it would provide them the much needed boost. The sources in the Fisherman’s Energy Company revealed that the wind project to be built in New Jersey by 2014 would be its first off-shore wind project. It is believed that the successful completion of this project will open up doors for other manufacturers to take up off-shore wind projects.

The initiative to provide fillip to the off-shore wind projects was started in October when the Department of Interior awarded the lease to NRG Bluewater Wind under its ‘Smart From the Start’ program. The company gets the exclusive rights to explore and prospect the development of wind project in the 96,000 acres of ocean off Delaware.

Tax Credit Affects on the Wind Power Sector

Nowadays, more and more countries are going to use wind power due to its potential to offer clear energy on a continuous basis. It is estimated that in the US, it would account for one-fifth of the country’s electricity demand by 2030. Advancement in technical know-how, along with the subsidies offered by the government, this power sector has gone through tremendous growth in recent years. There has also been a sharp decline in the cost of production of electricity from wind energy.

But American companies will also face stiff competition in future, especially from Chinese manufacturers. The Chinese companies are able to market their products at a much cheaper price, which, of course, has been a bone of contention between China and the US. The steel turbines manufactured by Chinese companies were slapped with tariffs by the United States Commerce Department after it was revealed that they were being sold below their actual cost of production.

China has established its dominance in the wind power sector and manufacturing companies worldwide are finding it difficult to compete with Chinese manufacturers of wind turbines. At present, the situation has come to a pass, where the country’s manufacturing capacity has outgrown its own demand.

The American turbine manufacturers are also concerned about the waning of the demand of electricity at home. And the expiration of the tax credit on 31st December, 2012 will make the American Wind companies wary of making further investment for the production of wind power. The tax credit that puts a burden of about one billion dollars on the exchequer every year is ratified by the Congress from time to time. But the announcement of its stoppage has brought apprehension that it would badly affect the growth of the wind power sector and the

Wind Energy News

Tax Credit Affects on the Wind Power Sector

Nowadays, more and more countries are going to use wind power due to its potential to offer clear energy on a continuous basis. It is estimated that in the US, it would account for one-fifth of the country’s electricity demand by 2030. Advancement in technical know-how, along with the subsidies offered by the government, this power sector has gone through tremendous growth in recent years. There has also been a sharp decline in the cost of production of electricity from wind energy… Read more

Seven Wind Projects to Benefit from Energy Department

The Department of Energy has announced that it would award seven wind projects in a bid to help the wind industry on the design and development technology of off-shore power generation. The total award is to the tune of $28 million and the companies will receive their shares of $4 million each. The amount is to be spent on completing the work they have undertaken in six states after which three of them will receive $47 million over a period of four years in order to construct and install the machineries to start commercial production by 2017… Read more

Wind Power Generation Can Overtake that from Natural Gas in 2012

With the expiry of the tax credit coming to a closer, companies are gearing up to install the wind turbines in the U.S. As a result, the installation of wind turbines may be more than that of power plants that run on fuel. As per the Ventyx Inc., a subsidiary of Swiss Power transmission equipment maker ABB Ltd. (ABBN), the power capacity through harnessing wind energy was 6,519 MW by the end of November. This is more than that produced through gas and twice that of coal. Industry experts believe that the wind power generation will cross 8 gigawatts for the year of 2012, which would definitely be more than gas and coal… Read more

Growth of Wind Power in Latin America

Wind power is becoming the main renewable energy source in Latin America. It is expected to attain a capacity of 10, 000 MW in the next eight years. Many wind projects are currently underway not only in Brazil and Mexico but also in other countries like Argentina, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Chile. At present, the wind power sector produces power to the tune of 3,5000 to 4,000 MW in the region, and industry observers believe that this will go up to 10,000 by end of the decade. The governments are taking measures to encourage wind companies to take up initiatives in developing and setting up wind turbines. This has greatly improved the power situation… Read more

New Forecasting Machine to Boost Wind Power Sector

Professor Coimbra and Jan P. Kleissl have come up with a weather forecasting machine that they claim it is more effective than the ones that are commonly being used now. Power grid experts believe that the accurate forecast of the machine would encourage companies to use the wind power more judiciously. It could also be instrumental in greatly saving the cost of energy. The machine takes photographs of five square miles of the sky every half a minute and can forecast about the weather conditions for the next three to twenty minutes… Read more

San Francisco Plan Promotes Urban Wind Power

SAN FRANCISCO — Mayor Gavin Newsom (D) unveiled plans yesterday for installing turbines on rooftops around the city, with a goal of commercializing small-scale wind power and bringing down the cost of renewable electricity. Read this news in New York Times 9/30/2009.

Press Release 9/29/09 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Mayor Newsom today announced recommendations from San Francisco’s Urban Wind Power Task Force, charged with finding ways to encourage the expansion of local wind power generation in San Francisco. The Task Force’s 29 recommendations include working at the state-level to exempt small wind turbines from property tax increases, installing more City-owned small wind demonstration sites, and exploring offering permitting cost refunds.

Wind Power in Palo Alto?: Medical Foundation Buys Turbine From Local Startup

While businesses throughout the Bay Area are busy installing solar panels, the Palo Alto Medical Foundation is looking to tap an energy source more commonly associated with rural areas: wind power. Read more on iStockAnalyst.com – May 21, 2009.

Windation eyes commercial buildings for enclosed turbines

Rooftop units generate power with winds starting at 7 miles per hour—opening up a potential market in 70 percent of the U.S. Read more on CleanTech.com.

Urban wind power inspired by ancient Persia

New wind-power machine has been inspired by a centuries-old idea: Persian “wind catchers.”  Windation Energy Systems, a Menlo Park, Calif.-based start-up, has developed a wind appliance that looks more or less like the modern heating and cooling equipment you see on flat corporate building rooftops. Read more on CNET.com.

The Problem

The world at present is going through an energy crisis. While it is true that this phenomenon is more acute in the developing nations, the developed world is also not free from it.

The largest copper production in Chile is on the verge of being shelved due to acute power shortage. The country needs to increase its power production by 47 percent in the next eight years to keep abreast of the rise in demand.

Countries like Egypt and India also have gone through sever electricity crisis. This has been largely due to the huge gap between the demand and supply.

These incidences show that the power sector needs more investment for the production of electricity. Now coal, natural gas, hydropower and nuclear power are viewed as the main sources of energy. But the time has come to give thrust to alternative renewable sources of energy. In this connection, harnessing wind energy for the generation of electricity is of paramount importance.

The shortage of electricity has many different components like the escalation of demand, weather condition and distribution. But availability of the power is the primary concern.

Technologies to harness wind energy in a cost-effective manner have advanced to a great extent in the last decade. This had been made possible due to the tax credit by the Federal government. It also poses no hazard to the environment.

The wind projects can both be taken up on a small or big way. The small ones are good for the purpose of farming and homeowners. The big turbines installed off-shore are used for industrial and mass consumption like the supply of electricity to urban areas. It is estimated that by 2020 wind power sector would mitigate about 20% of the global electricity demand.

Products

Generating electricity through the use of turbines has been done for centuries. With the availability of modern technologies, electricity is being produced in mass scale for industrial as well domestic use.

Wind turbines have rotor blades that rotate around a hub. The hub is attached to a generator in the nacelle. As the wind rotates the blades, the shafts spins and electricity is produced from the mechanical energy thus generated with the help of the generator. The electricity is then connected to the transmission lines and grids.

The turbines can either be horizontal axis turbines or vertical axis turbines depending upon how they are oriented. Horizontal axis turbines are more popular. While most small scale turbines have the magnet generators, wound-field alternators are used in the earlier models. The induction motors are also used to generate electricity.

The type of towers can be different. There are free standing towers, till-up towers and fixed-guyed towers. Free standing towers are the most expensive.

Apart from the generators and towers, transmission lines, batteries and other electrical controls are also necessary to set up in order to harness wind power.

The U.S., China, Spain and India are the leading countries where wind power is being used. Denmark and China are among the top manufacturers of wind turbines. Of late, China is making rapid strides in this market.

With a share of 12.9 percent of global market, Vestas (VWS.CO) has been the leading manufacturer of wind power. It is followed by Xinjiang Goldwind Science (HKG 2208), popularly known as Goldwind of China which has 9.4 percent of share.

As per estimates, the wind power sector has resulted in supplying 71.7 gigawatts in the year of 2011. An annual growth rate of 10 percent in this sector is expected till the year of 2016.

The product of the Windation company is the following:

Model (Patent Pending) Dimensions Weight
TWM-50005000W power rating 9′ x 9′ x 10′ tall 2,200 Lbs.

 

Why Windation?

With the dwindling of fossil fuel resources and its harmful effects on the environment coming into the limelight, the use of wind energy has gone up. At present, wind energy is being generated in countries like the USA, China, Spain, Denmark, India and Germany.

Wind, undoubtedly, has great advantages over other forms of conventional energy sources.

Lessens the dependence upon fossil fuel – The increasing use of wind energy can lessen the burden on fossil fuel, thereby, keeping the world away from global warming and other pollutants produced due to the use of bio-fuel.

Renewable energy source – Wind energy is part of nature and will never dwindle away. Its production is linked to the process of nuclear fusion. So, unlike the case of fossil fuels, one can safely assume that it will continue to be available as long as the sun is there.

Pollution free – Wind energy is clean and doesn’t emit any toxic emission and it produces no danger to animals, which is not the case with fossil fuels, and nuclear energy.

Great future – According to some estimates, the cumulative potential of wind energy in the world is around 3600 TW. This is staggering amount of energy source.

Available everywhere ‑ Although the intensity of wind may vary from place to place, wind energy can be generated at most places. And if you consider the fact that the turbines can be installed off-shore as well, it provides a lot of potential.

Cost-effectiveness – With the availability of better technologies, the cost of harnessing wind energy is significantly going down. In fact, it is estimated that there has been a reduction by almost 60 percent since the 1980’s.

Due to these advantages of wind energy, Windation, the company based in Silicon Valley, has come up with the state of the art technologies to harness it through the installation of turbines of various sizes. The company specializes in urban-building electric system.

Company

Windation manufactures, installs and warranties the highest quality wind electricity generating systems available today.

Windation Energy Systems is formed by a group of leading senior engineers and finance experts in Silicon Valley who are passionate about wind power and distributed electricity generation.

Windation Wind-catch™ patent pending technology enables urban-building electric systems to generate substantial amounts of clean power, which is more than of any other clean electricity system.

Buildings cumulatively are the biggest users of electricity thus they are the largest generator of Green house gas (GHG).

Distributed generation and wind turbine electric systems reduce the burden on the electrical grids while reducing the dependency on polluting fuels.

Wind energy has great benefits over other forms of commercial energy. Wind turbines look imposing, but in fact they take a small area. They are available in different sizes and can be installed as per the energy requirements. Above all, they are most useful in remote areas.

The company strives to establish that wind power is available in a cost-effective way.

The company has successfully developed its unique wind turbines on the rooftops in urban areas to use wind resources in a safe manner. Looking like a commercial AC unit, it only needs seventy square feet space on the rooftop to place the small turbine which weighs only 2,200 lb. The machine can generate 5 kilowatts of power per year. When good source of wind is available, it would be suffice to maintain an office space of one thousand square feet. It does not produce much noise or vibration and it has no exposed parts. Hence, it poses no threat to the birds.

The design of these generators is inspired by the ancient wind catcher buildings in Persia that were designed to suck in air from the top. The Windation machines also draw air from the top and manipulate its movements to generate power. With the available incentives and rebates, it is estimated that the initial expenditure of $45,000 can be recovered in five to seven years.