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China Invests Billions in International Renewable Energy Projects
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Tag Archives: Wind Power
A Significant Win for Clean Energy in Colorado
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Today Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed a measure to expand and improve the state’s Renewable Energy Standard that will drive clean energy investment, increase jobs and renewable project development in rural Colorado.
Duane Tilden‘s insight:
>As a result of the move by Xcel and the Governor’s signature on SB 252, Colorado will have an additional 1,000 MW of renewable energy or a 40 percent increase from the current amount of installed renewable energy in the state.
The announcement pulled the rug from under fossil fuel funded opponents of SB 252 who had argued renewable energy is too expensive.
The bill, co-sponsored by Senate President John Morse and House Speaker Mark Ferrandino, will also expand opportunities for distributed generation and eliminates unnecessary preferences for in-state generation.<
See on switchboard.nrdc.org
US team’s battery ‘breakthrough’
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Researchers believe they have found a way to radically shrink the size of batteries while offering the same amount of power and faster recharges than at present.
Duane Tilden‘s insight:
>The scientists’ “breakthrough” involved finding a new way to integrate the anode and cathode at the microscale.
“The battery electrodes have small intertwined fingers that reach into each other,” project leader Prof William King told the BBC.
“That does a couple of things. It allows us to make the battery have a very high surface area even though the overall battery volume is extremely small.
A cross-section of the battery reveals the 3D-design of the research project’s anodes and cathodes
“And it gets the two halves of the battery very close together so the ions and electrons do not have far to flow.
“Because we’ve reduced the flowing distance of the ions and electrons we can get the energy out much faster.”<
See on www.bbc.co.uk
Two liquid air projects through to feasibility stage of competition | News | gasworld
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Highview Power Storage, an award-winning UK developer of utility scale liquid air energy storage technologies, has had two multi-MW projects successfully put through to the feasibility stage of DECC’s Energy Storage Technology Demonstration…
See on www.gasworld.com
>Project one involves the National Grid, Costain and Highview, for a proposed utility-scale demonstration project of a fully integrated liquid air energy storage plant of up to 6MW output, hosted by National Grid’s Grain Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) site at the Isle of Grain in Kent.
The plant would have around five hours of operation (30MWhs), making it the largest demonstration of new energy storage technology in the UK.<
Wind Power Urged to Compete with Fossil Fuels Head-on: Scientific American
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The industry must fight the perception that wind energy cannot compete with fossil fuels
Duane Tilden‘s insight:
>Borrowing a page from environmentalists
To that end, some wind power advocates argued that the industry should borrow a page from the environmental movement by challenging renewable energy naysayers head on and ratcheting up its rhetoric on wind energy’s environmental benefits relative to fossil fuels rather than seeking to peacefully coexist alongside the oil, coal and gas sectors.
Larry Schweiger, president of the National Wildlife Federation and one of several high-profile environmental leaders addressing the Chicago conference, told AWEA members that they represent “an insurgent industry” that is “taking on an incumbent industry that plays hardball.”
“I would urge you all to become more aggressive,” he added, “because if you don’t be more creative, more aggressive, more willing to take risks, this industry will move along at a pace that will not solve our problems.”
See on www.scientificamerican.com
Xcel Energy NCAR expand partnership on renewable energy forecasting – Pennenergy
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In the next two years, NCAR scientists and engineers will develop custom forecasting systems to enable Xcel Energy control centers in Minneapolis, Denver, Golden, Colo., and Amarillo, Tex., to anticipate sudden changes in wind, shut down turbines ahead of potentially damaging icing events and even predict the amount of energy generated by private solar panels.
Duane Tilden‘s insight:
>To help utilities anticipate wind energy more reliably, NCAR began designing a wind energy prediction system for Xcel Energy in 2009 that saved the utility’s customers more than $6 million in 2010 alone. The specialized system relies on a suite of tools, including highly detailed observations of atmospheric conditions, an ensemble of powerful computer models, and artificial intelligence techniques to issue high-resolution forecasts for wind farm sites.
NCAR’s new agreement with Xcel Energy focuses on the following areas:
Forecasting major changes in wind energy over a few hours due to a passing front or another atmospheric event.Forecasting ice and extreme temperatures to predict the impacts of freezing rain on wind turbines, which cannot operate when coated in ice.Generating solar forecasts using a combination of computer models and specialized cloud observing tools to help Xcel Energy better anticipate when customers are getting power from their own panels.<
See on www.pennenergy.com
Canada loses WTO appeal in renewable energy case
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BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Canada lost an appeal at the World Trade Organization on Monday in a ruling on incentives offered to local companies, a case that has already led to legal challenges over suspicions…
Duane Tilden‘s insight:
>Ontario will have to bring its rules into line with the WTO rules or risk a claim for trade sanctions against Canada.<
>Canada’s defeat may spur more WTO disputes by countries which are desperate for economic growth and suspect their firms are being illegally locked out of infrastructure projects abroad.<
See on www.reuters.com
#Wind Energy Innovation: GE Tests High #Efficiency Turbine in the #Netherlands | The #Energy Collective
See on Scoop.it – Green Energy Technologies & Development
General Electric recently announced it had started testing the prototype of what it calls the world’s most efficient high-output wind turbine. The new 2.5-120 is being tested in Wieringermeer, Netherlands.
Duane Tilden‘s insight:
Combining efficiency and power output at low-wind-speed sites, the 2.5-120 captures a 25 percent increase in efficiency and a 15 percent increase in power output compared to GE’s current model. GE says wind farm operators at low-winds-speed sites can benefit from its efficiency and output, thanks to its advanced controls and 120-meter rotor which enable increased energy capture and greater power output in low-wind areas. The taller tower, which has a maximum hub height of 139 meters, makes it ideal for heavily forested regions in places like Europe and Canada.
See on theenergycollective.com
Vestas Receives Its Largest Order Ever in Chile
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Project consists of 22 V100-1.8 MW and 35 V100-2.0 MW wind turbines, which will be installed in Coquimbo region.
Duane Tilden‘s insight:
The order has been placed by Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM), a Colombian multi-utility focusing on power generation, transmission and distribution, natural gas distribution, wastewater treatment and telecommunications. The company’s power segment has an installed base of 3,250MW, equal to 23.5% of the national installed capacity.
The Los Cururos wind power plant will have an estimated annual production of more than 290,000MWh, […] it will provide enough electricity to cover the residential electricity consumption of more than 550,500 people in Chile.
See on www.onlinetes.com
Wind energy is clearly B.C.’s clean choice
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British Columbians have consistently called for an energy system that is independent, low-impact and as affordable as possible.
Duane Tilden‘s insight:
For many decades, the province has benefited significantly from the abundant and affordable supply of hydroelectricity provided through dams built by BC Hydro between the 1920s and the 1980s. Demand now significantly exceeds these aging sources of supply. […]
Wind energy is the ideal complement to B.C.’s existing hydro-dependent electricity system. B.C.’s wind energy resources produce more electricity in winter, when demand for power is at its highest and there is less water available to generate hydroelectricity. Better yet, we have the potential to integrate 6,000 MW of wind-generated electricity at minimal cost within BC Hydro’s existing and planned hydroelectric facilities, so wind-generated power is available when it’s needed. In fact, combining new wind energy resources with B.C.’s heritage hydroelectric resources will create a stronger hybrid electricity system better suited to the needs of the province than the system in place today.
See on www.vancouversun.com
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