July 28, 2005
Deere entering wind power biz
By Sandra Jones
Deere & Co., the world’s largest maker of farm equipment, has formed a separate unit to get into the business of turning wind power into energy.
The Moline-based company has spent $8 million so far this year in wind energy projects in Minnesota and Texas. It plans to invest a total of $60 million by the end of this year, a spokesman says.
Deere’s wind energy group, a unit of John Deere Credit, will provide project development, debt financing and other services to help farmers harvest the wind. Unlike the larger wind energy farms in the western U.S, Deere plans to work with smaller farmers to aggregate and sell the power.
“We’re taking a different model,” says a Deere spoksman. “How can the smaller producer benefit? This is good for the economy of farmers because it gives them a steady stream of income.”
The amount of electricity generated by wind power is forecast to increase to 100,000 megawatts by 2020 from 7,000 megawatts in 2004, the company says, citing industry experts.
The growing demand for electricity has prompted deep-pocketed investors such as J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. to get into wind energy financing as well. The bank has invested an estimated $400 million in seven wind farms and is expected to bank roll another handful this year. (Crain’s 3-21-05) Related story from Crain's Chicago Business: WIND power: From hot air to real deal? Deere is looking into projects in Canada and Europe as well, the spokesman says. It has no plans to manufacture wind turbines.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Monday, July 25, 2005
New Wind Energy Facility would be the first on National Forest Service land in the country.
Article Published: Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 2:15:20 AM EST
Windmills proposed for forest
By CLOVER WHITHAM
Staff Writer
READSBORO -- The Deerfield Wind project is back in motion and the U.S. Forest Service is looking for the community's help in identifying issues and concerns related to the proposed development.
EnXco, a French company, hopes to line two ridges in Searsburg and Readsboro with up to 30 turbines, which would serve 14,000 to 16,000 homes.
The proposed wind turbines would be approximately 370 feet tall and require three to four lights on each side of Route 8 to meet FAA regulations.
Citizens have until Aug. 16 to submit comments about what they believe should be the scope of the Forest Service's analysis of Deerfield Wind's proposal.
If the agency approves the application for special use, the new wind energy facility would be the first on National Forest Service land in the country.
But before it is approved, the Forest Service will study the environmental and social impacts of the proposed project. The final environmental impact statement is expected in February 2007.
The proposed installation would use about 80 acres of National Forest land and require about four miles of new road. A substation would also be built, as well as a new maintenance building.
The windmills now in Searsburg are owned by Green Mountain Power. The proposed windmills would be owned by enXco. Sam Bittman, enXco spokesman, said the sites for the new wind facilities are ideal for a couple of reasons.
"We'd be able to use a good deal of existing infrastructure," he said
He also noted the ridges are exposed to strong winds which have been measured for the past two decades.
The public is invited to view presentations and express their thoughts at two public scoping meetings.
"The Forest Service takes public comments very seriously," said Gina Owens, district ranger of the Green Mountain National Forest. "We're committed to an open process in which the public's ideas are heard and considered."
The first meeting is Aug. 3 at the Grand Summit Resort Hotel at Mount Snow in West Dover, the second is Aug. 4 at the Whitingham Elementary School in Jacksonville. Both meetings will be from 7 to 9 p.m.
Windmills proposed for forest
By CLOVER WHITHAM
Staff Writer
READSBORO -- The Deerfield Wind project is back in motion and the U.S. Forest Service is looking for the community's help in identifying issues and concerns related to the proposed development.
EnXco, a French company, hopes to line two ridges in Searsburg and Readsboro with up to 30 turbines, which would serve 14,000 to 16,000 homes.
The proposed wind turbines would be approximately 370 feet tall and require three to four lights on each side of Route 8 to meet FAA regulations.
Citizens have until Aug. 16 to submit comments about what they believe should be the scope of the Forest Service's analysis of Deerfield Wind's proposal.
If the agency approves the application for special use, the new wind energy facility would be the first on National Forest Service land in the country.
But before it is approved, the Forest Service will study the environmental and social impacts of the proposed project. The final environmental impact statement is expected in February 2007.
The proposed installation would use about 80 acres of National Forest land and require about four miles of new road. A substation would also be built, as well as a new maintenance building.
The windmills now in Searsburg are owned by Green Mountain Power. The proposed windmills would be owned by enXco. Sam Bittman, enXco spokesman, said the sites for the new wind facilities are ideal for a couple of reasons.
"We'd be able to use a good deal of existing infrastructure," he said
He also noted the ridges are exposed to strong winds which have been measured for the past two decades.
The public is invited to view presentations and express their thoughts at two public scoping meetings.
"The Forest Service takes public comments very seriously," said Gina Owens, district ranger of the Green Mountain National Forest. "We're committed to an open process in which the public's ideas are heard and considered."
The first meeting is Aug. 3 at the Grand Summit Resort Hotel at Mount Snow in West Dover, the second is Aug. 4 at the Whitingham Elementary School in Jacksonville. Both meetings will be from 7 to 9 p.m.
ICC adopts governor's plan on sustainable energy
ICC adopts governor's plan on sustainable energy
July 20, 2005
BY MARY WISNIEWSKI Business Reporter
Renewable energy sources like wind and sun could supply 8 percent of Illinois' electric supply by 2013, under an energy plan adopted by a regulatory commission Tuesday.
After five months of discussion with ComEd, Ameren and other stakeholders, the Illinois Commerce Commission adopted Gov. Blagojevich's Sustainable Energy Plan.
Under the voluntary plan, Illinois' electric utilities will begin acquiring 2 percent of their electricity from sources such as wind and methane captured from landfills by the end of 2006, ramping up in 1 percentage point annual increments to 8 percent.
"With oil, natural gas and coal prices at near record highs, the governor's plan offers Illinois rate payers a hedge against high energy prices," said Commissioner Bob Lieberman. The ICC changed the deadline to meet the 2 percent target in the governor's plan to 2007 from 2006, to allow utilities enough time to enter contracts.
"We'll be soliciting bids from wind developers. We hope to conclude that by the end of the year," said Arlene Juracek, ComEd vice president of energy acquisition.
Besides creating alternatives to fossil fuel, the energy plan is also intended to create jobs and income in rural areas -- the likely spots for wind farms -- and achieve cleaner air. A total of 75 percent of utility's renewable energy portfolio will come from wind energy.
More than a dozen new wind energy projects are planned for Illinois, including the world's biggest wind farm in McLean County, which will have several hundred wind turbines capable of producing 400 megawatts of power, according to Steve Frenkel, senior environmental and energy policy adviser for Illinois. The farm is being developed by Texas-based Zilkha Renewable Energy
"The goal is to get the wind farms built in 2006 to take advantage of the federal renewable tax credits that expire by the end of the year," Frenkel said.
The ICC staff proposed that expenditures on renewable energy should not be permitted to increase rates for customers by more than half a percent in any one year, or by more than 2 percent cumulatively.
Investment and development in wind farms are expected to pick up speed because of the plan.
"If the governor's plan is carried forward, it will result in significant development of wind power in Illinois," said Stefan Noe, president of Chicago-based Midwest Wind Energy, which developed the Crescent Ridge wind farm project. "Illinois stands to be one of the leading states" in this technology, Noe said.
Illinois currently gets only one-half of one percent of its electricity from renewable sources.
The energy plan also includes an efficiency component, under which utilities will create programs to reduce 10 percent of electricity demand by 2007 by helping customers invest in energy-saving equipment and technology. The target is to cut 25 percent off Illinois' increasing energy demand by 2015.
Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, who will chair a state advisory council to monitor the plan's implementation, said he would have preferred the goals were mandatory. However, he said it's a "good step forward" for "all-American energy."
Pros, cons and hows of wind power
Wind turbines in rural Illinois don't look like the windmills jousted by Don Quixote, or painted in blue onto Delft china.
They're sleek and metal, like the pinwheel of a giant robot child. Wind energy is the world's fastest growing energy technology, and is one of the lowest-cost renewable energy sources, according to the Energy Department's Web site. The state of Illinois' recommendation calls for 75 percent of a utility's renewable energy portfolio to come from the wind.
According to the DOE, turbines operate like this: The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft, which connects to a generator, which makes electricity. The electricity is sent through transmission and distribution lines to homes and businesses.
An advantage of wind turbines as opposed to other power sources is that they are clean. They don't burn fossil fuels or generate nuclear waste. A disadvantage is that wind is intermittent, and doesn't always blow when energy is wanted. Also, birds can get killed in the blades.
One reason Illinois is a good place to build wind farms is that while there are states with gustier winds, Illinois has a robust electrical grid and a large population, which eases distribution, according to Steve Frenkel, senior environmental and energy policy adviser for Illinois.
--Mary Wisniewski
July 20, 2005
BY MARY WISNIEWSKI Business Reporter
Renewable energy sources like wind and sun could supply 8 percent of Illinois' electric supply by 2013, under an energy plan adopted by a regulatory commission Tuesday.
After five months of discussion with ComEd, Ameren and other stakeholders, the Illinois Commerce Commission adopted Gov. Blagojevich's Sustainable Energy Plan.
Under the voluntary plan, Illinois' electric utilities will begin acquiring 2 percent of their electricity from sources such as wind and methane captured from landfills by the end of 2006, ramping up in 1 percentage point annual increments to 8 percent.
"With oil, natural gas and coal prices at near record highs, the governor's plan offers Illinois rate payers a hedge against high energy prices," said Commissioner Bob Lieberman. The ICC changed the deadline to meet the 2 percent target in the governor's plan to 2007 from 2006, to allow utilities enough time to enter contracts.
"We'll be soliciting bids from wind developers. We hope to conclude that by the end of the year," said Arlene Juracek, ComEd vice president of energy acquisition.
Besides creating alternatives to fossil fuel, the energy plan is also intended to create jobs and income in rural areas -- the likely spots for wind farms -- and achieve cleaner air. A total of 75 percent of utility's renewable energy portfolio will come from wind energy.
More than a dozen new wind energy projects are planned for Illinois, including the world's biggest wind farm in McLean County, which will have several hundred wind turbines capable of producing 400 megawatts of power, according to Steve Frenkel, senior environmental and energy policy adviser for Illinois. The farm is being developed by Texas-based Zilkha Renewable Energy
"The goal is to get the wind farms built in 2006 to take advantage of the federal renewable tax credits that expire by the end of the year," Frenkel said.
The ICC staff proposed that expenditures on renewable energy should not be permitted to increase rates for customers by more than half a percent in any one year, or by more than 2 percent cumulatively.
Investment and development in wind farms are expected to pick up speed because of the plan.
"If the governor's plan is carried forward, it will result in significant development of wind power in Illinois," said Stefan Noe, president of Chicago-based Midwest Wind Energy, which developed the Crescent Ridge wind farm project. "Illinois stands to be one of the leading states" in this technology, Noe said.
Illinois currently gets only one-half of one percent of its electricity from renewable sources.
The energy plan also includes an efficiency component, under which utilities will create programs to reduce 10 percent of electricity demand by 2007 by helping customers invest in energy-saving equipment and technology. The target is to cut 25 percent off Illinois' increasing energy demand by 2015.
Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, who will chair a state advisory council to monitor the plan's implementation, said he would have preferred the goals were mandatory. However, he said it's a "good step forward" for "all-American energy."
Pros, cons and hows of wind power
Wind turbines in rural Illinois don't look like the windmills jousted by Don Quixote, or painted in blue onto Delft china.
They're sleek and metal, like the pinwheel of a giant robot child. Wind energy is the world's fastest growing energy technology, and is one of the lowest-cost renewable energy sources, according to the Energy Department's Web site. The state of Illinois' recommendation calls for 75 percent of a utility's renewable energy portfolio to come from the wind.
According to the DOE, turbines operate like this: The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft, which connects to a generator, which makes electricity. The electricity is sent through transmission and distribution lines to homes and businesses.
An advantage of wind turbines as opposed to other power sources is that they are clean. They don't burn fossil fuels or generate nuclear waste. A disadvantage is that wind is intermittent, and doesn't always blow when energy is wanted. Also, birds can get killed in the blades.
One reason Illinois is a good place to build wind farms is that while there are states with gustier winds, Illinois has a robust electrical grid and a large population, which eases distribution, according to Steve Frenkel, senior environmental and energy policy adviser for Illinois.
--Mary Wisniewski
Study predicts spending surge for offshore wind energy
Study predicts spending surge for offshore wind energy
By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 20 -- Offshore wind energy installations, mainly off Europe, will attract $13.6 billion in investment during the next 5 years, predicted analysts Douglas-Westwood Ltd. in a market study published in mid-July.
The report says the offshore wind energy industry is set for strong, government-backed growth. It forecasts installations totaling 7,700 Mw—about the energy equivalent of 7 nuclear power stations.
"Present proposals call for 2,333 turbines to be installed, a massive challenge for the installation contractors," said report author Adam Westwood, who said expenditures will rise rapidly to more than $4 billion/year by 2009.
"Although onshore projects currently are cheaper, the European wind-power sector is moving offshore where wind regimes are better but economic and technical challenges greater.
"Installations are set to peak in 2008, when 827 turbines are expected to be positioned offshore. Interestingly, annual capacity installed continues to grow past 2008 even though unit numbers fall, due to the use of larger capacity turbines, namely 5 Mw class machines rather than the 2-3 Mw units currently used," Westwood said
The UK will have the largest turbine market over the period, with 664 units forecast. Germany will start later and install 494 larger turbines. These forecasts are based on developers' current plans for turbine size, but the preferred larger turbines will be used, if available at installation time, to increase capacity.
Wave, tidal power
Wave and tidal current power systems also are evolving, according to the report. Because waves and tidal currents contain massive amounts of energy, "the prize awaiting a commercially successful technology is considerable," said Westwood.
Because most technologies are in the development phase, little operational capacity currently is in place. However, grid-connected prototypes are beginning to prove the efficacy of various technologies, enabling power purchase agreements from wave and tidal technology.
"The first orders for multiple-unit farms are now being placed with the developers of market-leading technologies," said Westwood.
By 2007, annual installations could exceed 10 Mw/year, he said.
"The UK is strong in the wave and tidal sectors, having both an excellent natural resource coupled with a portfolio of successful technologies," said Westwood. "Portugal and Spain are both important players, and government support is strong, with a 12-year, index-linked tariff available to developers. This market-leading incentive is attracting the interest of many developers who view the country as ideal for future projects."
Westwood added that Australia has "excellent wave energy technology."
By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 20 -- Offshore wind energy installations, mainly off Europe, will attract $13.6 billion in investment during the next 5 years, predicted analysts Douglas-Westwood Ltd. in a market study published in mid-July.
The report says the offshore wind energy industry is set for strong, government-backed growth. It forecasts installations totaling 7,700 Mw—about the energy equivalent of 7 nuclear power stations.
"Present proposals call for 2,333 turbines to be installed, a massive challenge for the installation contractors," said report author Adam Westwood, who said expenditures will rise rapidly to more than $4 billion/year by 2009.
"Although onshore projects currently are cheaper, the European wind-power sector is moving offshore where wind regimes are better but economic and technical challenges greater.
"Installations are set to peak in 2008, when 827 turbines are expected to be positioned offshore. Interestingly, annual capacity installed continues to grow past 2008 even though unit numbers fall, due to the use of larger capacity turbines, namely 5 Mw class machines rather than the 2-3 Mw units currently used," Westwood said
The UK will have the largest turbine market over the period, with 664 units forecast. Germany will start later and install 494 larger turbines. These forecasts are based on developers' current plans for turbine size, but the preferred larger turbines will be used, if available at installation time, to increase capacity.
Wave, tidal power
Wave and tidal current power systems also are evolving, according to the report. Because waves and tidal currents contain massive amounts of energy, "the prize awaiting a commercially successful technology is considerable," said Westwood.
Because most technologies are in the development phase, little operational capacity currently is in place. However, grid-connected prototypes are beginning to prove the efficacy of various technologies, enabling power purchase agreements from wave and tidal technology.
"The first orders for multiple-unit farms are now being placed with the developers of market-leading technologies," said Westwood.
By 2007, annual installations could exceed 10 Mw/year, he said.
"The UK is strong in the wave and tidal sectors, having both an excellent natural resource coupled with a portfolio of successful technologies," said Westwood. "Portugal and Spain are both important players, and government support is strong, with a 12-year, index-linked tariff available to developers. This market-leading incentive is attracting the interest of many developers who view the country as ideal for future projects."
Westwood added that Australia has "excellent wave energy technology."
A turn for the better
A turn for the better
Wind turbines are ugly and no one wants to live near one. Right? Wrong. Steve Rose on the new architects of spin
Steve Rose
Monday July 18, 2005
Guardian
Think of wind power and the first image to spring to mind is most likely a giant, three-bladed propeller spinning atop a slim tower, probably in a rural area. Chances are that's actually the only image that springs to mind - and that's a problem. To renewable-energy supporters, the wind turbine symbolises the hope of a green, clean future, but to opponents, they might as well be Martian tripods from War of the Worlds, advancing inexorably across our precious countryside.
With Britain's plans for new wind farms proceeding apace in an effort to meet the target of 10% renewable-sourced energy by 2010, the debate has reached critical levels. Anti-wind farm groups have been springing up wherever wind farms are proposed; some opponents say they would rather have a nuclear power station in their backyard than see Britain's rural landscape covered in propellers on sticks. And as long as propellers on sticks are the only option, pro- and anti-wind farm camps are unlikely to ever agree.
The debate is clearly as much about the aesthetics of wind power as the politics and practicalities but, at present, wind turbines barely rank above electricity pylons in terms of aesthetic consideration. Members of the design community are beginning to rise to the challenge, however, either by finding better places to put wind turbines or by making them better looking.
One of the most striking new projects rethinks the idea of the turbine entirely. It is called an Aerogenerator and it looks nothing like a propeller on a stick; more like a cross between a glider and a giant harp, or perhaps a James Bond villain's mid-ocean hideout. Designed by Grimshaw Architects in association with Windpower Ltd, the Aerogenerator is arguably the first wind-turbine design to capture the spirit of pioneering optimism that these structures ought to express. It could also be a very practical option, especially since it would be situated offshore, far away from anyone's backyard.
While conventional turbines rotate on a horizontal axis, the V-shaped Aerogenerator, which would be as tall as the London Eye, spins on a vertical axis, like a record. At three revolutions per minute, one machine could generate up to nine megawatts of electricity, compared with an average of 2Mw from conventional turbines.
The Aerogenerator is descended from what's known as a Darrieus rotor, which resembles an egg whisk in shape, and works something like a sideways water wheel. It was invented by a Frenchman in the 1930s, and developed extensively in the US and Canada in the 1970s. Unlike horizontal-axis designs, vertical-axis turbines can harness wind energy from any direction, and because the moving parts and the generator are at ground level, they are easier to maintain. But building them on a giant scale presented major engineering difficulties, particularly in terms of stability. What the Aerogenerator does in effect is reproduce the effect of a Darrieus rotor, but with much greater stability. Which means that you can build a much bigger turbine without the danger of it tipping over.
"Our engineer thought about the problem and basically took it to pieces and put it back together," says Theo Bird, founder of Windpower Ltd, who is funding the project through a combination of a government grant and the money he was saving to buy a new house. "By being much larger, you can afford to build offshore, where there's more wind. Twelve wind farms of 100 units would meet the UK government's 10% target for renewable sources. And in the future, you could possibly double the power from each turbine by harnessing tidal power beneath the surface."
"Also, from an architectural point of view," adds Grimshaw's Eoin Billings, "we saw it as an iconic element that could go in the entrance of a harbour or an industrial area. It doesn't have to be invisible."
The Aerogenerator was originally included in Grimshaw's proposal for the redevelopment of Las Palmas in Tenerife, but the project now has a life of its own. A prototype is about to be tested, and if all goes well, the turbine should be relatively straightforward to produce, in three to five years' time. "We're trying to think bicycle technology," says Bird. "It's got to be something strong and simple to work at sea. The only thing that's new is the aerodynamic theory; everything else is proven."
Beyond making better-looking wind farms, there is also potential for integrating turbines directly into buildings. After all, if nobody wants wind turbines in the countryside, why not put them in the cities? Cities already have high-rise structures in which to incorporate turbines, and they would be far more in tune with a man-made environment than a natural one. Added to which there would be less need to transport the electricity large distances to its users.
A few buildings have attempted to incorporate wind turbines, but so far none have achieved it with any conviction. Richard Rogers proposed an integral turbine for his Tomigaya tower in Tokyo in 1993, but in more recent efforts, such as Terry Farrell's Green Building in Manchester, or Kohn Pedersen Fox's New York Sports and Convention Centre, wind turbines seem to function more as a conspicuous signifier of environmental credentials than a significant solution to energy requirements.
Other architects are striving to factor in wind-power generation from the start. Marks Barfield Architects, designers of the London Eye, put a spiral turbine in the core of their Skyhouse residential tower design that would generate enough electricity to light and power the building's common areas, regardless of wind direction. Their Liverpool Edge building also features spiral turbines on top of each lift shaft, which should supply 10% of the building's energy needs. Similarly, Make Architects' Spiracle Tower features a concealed vertical-axis wind generator at the top, and Bill Dunster's Zed designs have used wind power along with other sustainable methods.
Going the whole hog, though, a European Commission-sponsored organisation named Project Web (Wind Energy for the Built Environment) has investigated in detail a purpose-built wind-powered skyscraper. The aerodynamic form of the twin 50-storey towers funnels the wind into the three giant turbines, which would generate more power than stand-alone turbines. Under the right circumstances, the building could generate nearly all of its own energy needs, according to Sinisa Stankovic of BDSP Partnership, Project Web's environmental engineers.
"So far, none of the attempts to integrate wind turbines into buildings have been truly optimised," he says. "Wind energy is intrinsically a low-density source, so you cannot produce a huge output from a small machine. Overall, we think you have to aim for a significant contribution to the building's energy demand, otherwise it will be seen as a gimmick. To be serious you would need to go for 20% minimum."
Despite the proven efficacy of Project Web's designs (which also include a four-tower design that can harness wind from any direction), the realities of the construction industry have so far kept them on the drawing board. Stankovic believes it is only a matter of time, though, before the rise in oil prices makes wind-powered buildings commercially viable.
A little closer to becoming reality was the incarnation-before-last of the controversial Freedom Tower in New York, the replacement building for the World Trade Centre. At the top of this enormous tower, architects SOM intended to create a 150m-high open cage structure housing some 30 turbines. The skyscraper beneath it was shaped to channel the wind up into it, and it could have generated a quarter of the building's needs - a bona fide urban wind farm.
Perhaps predictably, other factors - not just commercial but also security-related - came to take precedence over environmental considerations. So instead of a powerful beacon advertising wind power's potential to the world, the Freedom Tower has become a bland, and slightly paranoid, office block. "It was probably the biggest disappointment of my life," says Guy Battle, of Battle McCarthy. Battle was consulting engineer for the project, and is something of a guru when it comes to environmental and sustainable architecture. Freedom Tower aside, he is convinced that the urban wind farm will soon be a reality.
"I know there's an economic case for it," he says. "The technology is well understood, it's robust and safe, and given the right location, wind energy has very good payback periods. If you go up in height, wind power output increases exponentially, so if you double the wind speed, you'll get eight times the power. There are massive gains to be had."
As energy from fossil fuels becomes more scarce and expensive, the energy performance of buildings can only increase in importance. Battle and others like him are thinking beyond mere environmental responsibility to an era where buildings, and ultimately cities themselves, are net energy producers. "Traditional buildings have been a drain on infrastructure - water, electricity, waste disposal, etc," says Battle. "Really we should be working towards something like an occupied infrastructure, just like windmills were once occupied. It's a paradigm shift in how we see buildings, and it means that architects are going to have to rethink their aesthetic. It's no longer about just responding to cultural and social urban factors. It's a whole different layer of architecture coming through that will begin to change the face of our cities."
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005
Wind turbines are ugly and no one wants to live near one. Right? Wrong. Steve Rose on the new architects of spin
Steve Rose
Monday July 18, 2005
Guardian
Think of wind power and the first image to spring to mind is most likely a giant, three-bladed propeller spinning atop a slim tower, probably in a rural area. Chances are that's actually the only image that springs to mind - and that's a problem. To renewable-energy supporters, the wind turbine symbolises the hope of a green, clean future, but to opponents, they might as well be Martian tripods from War of the Worlds, advancing inexorably across our precious countryside.
With Britain's plans for new wind farms proceeding apace in an effort to meet the target of 10% renewable-sourced energy by 2010, the debate has reached critical levels. Anti-wind farm groups have been springing up wherever wind farms are proposed; some opponents say they would rather have a nuclear power station in their backyard than see Britain's rural landscape covered in propellers on sticks. And as long as propellers on sticks are the only option, pro- and anti-wind farm camps are unlikely to ever agree.
The debate is clearly as much about the aesthetics of wind power as the politics and practicalities but, at present, wind turbines barely rank above electricity pylons in terms of aesthetic consideration. Members of the design community are beginning to rise to the challenge, however, either by finding better places to put wind turbines or by making them better looking.
One of the most striking new projects rethinks the idea of the turbine entirely. It is called an Aerogenerator and it looks nothing like a propeller on a stick; more like a cross between a glider and a giant harp, or perhaps a James Bond villain's mid-ocean hideout. Designed by Grimshaw Architects in association with Windpower Ltd, the Aerogenerator is arguably the first wind-turbine design to capture the spirit of pioneering optimism that these structures ought to express. It could also be a very practical option, especially since it would be situated offshore, far away from anyone's backyard.
While conventional turbines rotate on a horizontal axis, the V-shaped Aerogenerator, which would be as tall as the London Eye, spins on a vertical axis, like a record. At three revolutions per minute, one machine could generate up to nine megawatts of electricity, compared with an average of 2Mw from conventional turbines.
The Aerogenerator is descended from what's known as a Darrieus rotor, which resembles an egg whisk in shape, and works something like a sideways water wheel. It was invented by a Frenchman in the 1930s, and developed extensively in the US and Canada in the 1970s. Unlike horizontal-axis designs, vertical-axis turbines can harness wind energy from any direction, and because the moving parts and the generator are at ground level, they are easier to maintain. But building them on a giant scale presented major engineering difficulties, particularly in terms of stability. What the Aerogenerator does in effect is reproduce the effect of a Darrieus rotor, but with much greater stability. Which means that you can build a much bigger turbine without the danger of it tipping over.
"Our engineer thought about the problem and basically took it to pieces and put it back together," says Theo Bird, founder of Windpower Ltd, who is funding the project through a combination of a government grant and the money he was saving to buy a new house. "By being much larger, you can afford to build offshore, where there's more wind. Twelve wind farms of 100 units would meet the UK government's 10% target for renewable sources. And in the future, you could possibly double the power from each turbine by harnessing tidal power beneath the surface."
"Also, from an architectural point of view," adds Grimshaw's Eoin Billings, "we saw it as an iconic element that could go in the entrance of a harbour or an industrial area. It doesn't have to be invisible."
The Aerogenerator was originally included in Grimshaw's proposal for the redevelopment of Las Palmas in Tenerife, but the project now has a life of its own. A prototype is about to be tested, and if all goes well, the turbine should be relatively straightforward to produce, in three to five years' time. "We're trying to think bicycle technology," says Bird. "It's got to be something strong and simple to work at sea. The only thing that's new is the aerodynamic theory; everything else is proven."
Beyond making better-looking wind farms, there is also potential for integrating turbines directly into buildings. After all, if nobody wants wind turbines in the countryside, why not put them in the cities? Cities already have high-rise structures in which to incorporate turbines, and they would be far more in tune with a man-made environment than a natural one. Added to which there would be less need to transport the electricity large distances to its users.
A few buildings have attempted to incorporate wind turbines, but so far none have achieved it with any conviction. Richard Rogers proposed an integral turbine for his Tomigaya tower in Tokyo in 1993, but in more recent efforts, such as Terry Farrell's Green Building in Manchester, or Kohn Pedersen Fox's New York Sports and Convention Centre, wind turbines seem to function more as a conspicuous signifier of environmental credentials than a significant solution to energy requirements.
Other architects are striving to factor in wind-power generation from the start. Marks Barfield Architects, designers of the London Eye, put a spiral turbine in the core of their Skyhouse residential tower design that would generate enough electricity to light and power the building's common areas, regardless of wind direction. Their Liverpool Edge building also features spiral turbines on top of each lift shaft, which should supply 10% of the building's energy needs. Similarly, Make Architects' Spiracle Tower features a concealed vertical-axis wind generator at the top, and Bill Dunster's Zed designs have used wind power along with other sustainable methods.
Going the whole hog, though, a European Commission-sponsored organisation named Project Web (Wind Energy for the Built Environment) has investigated in detail a purpose-built wind-powered skyscraper. The aerodynamic form of the twin 50-storey towers funnels the wind into the three giant turbines, which would generate more power than stand-alone turbines. Under the right circumstances, the building could generate nearly all of its own energy needs, according to Sinisa Stankovic of BDSP Partnership, Project Web's environmental engineers.
"So far, none of the attempts to integrate wind turbines into buildings have been truly optimised," he says. "Wind energy is intrinsically a low-density source, so you cannot produce a huge output from a small machine. Overall, we think you have to aim for a significant contribution to the building's energy demand, otherwise it will be seen as a gimmick. To be serious you would need to go for 20% minimum."
Despite the proven efficacy of Project Web's designs (which also include a four-tower design that can harness wind from any direction), the realities of the construction industry have so far kept them on the drawing board. Stankovic believes it is only a matter of time, though, before the rise in oil prices makes wind-powered buildings commercially viable.
A little closer to becoming reality was the incarnation-before-last of the controversial Freedom Tower in New York, the replacement building for the World Trade Centre. At the top of this enormous tower, architects SOM intended to create a 150m-high open cage structure housing some 30 turbines. The skyscraper beneath it was shaped to channel the wind up into it, and it could have generated a quarter of the building's needs - a bona fide urban wind farm.
Perhaps predictably, other factors - not just commercial but also security-related - came to take precedence over environmental considerations. So instead of a powerful beacon advertising wind power's potential to the world, the Freedom Tower has become a bland, and slightly paranoid, office block. "It was probably the biggest disappointment of my life," says Guy Battle, of Battle McCarthy. Battle was consulting engineer for the project, and is something of a guru when it comes to environmental and sustainable architecture. Freedom Tower aside, he is convinced that the urban wind farm will soon be a reality.
"I know there's an economic case for it," he says. "The technology is well understood, it's robust and safe, and given the right location, wind energy has very good payback periods. If you go up in height, wind power output increases exponentially, so if you double the wind speed, you'll get eight times the power. There are massive gains to be had."
As energy from fossil fuels becomes more scarce and expensive, the energy performance of buildings can only increase in importance. Battle and others like him are thinking beyond mere environmental responsibility to an era where buildings, and ultimately cities themselves, are net energy producers. "Traditional buildings have been a drain on infrastructure - water, electricity, waste disposal, etc," says Battle. "Really we should be working towards something like an occupied infrastructure, just like windmills were once occupied. It's a paradigm shift in how we see buildings, and it means that architects are going to have to rethink their aesthetic. It's no longer about just responding to cultural and social urban factors. It's a whole different layer of architecture coming through that will begin to change the face of our cities."
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005
Helical �Wind Wandler� Turbine Provides Quieter Domestic Wind Energy
Helical ‘Wind Wandler’ Turbine Provides Quieter Domestic Wind Energy
A novel wind turbine named 'Wind Wandler' by its German designers, is offering a more feasible domestic wind energy option for urban areas due to its silent operation.
The helical turbine designed in contrast to the more common bladed design is claimed to be a more efficient form of developing wind energy for domestic users. The wind turbine has been given the name the 'Wind Wandler' and was developed by a small German company called MatroW based in Ladenburg.
The company's managing director Wilhelm Hermann Josef designed the Wind Wadler as a means of increasing the efficiency of bladed wind turbines utlilising modern advances in materials.
The form the developers picked was originally conceived to work in water, but the availability of modern composites allowed it to be made somewhat larger and lighter than would previously have been possible.
The first production units consist of two spiral vanes of glass fibre reinforced materials which are 1m in diameter, 1.39m long and sit in a hemispherical yoke so they are supported at both ends. Output at 14m/s is about 1 kW. The disk armature generator is rated at 3.5kW and, unlike bladed turbines, they do not have to be stopped in high winds. Rotation speed at 24m/s wind is 1,400 rpm, but remains the same at 30m/s because surplus high speed air then tends to spill round the rotating turbine. The turbines turn naturally into the wind.
Herr Josef explained that they are 53% efficient, as opposed to 46% for conventional bladed turbines, and the theoretical maximum efficiency that can be attained is 59%.
The turbines are designed to be quieter when they rotate, which he says, is because they have no blade tips to shed vortices. Total weight of turbine and generator without mast is 39kg. Noise level at 1400 rpm is 42 dBA. The company is selling the units at a price of 6,300 euros each.
When the turbine is operating at high speed, the turbine not only turns the load but also increases the flywheel speed through the eddy current coupling. However, when the flywheel is going faster than the turbine, the flywheel continues to turn the load through the eddy current coupling, but the mechanical clutch is disengaged so that it does not try to turn the turbine as well. Coupling the flywheel through an eddy current coupling greatly reduces peak loads on input and output shafts and gears.
The wings, stretching out curved in the axial plane and a radial direction. Because of its light induced resistance, and in comparison with ordinary systems the effectiveness is much higher.
The special shape of the spiral wings produces a strong reduction in stream wind loss. Furthermore, it is possible to obtain high rotation speeds. Different wind directions are no obstacles because WiNDuS automatically turns into the wind. It is also possible to use the wind converter outside the specific wind areas. It derives advantage of weak and turbulent winds. The ‘silent runner’ (about 46 dBA with 1.400 r/min) allows locations in more populated areas.
The Wind Waddler follows a number of recent developments in promoting wind energy for domestic use. British Gas, the UK energy supplier recently announced details of its plans to develop domestic energy for the UK.
Publication Date: 22/07/2005
WWW Link: http://www.windwandler.de
A novel wind turbine named 'Wind Wandler' by its German designers, is offering a more feasible domestic wind energy option for urban areas due to its silent operation.
The helical turbine designed in contrast to the more common bladed design is claimed to be a more efficient form of developing wind energy for domestic users. The wind turbine has been given the name the 'Wind Wandler' and was developed by a small German company called MatroW based in Ladenburg.
The company's managing director Wilhelm Hermann Josef designed the Wind Wadler as a means of increasing the efficiency of bladed wind turbines utlilising modern advances in materials.
The form the developers picked was originally conceived to work in water, but the availability of modern composites allowed it to be made somewhat larger and lighter than would previously have been possible.
The first production units consist of two spiral vanes of glass fibre reinforced materials which are 1m in diameter, 1.39m long and sit in a hemispherical yoke so they are supported at both ends. Output at 14m/s is about 1 kW. The disk armature generator is rated at 3.5kW and, unlike bladed turbines, they do not have to be stopped in high winds. Rotation speed at 24m/s wind is 1,400 rpm, but remains the same at 30m/s because surplus high speed air then tends to spill round the rotating turbine. The turbines turn naturally into the wind.
Herr Josef explained that they are 53% efficient, as opposed to 46% for conventional bladed turbines, and the theoretical maximum efficiency that can be attained is 59%.
The turbines are designed to be quieter when they rotate, which he says, is because they have no blade tips to shed vortices. Total weight of turbine and generator without mast is 39kg. Noise level at 1400 rpm is 42 dBA. The company is selling the units at a price of 6,300 euros each.
When the turbine is operating at high speed, the turbine not only turns the load but also increases the flywheel speed through the eddy current coupling. However, when the flywheel is going faster than the turbine, the flywheel continues to turn the load through the eddy current coupling, but the mechanical clutch is disengaged so that it does not try to turn the turbine as well. Coupling the flywheel through an eddy current coupling greatly reduces peak loads on input and output shafts and gears.
The wings, stretching out curved in the axial plane and a radial direction. Because of its light induced resistance, and in comparison with ordinary systems the effectiveness is much higher.
The special shape of the spiral wings produces a strong reduction in stream wind loss. Furthermore, it is possible to obtain high rotation speeds. Different wind directions are no obstacles because WiNDuS automatically turns into the wind. It is also possible to use the wind converter outside the specific wind areas. It derives advantage of weak and turbulent winds. The ‘silent runner’ (about 46 dBA with 1.400 r/min) allows locations in more populated areas.
The Wind Waddler follows a number of recent developments in promoting wind energy for domestic use. British Gas, the UK energy supplier recently announced details of its plans to develop domestic energy for the UK.
Publication Date: 22/07/2005
WWW Link: http://www.windwandler.de
Southern Ontario's Largest Wind Farm Begins Construction Today
Southern Ontario's Largest Wind Farm Begins Construction Today
29 Kilometre Erie Shores Wind Farm Will Power 32,000 Homes
PORT BURWELL, ON, July 22 /CNW/ - Ontario Energy Minister Dwight Duncan
today joined the owners and developers of the $186 million Erie Shores Wind
Farm in the first groundbreaking of southern Ontario's largest wind farm.
When operational in April 2006, Erie Shores will generate 99 megawatts of
electricity from 66 wind turbines stretched along 29 kilometres of the
northern shoreline of Lake Erie between Copenhagen and Clear Creek, Ontario.
The project is owned by Clean Power Income Fund and developed by AIM
PowerGen Corporation.
"Erie Shores will provide enough electricity for 32,000 Ontario homes -
and will be ready in time for next summer's requirements," said Clean Power
Income Fund CEO Stephen Probyn, at the groundbreaking ceremony at John and
Marnie Sebok's farm at Port Burwell, Ontario.
More than 25 farmers, including the Seboks, are hosting the 66 wind
turbines.
"Erie Shores demonstrates the wisdom of the government's strong
commitment to clean, renewable energy," said Mr. Probyn. "Erie Shores is one
of the highest quality wind energy projects in North America and is a win-win
for consumers, the host communities, and the environment."
The project was one of the successful bids in the Ontario Government's
November 2004 Request for Proposals for 300 MW of renewable energy. The
developer is AIM PowerGen Corporation of Toronto, a prominent windpower
developer with projects in Western Canada, Ontario and Atlantic Canada.
"The active involvement of the community and their leaders in Elgin and
Norfolk Counties has been critical to the success of this project to date,"
said Mike Crawley, President and CEO of AIM PowerGen.
GE Energy is engaged as both the turbine supplier and the operator of the
Erie Shores Wind Farm. GE Energy will deliver the project's 66 GE 1.5 SLE
turbines under a fixed-price supply agreement. This agreement with GE also
provides a 4 year warranty of the equipment's power curve and performance. GE
Energy also will provide operating and management services to the Erie Shores
facility for its first four years.
The Erie Shores Wind Farm holds a 20-year, fixed price power purchase
agreement with the Government of Ontario.
About Clean Power Income Fund
With the addition of the 99 MW Erie Shores Wind Farm now under
construction, Clean Power Income Fund is invested in 44 power generating
facilities located in Québec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and 10 U.S.
states with a total capacity of 450 MW. Four environmentally preferred
technologies - hydro, windpower, biomass and landfill gas recovery - delivered
1,643,500 MWh of electricity in 2004 under long-term sales contracts at
minimal to zero fuel cost.
Clean Power Income Fund's units are listed and posted for trading on the
Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "CLE.UN".
About AIM PowerGen Corporation
AIM is a private Canadian developer of wind power projects that has been
focused on the Ontario market. AIM is currently developing over 300MW of
additional wind power projects in Ontario and other Canadian jurisdictions.
For further information: Jennifer Stein, Temple Scott Associates,
(416) 360-6183 x 238, jstein@tsa.ca; Pierre Leduc, Temple Scott Associates,
At event - Cell: (416) 859-8562
29 Kilometre Erie Shores Wind Farm Will Power 32,000 Homes
PORT BURWELL, ON, July 22 /CNW/ - Ontario Energy Minister Dwight Duncan
today joined the owners and developers of the $186 million Erie Shores Wind
Farm in the first groundbreaking of southern Ontario's largest wind farm.
When operational in April 2006, Erie Shores will generate 99 megawatts of
electricity from 66 wind turbines stretched along 29 kilometres of the
northern shoreline of Lake Erie between Copenhagen and Clear Creek, Ontario.
The project is owned by Clean Power Income Fund and developed by AIM
PowerGen Corporation.
"Erie Shores will provide enough electricity for 32,000 Ontario homes -
and will be ready in time for next summer's requirements," said Clean Power
Income Fund CEO Stephen Probyn, at the groundbreaking ceremony at John and
Marnie Sebok's farm at Port Burwell, Ontario.
More than 25 farmers, including the Seboks, are hosting the 66 wind
turbines.
"Erie Shores demonstrates the wisdom of the government's strong
commitment to clean, renewable energy," said Mr. Probyn. "Erie Shores is one
of the highest quality wind energy projects in North America and is a win-win
for consumers, the host communities, and the environment."
The project was one of the successful bids in the Ontario Government's
November 2004 Request for Proposals for 300 MW of renewable energy. The
developer is AIM PowerGen Corporation of Toronto, a prominent windpower
developer with projects in Western Canada, Ontario and Atlantic Canada.
"The active involvement of the community and their leaders in Elgin and
Norfolk Counties has been critical to the success of this project to date,"
said Mike Crawley, President and CEO of AIM PowerGen.
GE Energy is engaged as both the turbine supplier and the operator of the
Erie Shores Wind Farm. GE Energy will deliver the project's 66 GE 1.5 SLE
turbines under a fixed-price supply agreement. This agreement with GE also
provides a 4 year warranty of the equipment's power curve and performance. GE
Energy also will provide operating and management services to the Erie Shores
facility for its first four years.
The Erie Shores Wind Farm holds a 20-year, fixed price power purchase
agreement with the Government of Ontario.
About Clean Power Income Fund
With the addition of the 99 MW Erie Shores Wind Farm now under
construction, Clean Power Income Fund is invested in 44 power generating
facilities located in Québec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and 10 U.S.
states with a total capacity of 450 MW. Four environmentally preferred
technologies - hydro, windpower, biomass and landfill gas recovery - delivered
1,643,500 MWh of electricity in 2004 under long-term sales contracts at
minimal to zero fuel cost.
Clean Power Income Fund's units are listed and posted for trading on the
Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "CLE.UN".
About AIM PowerGen Corporation
AIM is a private Canadian developer of wind power projects that has been
focused on the Ontario market. AIM is currently developing over 300MW of
additional wind power projects in Ontario and other Canadian jurisdictions.
For further information: Jennifer Stein, Temple Scott Associates,
(416) 360-6183 x 238, jstein@tsa.ca; Pierre Leduc, Temple Scott Associates,
At event - Cell: (416) 859-8562
Website part of Ontario power play
Website part of Ontario power play
By Bryan Meadows - The Chronicle-Journal
July 23, 2005
The province has launched a website aimed at fostering wind power opportunities.
Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay said Friday that the new online wind energy map and interactive website “are fantastic tools for developing more clean energy.”
“With these tools, we are making it easier for people who want information on locating wind energy sites and developing wind power opportunities,” he said.
The website — www.ontariowindatlas.ca — provides easy access to valuable information for the public and those interested in wind energy development. In addition to the map, the website links to other wind energy websites.
Map users can search for specific locations or view any area of the province to obtain wind speeds and other energy information for that location. It is expected to assist electricity utilities, private wind energy developers, individuals, government planners and university researchers in determining the best possible sites for wind power development.
With wind energy the fastest growing form of energy in the world, the province wants to achieve five per cent of all generating capacity from new renewable sources, like wind power, by 2007.
Meanwhile, in the Thunder Bay area Ventus Energy Inc.’s has begun an environmental assessment on its proposal to develop a 100-megawatt wind generation facility on 8,000 acres of municipal, private and Crown land.
If approved under the Ontario Environmental Screening for Electricity Projects, 65 wind power turbines, each generating 1.5 to two megawatts of electricity, will be set up across the property.
The first public information and consultation session will be held sometime this fall.
By Bryan Meadows - The Chronicle-Journal
July 23, 2005
The province has launched a website aimed at fostering wind power opportunities.
Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay said Friday that the new online wind energy map and interactive website “are fantastic tools for developing more clean energy.”
“With these tools, we are making it easier for people who want information on locating wind energy sites and developing wind power opportunities,” he said.
The website — www.ontariowindatlas.ca — provides easy access to valuable information for the public and those interested in wind energy development. In addition to the map, the website links to other wind energy websites.
Map users can search for specific locations or view any area of the province to obtain wind speeds and other energy information for that location. It is expected to assist electricity utilities, private wind energy developers, individuals, government planners and university researchers in determining the best possible sites for wind power development.
With wind energy the fastest growing form of energy in the world, the province wants to achieve five per cent of all generating capacity from new renewable sources, like wind power, by 2007.
Meanwhile, in the Thunder Bay area Ventus Energy Inc.’s has begun an environmental assessment on its proposal to develop a 100-megawatt wind generation facility on 8,000 acres of municipal, private and Crown land.
If approved under the Ontario Environmental Screening for Electricity Projects, 65 wind power turbines, each generating 1.5 to two megawatts of electricity, will be set up across the property.
The first public information and consultation session will be held sometime this fall.
Kansas will need infrastructure to transmit wind energy
Posted on Sun, Jul. 24, 2005
Kansas will need infrastructure to transmit wind energy
Associated Press
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Kansas has the wind needed to produce electricity, but officials say more transmission lines will be needed to deliver the power to other parts of the country.
To address that concern, the Legislature this year established the Kansas Electric Transmission Authority, which can plan, finance, develop and maintain electric transmission lines.
"The state needs transmission lines to move power from wind farms in the West to markets in the East," said Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence.
To date, the state only has one large-scale wind operation - the 110-megawatt Gray County Wind Farm near Montezuma. The 150-megawatt Elk River Windfarm in Butler County is currently under construction.
But Gov. Kathleen Sebelius earlier this year unveiled a renewable energy policy that includes a statewide goal to produce 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy, or about 10 percent of the state's current electricity generation capacity, by 2015.
Donna Johnson, a renewable energy consultant and president of Pinnacle Technologies in Lawrence, said western Kansas needs more transmission capability if wind energy is to be expanded.
"Something needs to be done, but it always comes down to who pays for it," she said.
The law says that electric customers who benefit from the lines will be charged the development costs.
But David Springe, consumer counsel for the Citizens' Utility Ratepayer Board, a state agency that advocates for residential and small-business utility customers, is concerned that the benefits might not be worth it. And Springe contends that if the state believes more transmission lines are needed, then taxpayers should pick up the tab, "instead of hiding it in utility rates."
The authority, which hasn't done anything yet, is made of the chairs and ranking minority members of the House and Senate utility committees, as well as three yet-to-be named gubernatorial appointees. It can issue bonds approved by state leaders and has the power of eminent domain.
"What this particular entity ends up doing, if anything, I don't know," Springe said. "How will it go about it? Don't know. Who will make decisions and why? Don't know. But I do know who is going to pay for it, and that's us," the public.
Kansas will need infrastructure to transmit wind energy
Associated Press
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Kansas has the wind needed to produce electricity, but officials say more transmission lines will be needed to deliver the power to other parts of the country.
To address that concern, the Legislature this year established the Kansas Electric Transmission Authority, which can plan, finance, develop and maintain electric transmission lines.
"The state needs transmission lines to move power from wind farms in the West to markets in the East," said Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence.
To date, the state only has one large-scale wind operation - the 110-megawatt Gray County Wind Farm near Montezuma. The 150-megawatt Elk River Windfarm in Butler County is currently under construction.
But Gov. Kathleen Sebelius earlier this year unveiled a renewable energy policy that includes a statewide goal to produce 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy, or about 10 percent of the state's current electricity generation capacity, by 2015.
Donna Johnson, a renewable energy consultant and president of Pinnacle Technologies in Lawrence, said western Kansas needs more transmission capability if wind energy is to be expanded.
"Something needs to be done, but it always comes down to who pays for it," she said.
The law says that electric customers who benefit from the lines will be charged the development costs.
But David Springe, consumer counsel for the Citizens' Utility Ratepayer Board, a state agency that advocates for residential and small-business utility customers, is concerned that the benefits might not be worth it. And Springe contends that if the state believes more transmission lines are needed, then taxpayers should pick up the tab, "instead of hiding it in utility rates."
The authority, which hasn't done anything yet, is made of the chairs and ranking minority members of the House and Senate utility committees, as well as three yet-to-be named gubernatorial appointees. It can issue bonds approved by state leaders and has the power of eminent domain.
"What this particular entity ends up doing, if anything, I don't know," Springe said. "How will it go about it? Don't know. Who will make decisions and why? Don't know. But I do know who is going to pay for it, and that's us," the public.
Researchers make advances in wind energy generation
Researchers make advances in wind energy generation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 18, 2005
Engineers at the University of Alberta have created a wind energy generator that they hope people will one day be able to use to power their own homes.
"We have developed a simple, reliable, controller for small scale wind energy generators that is cheaper than competing technologies," said Dr. Andy Knight, a professor in the U of A Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and lead author of a paper on the subject published recently in IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion.
The traditional problem with harnessing wind energy has been the high cost and the low return of energy, especially for small-scale generators, Knight explained. A particular problem is that the devices have been unable to convert any energy when winds fall below specific cut off speeds, and much energy is therefore wasted.
However, Knight's open loop control system can be built with a few, simple electronic components that are cheap and easy to find, use and repair. As well, Knight's system is able to transfer even light winds into electric energy.
Although Knight and his colleagues have not yet built anything that is ready to sell, they have designed and tested a generator that they are working to improve before they expect to apply for a patent and possibly bring it to market.
Current small-scale wind energy generators cost about $2,400 US and, on an average wind speed day, produce 5.2 kiloWatt-Hours per day, Knight said. According to Natural Resources Canada, the average household consumes between 34 and 67 kiloWatt-Hours per day.
Generally, current small-scale wind energy generators require wind speeds of at least 18 km/h to generate any power, but Knight's device could be used in low wind environments, such as the Edmonton, Alberta area, where the average wind is 10 km/h.
"But it wouldn't be something you'd put in your garden. Energy is already cheap and abundant in Edmonton, so it wouldn't be financially viable in the city," Knight said, adding that fast turning wind turbines in a small yard would create a hazard.
However, the generators could be used at remote locations outside of the city, where the power supply is more expensive and less abundant.
Based on the results of his ongoing work, Knight is hopeful that wind energy might one day become a clean, renewable, viable source of energy for everyone to use, which would counter the environmental damage occurring from our current use of fossil fuels as our main source for energy.
"My work is something that can make a small change, and it's probably a bunch of small changes here and there that will add up and one day have a big impact," he said.
Source: University of Alberta
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 18, 2005
Engineers at the University of Alberta have created a wind energy generator that they hope people will one day be able to use to power their own homes.
"We have developed a simple, reliable, controller for small scale wind energy generators that is cheaper than competing technologies," said Dr. Andy Knight, a professor in the U of A Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and lead author of a paper on the subject published recently in IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion.
The traditional problem with harnessing wind energy has been the high cost and the low return of energy, especially for small-scale generators, Knight explained. A particular problem is that the devices have been unable to convert any energy when winds fall below specific cut off speeds, and much energy is therefore wasted.
However, Knight's open loop control system can be built with a few, simple electronic components that are cheap and easy to find, use and repair. As well, Knight's system is able to transfer even light winds into electric energy.
Although Knight and his colleagues have not yet built anything that is ready to sell, they have designed and tested a generator that they are working to improve before they expect to apply for a patent and possibly bring it to market.
Current small-scale wind energy generators cost about $2,400 US and, on an average wind speed day, produce 5.2 kiloWatt-Hours per day, Knight said. According to Natural Resources Canada, the average household consumes between 34 and 67 kiloWatt-Hours per day.
Generally, current small-scale wind energy generators require wind speeds of at least 18 km/h to generate any power, but Knight's device could be used in low wind environments, such as the Edmonton, Alberta area, where the average wind is 10 km/h.
"But it wouldn't be something you'd put in your garden. Energy is already cheap and abundant in Edmonton, so it wouldn't be financially viable in the city," Knight said, adding that fast turning wind turbines in a small yard would create a hazard.
However, the generators could be used at remote locations outside of the city, where the power supply is more expensive and less abundant.
Based on the results of his ongoing work, Knight is hopeful that wind energy might one day become a clean, renewable, viable source of energy for everyone to use, which would counter the environmental damage occurring from our current use of fossil fuels as our main source for energy.
"My work is something that can make a small change, and it's probably a bunch of small changes here and there that will add up and one day have a big impact," he said.
Source: University of Alberta
Following wind
Following wind July 22, 2005
Keele University’s Applied and Environmental Geophysics Group (AEG) has helped resolve an impasse that has prevented 40% of UK renewable wind energy being developed
Dwain Eldred writes: In order to meet, and in fact exceed, Kyoto targets, the UK government has set a challenging target of reducing the UK's carbon dioxide emissions by 60% by 2050. The development of renewable energy, especially wind power, will be an important contributor to the success of that policy.
Some 40% (in excess of 1 Gigawatt) of this wind generation capacity was planned for the southern uplands of Scotland. However, the United Kingdom seismic monitoring site which constitutes our component of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty compliance for nuclear testing is situated at Eskdalemuir near Langholm in the Scottish Borders. The Ministry of Defence therefore placed a precautionary blanket objection to any wind farm developments within 80km of Eskdalemuir, just in case this compromised their capacity to detect distant nuclear test and breached the UK’s agreement under the CTBT. The effect of this was to remove at least 40% of the UK renewable wind resource identified by the DTI.
Because of the Keele Unit’s unique experience in monitoring seismic vibrations from wind turbines in the UK, the Applied and Environmental Geophysics Group of the School of Physical and Geographical Sciences the MOD, the DTI and the British Wind Energy Association asked them to investigate whether there was a solution to this impasse.
By carrying out a detailed programme of seismic and infrasound measurements in the vicinity of several wind farms in Scotland the team was able to identify the characteristic frequencies and mode of propagation of seismic vibrations from wind turbines and develop a model for the integrated seismic vibration at Eskdalemuir that will be created. By setting a noise budget that is permissible at Eskdalemuir without compromising its detection capabilities, the team demonstrated that at least 1.6GWatts of planned capacity can be installed. They have also developed software tools that allow MOD and planners to assess what further capacity can be developed.
The MOD have now lifted the 80 km exclusion and any further wind farm proposals will be assessed against criteria established by this study.
Further information:
www.bwea.com/media/news/eskdalemuir.html
tinyurl.com/blayh
www.theherald.co.uk/news/43310.html
www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/19/wind_farms_mod/
Keele University’s Applied and Environmental Geophysics Group (AEG) has helped resolve an impasse that has prevented 40% of UK renewable wind energy being developed
Dwain Eldred writes: In order to meet, and in fact exceed, Kyoto targets, the UK government has set a challenging target of reducing the UK's carbon dioxide emissions by 60% by 2050. The development of renewable energy, especially wind power, will be an important contributor to the success of that policy.
Some 40% (in excess of 1 Gigawatt) of this wind generation capacity was planned for the southern uplands of Scotland. However, the United Kingdom seismic monitoring site which constitutes our component of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty compliance for nuclear testing is situated at Eskdalemuir near Langholm in the Scottish Borders. The Ministry of Defence therefore placed a precautionary blanket objection to any wind farm developments within 80km of Eskdalemuir, just in case this compromised their capacity to detect distant nuclear test and breached the UK’s agreement under the CTBT. The effect of this was to remove at least 40% of the UK renewable wind resource identified by the DTI.
Because of the Keele Unit’s unique experience in monitoring seismic vibrations from wind turbines in the UK, the Applied and Environmental Geophysics Group of the School of Physical and Geographical Sciences the MOD, the DTI and the British Wind Energy Association asked them to investigate whether there was a solution to this impasse.
By carrying out a detailed programme of seismic and infrasound measurements in the vicinity of several wind farms in Scotland the team was able to identify the characteristic frequencies and mode of propagation of seismic vibrations from wind turbines and develop a model for the integrated seismic vibration at Eskdalemuir that will be created. By setting a noise budget that is permissible at Eskdalemuir without compromising its detection capabilities, the team demonstrated that at least 1.6GWatts of planned capacity can be installed. They have also developed software tools that allow MOD and planners to assess what further capacity can be developed.
The MOD have now lifted the 80 km exclusion and any further wind farm proposals will be assessed against criteria established by this study.
Further information:
www.bwea.com/media/news/eskdalemuir.html
tinyurl.com/blayh
www.theherald.co.uk/news/43310.html
www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/19/wind_farms_mod/
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Clipper's Bid a Winner for Alliant Energy Customers
Clipper's Bid a Winner for Alliant Energy Customers
Jul 18 - PRNewswire-FirstCall
Alliant Energy Corporation announced today that Clipper Windpower has won a competitive bid process to develop 150 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy that will be sold through a purchased power agreement to Interstate Power and Light Company, a subsidiary of Alliant Energy. Clipper will develop the new wind generation facility near the existing Flying Cloud Wind Farm near Spirit Lake, Iowa. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2006.
California-based Clipper Windpower will install their new state-of-the-art 2.5 MW Liberty Series wind turbines, the first commercial deployment of the turbines, which are manufactured at their Cedar Rapids, Iowa facility. Clipper Windpower emerged as the successful candidate through a sealed-bid process.
"We are excited to continue our relationship with Clipper Windpower," said Kim Zuhlke, Vice President of New Energy Resources. "Clipper's successful bid package combines a site with excellent wind resources and easy access to the electric power grid with an opportunity to utilize their new state-of-the-art turbine technology being built here in Cedar Rapids."
Clipper Windpower Chairman and CEO Jim Dehlsen said, "The advanced turbine technology deployed in this facility will more effectively harness the superb wind resource of region, creating additional jobs and flowing new revenue into the economy of the greater Spirit Lake area."
"We're very pleased to have been selected for this supply of power to Alliant Energy," Dehlsen said. "They have become a national leader in understanding and leveraging the wind as an energy resource and optimizing the energy options which best serve their customer base. It's the forward looking electric utilities such as Alliant Energy that have made wind the world's fastest growing energy source."
Capitalizing on the significant advancements in wind energy development in recent years, the project's development provides customers with more efficient, environmentally friendly and cost-effective power, Zuhlke said.
The project, known as "Endeavor," when fully developed, will add 150 MW of wind generation, bringing Alliant Energy's wind energy portfolio to nearly 500 MW and its total renewable capacity to more than 600 MW.
"The ability to create superior-quality wind energy with locally-produced equipment is a testament to Alliant Energy's solid commitment to homegrown Midwest values," Zuhlke said.
Editor's Note: A photo of the 2.5 MW Clipper Liberty Series wind turbine is available upon request. Please contact Scott Drzycimski at 319-786-7500 or scottdrzycimski@alliantenergy.com.
Alliant Energy Corporation is an energy-services provider with subsidiaries serving more than three million customers. Providing its customers in the Midwest with regulated electricity and natural gas service remains the company's primary focus. Alliant Energy's domestic utility subsidiaries, Interstate Power and Light and Wisconsin Power and Light, serve 982,000 electric and 416,000 natural gas customers. Other business platforms include the international energy market and non-regulated domestic generation. Alliant Energy, headquartered in Madison, Wis., is a Fortune 1000 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LNT. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.alliantenergy.com/ .
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020405/LNTLOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Alliant Energy Corporation
CONTACT: Media Contact, Scott Drzycimski, +1-319-786-7500, or InvestorRelations Contact, Becky Johnson, +1-608-458-3267, both of Alliant EnergyCorporation
Web site: http://www.alliantenergy.com/
Jul 18 - PRNewswire-FirstCall
Alliant Energy Corporation announced today that Clipper Windpower has won a competitive bid process to develop 150 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy that will be sold through a purchased power agreement to Interstate Power and Light Company, a subsidiary of Alliant Energy. Clipper will develop the new wind generation facility near the existing Flying Cloud Wind Farm near Spirit Lake, Iowa. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2006.
California-based Clipper Windpower will install their new state-of-the-art 2.5 MW Liberty Series wind turbines, the first commercial deployment of the turbines, which are manufactured at their Cedar Rapids, Iowa facility. Clipper Windpower emerged as the successful candidate through a sealed-bid process.
"We are excited to continue our relationship with Clipper Windpower," said Kim Zuhlke, Vice President of New Energy Resources. "Clipper's successful bid package combines a site with excellent wind resources and easy access to the electric power grid with an opportunity to utilize their new state-of-the-art turbine technology being built here in Cedar Rapids."
Clipper Windpower Chairman and CEO Jim Dehlsen said, "The advanced turbine technology deployed in this facility will more effectively harness the superb wind resource of region, creating additional jobs and flowing new revenue into the economy of the greater Spirit Lake area."
"We're very pleased to have been selected for this supply of power to Alliant Energy," Dehlsen said. "They have become a national leader in understanding and leveraging the wind as an energy resource and optimizing the energy options which best serve their customer base. It's the forward looking electric utilities such as Alliant Energy that have made wind the world's fastest growing energy source."
Capitalizing on the significant advancements in wind energy development in recent years, the project's development provides customers with more efficient, environmentally friendly and cost-effective power, Zuhlke said.
The project, known as "Endeavor," when fully developed, will add 150 MW of wind generation, bringing Alliant Energy's wind energy portfolio to nearly 500 MW and its total renewable capacity to more than 600 MW.
"The ability to create superior-quality wind energy with locally-produced equipment is a testament to Alliant Energy's solid commitment to homegrown Midwest values," Zuhlke said.
Editor's Note: A photo of the 2.5 MW Clipper Liberty Series wind turbine is available upon request. Please contact Scott Drzycimski at 319-786-7500 or scottdrzycimski@alliantenergy.com.
Alliant Energy Corporation is an energy-services provider with subsidiaries serving more than three million customers. Providing its customers in the Midwest with regulated electricity and natural gas service remains the company's primary focus. Alliant Energy's domestic utility subsidiaries, Interstate Power and Light and Wisconsin Power and Light, serve 982,000 electric and 416,000 natural gas customers. Other business platforms include the international energy market and non-regulated domestic generation. Alliant Energy, headquartered in Madison, Wis., is a Fortune 1000 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LNT. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.alliantenergy.com/ .
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020405/LNTLOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Alliant Energy Corporation
CONTACT: Media Contact, Scott Drzycimski, +1-319-786-7500, or InvestorRelations Contact, Becky Johnson, +1-608-458-3267, both of Alliant EnergyCorporation
Web site: http://www.alliantenergy.com/
Friday, July 15, 2005
GE Energy To Provide 23 Turbines For The First Large-Scale Wind Project In China’s Hebei Province
GE Energy To Provide 23 Turbines For The First Large-Scale Wind Project In China’s Hebei Province
ATLANTA, GA (June 24, 2005) — GE Energy will supply wind turbines for the first large-scale project in mainland China’s Hebei Province. The 34.5-megawatt Shangyi Manjing Wind Farm will use 23 of GE’s 1.5-megawatt wind turbines.
Developed and owned by Guohua Energy Corporation Limited, the wind turbines are being installed on a 5 km by 5 km site located approximately 100 km from Zhangjiakou City. Commercial operation is expected by October 2005.
"The Shangyi Manjing Wind Farm is an excellent example of the growing global trend toward cleaner electricity choices," said Robert Gleitz, general manager of GE Energy's wind segment. "China has a vast wind resource and an increasing need for electricity. At GE, with a business history in China that reaches back 90 years, we're pleased to support our local customers' wind energy needs."
Gleitz added, "The continuing advancement of wind power technology is a key element of GE ecomagination, our commitment to cleaner energy options, which is at the forefront of our company's business initiatives." Launched in May, ecomagination is a GE initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.
The Shangyi Manjing Wind Farm supports China's national initiative that targets the creation of 20 gigawatts of new renewable energy by 2020. At the 2004 China Wind Power Summit, Huang Yicheng, president of the China Energy Research Association, noted that China, alone, has a potential wind power capacity of 250 gigawatts, the largest in the world. At the start of 2004, the country's installed wind power capacity was 566 megawatts, third in Asia behind India's 2,120 megawatts and Japan's 644 megawatts.
GE's 1.5-megawatt wind turbines, the largest capacity units installed in China, are among the world's most widely sold wind turbines in the multi-megawatt class, with more than 3,000 installations globally. These units are well established in Asia, with 166 (75 in Japan, 47 in China, 18 in India and 26 in Taiwan) installed or committed for projects in the region, totaling 249 megawatts of new wind power capacity.
The Shangyi Manjing Wind Farm is GE Energy's third Chinese wind announcement in the past 20 months. In October 2004, GE announced that it will supply 14 of its 1.5-megawatt wind turbines for the first two utility-scale wind projects to be built in Shanghai, China's largest city. In October 2003, GE Energy announced the supply of 10 of its 1.5-megawatt wind turbines for the Huitengxile Wind Power Plant in Inner Mongolia, China.
Guohua Energy Corporation Limited is a subsidiary of the Guohua Investment Company, which was founded in March 1998. Guohua Investment was approved by the state council and based on the former National Development and Reforming Committee. The company's main businesses are renewable energy, property, finance and environmental protection. Guohua Energy is specifically focused on energy project development.
The Shangyi Manjing Wind Farm will supply power to the North China Power Grid, which is comprised of the Jing-Jin-Tang Power Grid and the North Hebei Power Grid. At the end of 2003, the North China Power Grid's total installed capacity had reached 81,052 megawatts.
ATLANTA, GA (June 24, 2005) — GE Energy will supply wind turbines for the first large-scale project in mainland China’s Hebei Province. The 34.5-megawatt Shangyi Manjing Wind Farm will use 23 of GE’s 1.5-megawatt wind turbines.
Developed and owned by Guohua Energy Corporation Limited, the wind turbines are being installed on a 5 km by 5 km site located approximately 100 km from Zhangjiakou City. Commercial operation is expected by October 2005.
"The Shangyi Manjing Wind Farm is an excellent example of the growing global trend toward cleaner electricity choices," said Robert Gleitz, general manager of GE Energy's wind segment. "China has a vast wind resource and an increasing need for electricity. At GE, with a business history in China that reaches back 90 years, we're pleased to support our local customers' wind energy needs."
Gleitz added, "The continuing advancement of wind power technology is a key element of GE ecomagination, our commitment to cleaner energy options, which is at the forefront of our company's business initiatives." Launched in May, ecomagination is a GE initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.
The Shangyi Manjing Wind Farm supports China's national initiative that targets the creation of 20 gigawatts of new renewable energy by 2020. At the 2004 China Wind Power Summit, Huang Yicheng, president of the China Energy Research Association, noted that China, alone, has a potential wind power capacity of 250 gigawatts, the largest in the world. At the start of 2004, the country's installed wind power capacity was 566 megawatts, third in Asia behind India's 2,120 megawatts and Japan's 644 megawatts.
GE's 1.5-megawatt wind turbines, the largest capacity units installed in China, are among the world's most widely sold wind turbines in the multi-megawatt class, with more than 3,000 installations globally. These units are well established in Asia, with 166 (75 in Japan, 47 in China, 18 in India and 26 in Taiwan) installed or committed for projects in the region, totaling 249 megawatts of new wind power capacity.
The Shangyi Manjing Wind Farm is GE Energy's third Chinese wind announcement in the past 20 months. In October 2004, GE announced that it will supply 14 of its 1.5-megawatt wind turbines for the first two utility-scale wind projects to be built in Shanghai, China's largest city. In October 2003, GE Energy announced the supply of 10 of its 1.5-megawatt wind turbines for the Huitengxile Wind Power Plant in Inner Mongolia, China.
Guohua Energy Corporation Limited is a subsidiary of the Guohua Investment Company, which was founded in March 1998. Guohua Investment was approved by the state council and based on the former National Development and Reforming Committee. The company's main businesses are renewable energy, property, finance and environmental protection. Guohua Energy is specifically focused on energy project development.
The Shangyi Manjing Wind Farm will supply power to the North China Power Grid, which is comprised of the Jing-Jin-Tang Power Grid and the North Hebei Power Grid. At the end of 2003, the North China Power Grid's total installed capacity had reached 81,052 megawatts.
GE Energy's 1.5-Megawatt Turbines Powering United Kingdom's Largest Onshore Wind Farm
GE Energy's 1.5-Megawatt Turbines Powering United Kingdom's Largest Onshore Wind Farm
MILAN, ITALY (June 28, 2005) — The United Kingdom's largest onshore wind power project, the Cefn Croes wind farm in Wales, was officially opened on June 16. The new wind farm, which provides 20% of Wales' current wind energy capacity, features 39 of GE Energy's 1.5-megawatt wind turbines.
Located near Devil's Bridge in Ceredigion, Wales, the Cefn Croes project has a total wind power capacity of 58.5 megawatts, enough to meet the electricity needs of 42,000 Welsh households.
"The Welsh government is showing strong leadership in promoting cleaner methods of energy production, and has a target of meeting 10% of Wales' energy needs from renewable sources by the year 2010," said Robert Gleitz, GE Energy's general manager - wind energy. "Cefn Croes is a significant step toward achieving that goal."
The Cefn Croes project is owned by Falck Renewables Limited, a leading European developer of wind projects and a subsidiary of the Falck Group, based in Milan, Italy. The new wind farm is operated by Cambrian Wind Energy, a subsidiary of Falck Renewables, and was developed by the Renewable Development Company (RDC). Falck Renewables and RDC are jointly developing more than 500 megawatts of wind energy projects in England, Scotland and Wales.
GE's 1.5-megawatt machines are among the most widely used megawatt-class wind turbines in the global wind industry, with more than 3,000 installed worldwide. In addition to providing the wind turbines, GE Energy managed the overall implementation of the project, including operation and maintenance services. The construction phase provided on-site employment for 100 people, followed by four full-time and three part-time jobs.
About GE Energy
GE Energy (www.gepower.com) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technology, with 2004 revenue of $17.3 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy provides equipment, service and management solutions across the power generation, oil and gas, transmission and distribution, distributed power and energy rental industries.
With wind turbine design, manufacturing and/or assembly facilities in Germany, Spain and the United States, GE Energy’s current wind energy portfolio includes wind turbines with rated outputs ranging from 1.5 to 3.6 megawatts, and support services ranging from project development assistance to operation and maintenance. The company’s knowledge base includes the development and/or installation of more than 7,100 wind turbines with a total rated capacity of 5,600 megawatts.
For more information, contact:
GE Energy:
Dennis Murphy
GE Energy
+1 678 844 6948
dennis.murphy@ps.ge.com
Ken Darling or Howard Masto
Masto Public Relations
+1 518 786 6488
kenneth.darling@ps.ge.com
howard.masto@ps.ge.com
MILAN, ITALY (June 28, 2005) — The United Kingdom's largest onshore wind power project, the Cefn Croes wind farm in Wales, was officially opened on June 16. The new wind farm, which provides 20% of Wales' current wind energy capacity, features 39 of GE Energy's 1.5-megawatt wind turbines.
Located near Devil's Bridge in Ceredigion, Wales, the Cefn Croes project has a total wind power capacity of 58.5 megawatts, enough to meet the electricity needs of 42,000 Welsh households.
"The Welsh government is showing strong leadership in promoting cleaner methods of energy production, and has a target of meeting 10% of Wales' energy needs from renewable sources by the year 2010," said Robert Gleitz, GE Energy's general manager - wind energy. "Cefn Croes is a significant step toward achieving that goal."
The Cefn Croes project is owned by Falck Renewables Limited, a leading European developer of wind projects and a subsidiary of the Falck Group, based in Milan, Italy. The new wind farm is operated by Cambrian Wind Energy, a subsidiary of Falck Renewables, and was developed by the Renewable Development Company (RDC). Falck Renewables and RDC are jointly developing more than 500 megawatts of wind energy projects in England, Scotland and Wales.
GE's 1.5-megawatt machines are among the most widely used megawatt-class wind turbines in the global wind industry, with more than 3,000 installed worldwide. In addition to providing the wind turbines, GE Energy managed the overall implementation of the project, including operation and maintenance services. The construction phase provided on-site employment for 100 people, followed by four full-time and three part-time jobs.
About GE Energy
GE Energy (www.gepower.com) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technology, with 2004 revenue of $17.3 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy provides equipment, service and management solutions across the power generation, oil and gas, transmission and distribution, distributed power and energy rental industries.
With wind turbine design, manufacturing and/or assembly facilities in Germany, Spain and the United States, GE Energy’s current wind energy portfolio includes wind turbines with rated outputs ranging from 1.5 to 3.6 megawatts, and support services ranging from project development assistance to operation and maintenance. The company’s knowledge base includes the development and/or installation of more than 7,100 wind turbines with a total rated capacity of 5,600 megawatts.
For more information, contact:
GE Energy:
Dennis Murphy
GE Energy
+1 678 844 6948
dennis.murphy@ps.ge.com
Ken Darling or Howard Masto
Masto Public Relations
+1 518 786 6488
kenneth.darling@ps.ge.com
howard.masto@ps.ge.com
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Allianz to invest 300-500 mln eur in wind energy in next 5 yrs - Forbes.com
Allianz to invest 300-500 mln eur in wind energy in next 5 yrs - Forbes.com: "Allianz to invest 300-500 mln eur in wind energy in next 5 yrs
06.28.2005, 07:15 PM
LONDON (AFX) - Allianz AG said it plans to invest 300-500 mln eur in wind energy over the next five years, through its London-based asset management unit Allianz Specialised Investments.
ASI has so far invested around 200 mln eur in renewable energy, it said.
The German insurance and banking group made the announcement alongside the publication of a report compiled in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund on ways to integrate risks from climate change into its insurance, banking and asset management businesses.
Allianz said it now ranks climate change risks alongside all other risks and plans to address the issue of climate change at a board level.
'Climate change creates significant costs for the financial industry,' said Joachim Faber, Allianz board member and CEO of Allianz Global Investors.
'In the interests of our clients and shareholders we are obligated to take these risks into account when making decisions on insurance, underwriting, investments or lending credit,' he said.
Risks posed by climate change include increased risks of storm and flood damage, as well as heatwaves combined with risks to the water supply.
This has direct implications for the insurance sector, and Allianz said premiums may have to rise in the future to cover the associated risks.
Climate change is increasing the potential for property damage at a rate of 2-4 pct per year, said Andrew Torrance, CEO of the UK-based insurance unit Allianz Cornhill, adding that 2004 saw record weather-related losses of 32 bln eur.
'In some cases this might result in property damage premium rise in some markets as insurers adjust their risk-based insurance cost models to reflect the increasing severity of climate change events'.
Allianz said it sees further business opportunities in emissions trading, investment opportunities in renewable energies, in risk mitigation products such as weather derivatives and eco-upgrade products in insurance.
jessica.mortimer@afxnews.com
06.28.2005, 07:15 PM
LONDON (AFX) - Allianz AG said it plans to invest 300-500 mln eur in wind energy over the next five years, through its London-based asset management unit Allianz Specialised Investments.
ASI has so far invested around 200 mln eur in renewable energy, it said.
The German insurance and banking group made the announcement alongside the publication of a report compiled in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund on ways to integrate risks from climate change into its insurance, banking and asset management businesses.
Allianz said it now ranks climate change risks alongside all other risks and plans to address the issue of climate change at a board level.
'Climate change creates significant costs for the financial industry,' said Joachim Faber, Allianz board member and CEO of Allianz Global Investors.
'In the interests of our clients and shareholders we are obligated to take these risks into account when making decisions on insurance, underwriting, investments or lending credit,' he said.
Risks posed by climate change include increased risks of storm and flood damage, as well as heatwaves combined with risks to the water supply.
This has direct implications for the insurance sector, and Allianz said premiums may have to rise in the future to cover the associated risks.
Climate change is increasing the potential for property damage at a rate of 2-4 pct per year, said Andrew Torrance, CEO of the UK-based insurance unit Allianz Cornhill, adding that 2004 saw record weather-related losses of 32 bln eur.
'In some cases this might result in property damage premium rise in some markets as insurers adjust their risk-based insurance cost models to reflect the increasing severity of climate change events'.
Allianz said it sees further business opportunities in emissions trading, investment opportunities in renewable energies, in risk mitigation products such as weather derivatives and eco-upgrade products in insurance.
jessica.mortimer@afxnews.com
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Firm plans Michigan state's largest wind farm - 07/10/05
Firm plans state's largest wind farm - 07/10/05
Firm plans state's largest wind farm
Lake Michigan project aims to provide cheap, clean energy; critics say windmills will mar view.
By Charlie Cain, and Mark Hornbeck / Detroit News Lansing Bureau
Dale G. Young / The Detroit News
Rich VanderVeen of Mackinaw Power says his windmill proposal would generate electricity for all 27,000 people in Oceana County.
States grab power
These five states have the most wind energy installed by capacity. Michigan, which ranks 24th, has 2.4 megawatts.
California: 2,096 megawatts
Texas: 1,293 megawatts
Iowa: 632 megawatts
Minnesota: 615 megawatts
Wyoming: 285 megawatts
Source: American Wind Energy Association
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The most ambitious wind power project in Michigan history is taking shape in rural Oceana County on the picturesque shores of Lake Michigan.
With hopes of bringing this state up to speed with the nation's fastest growing source of electricity, Rich VanderVeen of Grand Rapids-based Mackinaw Power has proposed a 21-turbine wind farm on an elevated 8,000 acres of farmland north of Muskegon.
The 230-foot turbines would share the land with cherry and apple orchards and fields of asparagus. VanderVeen says his windmills would generate electricity for all 27,000 people who live in the county -- tapping a natural resource that is in endless supply and cranks out power without pollution or foreign energy sources.
"Wind power is not the silver bullet, or the end-all, be-all, but it does provide power with no air pollution and at long-term competitive prices," VanderVeen said.
Michigan is behind the curve on this emerging power source. Just three turbines exist in the state today, two run by VanderVeen in Mackinac County and the third in Traverse City, operated by the local power and light company. Combined, they produce less than 1 percent of the state's electricity.
But with natural gas prices tripling in recent years, and lingering concerns about nuclear power and greenhouse gas emissions from burning coal, increasing attention is shifting to renewable energy sources like wind power.
As of last year, the United States was generating 6,400 megawatts of wind power, enough to furnish electricity to 1.6 million households. Some estimates put investment in wind-harnessing equipment at more than $3 billion this year.
Energy experts say Michigan has considerable wind power potential -- particularly along the shoreline in the windy northwest part of the state. Detractors say the towering turbines would mar the beauty of the state's Gold Coast. Backers say derricks could be built offshore, out of view, to harness the strongest gusts.
"We are behind in this area, but we're doing some things to catch up," said Bob Nelson, outgoing member of the Michigan Public Service Commission, which regulates the electric industry.
He noted that other states require that as much as 10 percent of electric power be provided by renewable power sources by a certain date. Nelson said Michigan needs a similar law that starts at a more modest target.
Earlier this year, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich called for wind farms generating 3,000 megawatts of power to be built in his state by 2012. In Pennsylvania, Gov. Edward Rendell announced in January that a Spanish wind turbine maker will begin building a manufacturing plant in his state this year. In Colorado, voters there passed a measure in November requiring utilities to provide 10 percent of electricity by renewable sources, including wind, by 2015.
Asked why Michigan lags, Nelson said: "The utilities haven't supported it. They say the market should control what generation is built. In other states, they don't have as significant a utility lobby."
A Detroit News review of campaign finance records showed the state's two main utilities contributed nearly $1.6 million to state officials in the last three election cycles, including $265,000 to members of the Legislature who had direct oversight over utility issues.
But Nelson notes Consumers Energy is in the process of awarding $5 million to renewable energy providers, possibly including VanderVeen, who began pumping wind-generated electricity into the Consumers power grid four years ago. Detroit Edison, the state's other major utility, eventually will follow suit.
David Joos, CEO of Consumers Energy, said the state should rely on wind to meet a small piece of the electricity demand.
"It's never going to be a big player. And there's an intense debate about windmills themselves. Some people think they're beautiful symbols of environmentally responsible power, and others think they're sight pollution and they hurt the bird population," Joos said.
He said the windmills in Mackinaw County are available 20 percent of the time -- when the wind is blowing -- so they can't be counted on as a primary power source.
"We can't ask our residential customers to only use their appliances when the wind is blowing," he said.
Anthony Earley Jr., CEO of Detroit Edison, also has doubts about the prominence wind can play in the state's electric market.
"On the edges, yeah, if we can build some new windmills it will help. It will slow down the need for building plants," he said.
"The problem is you can't store electricity," so it's impossible to save power generated on windy days, he said.
In Oceana County, one local township has approved VanderVeen's project, and the county board unanimously recommended it. But the zoning board in another township has voted against it. The local zoning ordinance sets requirements on placement of the turbines that would be impossible to meet, VanderVeen says.
"The people who would benefit from lease payments ($6,000 to $10,000 a year) on their land were in favor of it, but there was a lot of opposition from people worried about the noise, looks and effect on land values," said Allen Aerts, Weare Township supervisor. "They were overwhelmed by the idea of 21 of them (turbines)."
VanderVeen said he's plugging ahead, trying to line up financial backing, and he hopes to convince the township board to reconsider.
"The lease payments would be enough to save some family farms," he said.
In the meantime, state Rep. Howard Walker, R-Traverse City, has introduced two bills calling for statewide zoning standards on windmills, taking the decision out of the hands of the townships.
"It's important we develop alternative energy sources. It's good for the environment and the economy," said Walker, who hopes his legislation will come up for a vote this fall. "The problem is individual townships are zoning windmills out of their area. We need a statewide policy, because wind is a statewide resource."
You can reach Mark Hornbeck at (313) 222-2470 or mhornbeck@detnews.com.
Firm plans state's largest wind farm
Lake Michigan project aims to provide cheap, clean energy; critics say windmills will mar view.
By Charlie Cain, and Mark Hornbeck / Detroit News Lansing Bureau
Dale G. Young / The Detroit News
Rich VanderVeen of Mackinaw Power says his windmill proposal would generate electricity for all 27,000 people in Oceana County.
States grab power
These five states have the most wind energy installed by capacity. Michigan, which ranks 24th, has 2.4 megawatts.
California: 2,096 megawatts
Texas: 1,293 megawatts
Iowa: 632 megawatts
Minnesota: 615 megawatts
Wyoming: 285 megawatts
Source: American Wind Energy Association
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The most ambitious wind power project in Michigan history is taking shape in rural Oceana County on the picturesque shores of Lake Michigan.
With hopes of bringing this state up to speed with the nation's fastest growing source of electricity, Rich VanderVeen of Grand Rapids-based Mackinaw Power has proposed a 21-turbine wind farm on an elevated 8,000 acres of farmland north of Muskegon.
The 230-foot turbines would share the land with cherry and apple orchards and fields of asparagus. VanderVeen says his windmills would generate electricity for all 27,000 people who live in the county -- tapping a natural resource that is in endless supply and cranks out power without pollution or foreign energy sources.
"Wind power is not the silver bullet, or the end-all, be-all, but it does provide power with no air pollution and at long-term competitive prices," VanderVeen said.
Michigan is behind the curve on this emerging power source. Just three turbines exist in the state today, two run by VanderVeen in Mackinac County and the third in Traverse City, operated by the local power and light company. Combined, they produce less than 1 percent of the state's electricity.
But with natural gas prices tripling in recent years, and lingering concerns about nuclear power and greenhouse gas emissions from burning coal, increasing attention is shifting to renewable energy sources like wind power.
As of last year, the United States was generating 6,400 megawatts of wind power, enough to furnish electricity to 1.6 million households. Some estimates put investment in wind-harnessing equipment at more than $3 billion this year.
Energy experts say Michigan has considerable wind power potential -- particularly along the shoreline in the windy northwest part of the state. Detractors say the towering turbines would mar the beauty of the state's Gold Coast. Backers say derricks could be built offshore, out of view, to harness the strongest gusts.
"We are behind in this area, but we're doing some things to catch up," said Bob Nelson, outgoing member of the Michigan Public Service Commission, which regulates the electric industry.
He noted that other states require that as much as 10 percent of electric power be provided by renewable power sources by a certain date. Nelson said Michigan needs a similar law that starts at a more modest target.
Earlier this year, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich called for wind farms generating 3,000 megawatts of power to be built in his state by 2012. In Pennsylvania, Gov. Edward Rendell announced in January that a Spanish wind turbine maker will begin building a manufacturing plant in his state this year. In Colorado, voters there passed a measure in November requiring utilities to provide 10 percent of electricity by renewable sources, including wind, by 2015.
Asked why Michigan lags, Nelson said: "The utilities haven't supported it. They say the market should control what generation is built. In other states, they don't have as significant a utility lobby."
A Detroit News review of campaign finance records showed the state's two main utilities contributed nearly $1.6 million to state officials in the last three election cycles, including $265,000 to members of the Legislature who had direct oversight over utility issues.
But Nelson notes Consumers Energy is in the process of awarding $5 million to renewable energy providers, possibly including VanderVeen, who began pumping wind-generated electricity into the Consumers power grid four years ago. Detroit Edison, the state's other major utility, eventually will follow suit.
David Joos, CEO of Consumers Energy, said the state should rely on wind to meet a small piece of the electricity demand.
"It's never going to be a big player. And there's an intense debate about windmills themselves. Some people think they're beautiful symbols of environmentally responsible power, and others think they're sight pollution and they hurt the bird population," Joos said.
He said the windmills in Mackinaw County are available 20 percent of the time -- when the wind is blowing -- so they can't be counted on as a primary power source.
"We can't ask our residential customers to only use their appliances when the wind is blowing," he said.
Anthony Earley Jr., CEO of Detroit Edison, also has doubts about the prominence wind can play in the state's electric market.
"On the edges, yeah, if we can build some new windmills it will help. It will slow down the need for building plants," he said.
"The problem is you can't store electricity," so it's impossible to save power generated on windy days, he said.
In Oceana County, one local township has approved VanderVeen's project, and the county board unanimously recommended it. But the zoning board in another township has voted against it. The local zoning ordinance sets requirements on placement of the turbines that would be impossible to meet, VanderVeen says.
"The people who would benefit from lease payments ($6,000 to $10,000 a year) on their land were in favor of it, but there was a lot of opposition from people worried about the noise, looks and effect on land values," said Allen Aerts, Weare Township supervisor. "They were overwhelmed by the idea of 21 of them (turbines)."
VanderVeen said he's plugging ahead, trying to line up financial backing, and he hopes to convince the township board to reconsider.
"The lease payments would be enough to save some family farms," he said.
In the meantime, state Rep. Howard Walker, R-Traverse City, has introduced two bills calling for statewide zoning standards on windmills, taking the decision out of the hands of the townships.
"It's important we develop alternative energy sources. It's good for the environment and the economy," said Walker, who hopes his legislation will come up for a vote this fall. "The problem is individual townships are zoning windmills out of their area. We need a statewide policy, because wind is a statewide resource."
You can reach Mark Hornbeck at (313) 222-2470 or mhornbeck@detnews.com.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Scotsman.com News - Scotland - Energy giant signs deal with Shetland to build huge wind farm
Scotsman.com News - Scotland - Energy giant signs deal with Shetland to build huge wind farm: "Energy giant signs deal with Shetland to build huge wind farm
FRANK URQUHART
THE power giant Scottish and Southern Energy yesterday signed a historic agreement to build Europe's largest community-backed wind farm on Shetland, in a major boost for the economy of the Northern Isles.
The deal will lead to the development of 200-turbine wind farm capable of generating 600 megawatts of electricity, making the scheme the most productive renewable energy development in Europe.
The final go-ahead for the �500 million development, however, will hinge on Scottish Executive approval for the collaborative venture and the construction of a �400 million undersea cable, linking the islands' electricity network to the Scottish mainland for the first time.
The wind farm at Muckle Moor will be capable of generating enough electricity to power 125,000 homes.
The memorandum of understanding was signed yesterday by representatives of SSE Generation, the renewable energy subsidiary of Scottish and Southern Energy, and Viking Energy, the company formed to represent Shetland Islands Council's interests in wind energy development on the islands.
SSE Generation and Viking Energy have already lodged separate proposals for 300 megawatt wind farms on mainland Shetland but the two developments would be combined under the deal.
A spokeswoman for SSE said: 'Viking Energy's involvement would make the 600 megawatt scheme the largest community-backed wind farm development in Europe.'"
FRANK URQUHART
THE power giant Scottish and Southern Energy yesterday signed a historic agreement to build Europe's largest community-backed wind farm on Shetland, in a major boost for the economy of the Northern Isles.
The deal will lead to the development of 200-turbine wind farm capable of generating 600 megawatts of electricity, making the scheme the most productive renewable energy development in Europe.
The final go-ahead for the �500 million development, however, will hinge on Scottish Executive approval for the collaborative venture and the construction of a �400 million undersea cable, linking the islands' electricity network to the Scottish mainland for the first time.
The wind farm at Muckle Moor will be capable of generating enough electricity to power 125,000 homes.
The memorandum of understanding was signed yesterday by representatives of SSE Generation, the renewable energy subsidiary of Scottish and Southern Energy, and Viking Energy, the company formed to represent Shetland Islands Council's interests in wind energy development on the islands.
SSE Generation and Viking Energy have already lodged separate proposals for 300 megawatt wind farms on mainland Shetland but the two developments would be combined under the deal.
A spokeswoman for SSE said: 'Viking Energy's involvement would make the 600 megawatt scheme the largest community-backed wind farm development in Europe.'"
Saturday, July 09, 2005
.: Energy News - Wind is Most Viable Energy Renewable, Energy Department Says :. .: All American Patriots :.
.: Energy News - Wind is Most Viable Energy Renewable, Energy Department Says :. .: All American Patriots :.: "Wind is Most Viable Energy Renewable, Energy Department Says
Research reduces cost; increases wind generated electricity production
06 July 2005
The following article appears in the June 2005 issue of the State Department's electronic journal, titled Protecting the Environment: Thirty Years of U.S. Progress.
Wind Power Today
By Robert Thresher, director of the National Wind Technology Center at the U.S. Department of Energy�s National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has worked with the U.S. wind energy industry for more than 30 years to turn yesterday�s dream for a clean, renewable energy source into today�s most viable renewable energy technology.
Wind power�the technology of using wind to generate electricity�is the fastest-growing new source of electricity worldwide. Wind energy is produced by massive three-bladed wind turbines that sit atop tall towers and work like fans in reverse. Rather than using electricity to make wind, turbines use wind to make electricity.
Wind turns the blades and the blades spin a shaft that is connected through a set of gears to drive an electrical generator. Large-scale turbines for utilities can generate from 750 kilowatts (a kilowatt is 1,000 watts) to 1.5 megawatts (a megawatt is 1 million watts). Homes, telecommunications stations, and water pumps use single small turbines of less than 100 kilowatts as an energy source, particularly in remote areas where there is no utility service.
In wind plants or wind farms, groups of turbines are linked together to generate electricity for the utility grid. The electricity is sent through transmission and distribution lines to consumers.
Since 1980, research and testing sponsored by the DOE Wind Program has helped reduce the cost of wind energy from 80 cents (current dollars) per kilowatt hour to between 4 and 6 cents per kilowatt hour today.
One goal of the Wind Program is to further reduce the cost of utility-scale wind energy production to 3 cents per kilowatt hour at land-based, low-wind-speed sites and 5 cents per kilowatt hour for offshore (ocean) sites. A low-wind-speed site is one where the annual average wind speed measured 10 meters above the ground is 13 miles per hour.
To accomplish this and other goals, two of DOE's main research laboratories, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado and Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, work with industry partners and university researchers nationwide to further advance wind energy technologies. Each laboratory has unique skills and capabilities to meet industry needs.
NREL's National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) is the lead research facility for the wind program. NWTC conducts research and supports industry partners in design and review analysis, component development, systems and controls analysis, testing, utility integration, technical assistance, and more. Sandia conducts research in advanced manufacturing, component reliability, aerodynamics, structural analysis, material fatigue, and control systems.
Thanks to such research and development, global wind energy capacity has increased 10-fold in the last 10 years—from 3.5 gigawatts (a gigawatt is 1 billion watts) in 1994 to nearly 50 gigawatts by the end of 2004. In the United States, wind energy capacity tripled, from 1,600 megawatts in 1994 to more than 6,700 megawatts by the end of 2004—enough to serve more than 1.6 million households.
In 2005, because of a federal production tax credit renewed by Congress in 2004, the U.S. wind energy industry is poised for record growth. The tax credit provides a 1.9-cent per kilowatt hour credit for eligible technologies for the first 10 years of production. Some wind industry experts predict that wind technology installations for 2005 will add more than 2,000 megawatts of capacity because of the tax advantage provided by this law.
The wind industry has grown phenomenally in the past decade thanks to supporting government policies, and the work of DOE Wind Program researchers in collaboration with industry partners to develop innovative cost-reducing technologies, cultivate market growth, and identify new wind energy applications.
Developing Cost-Reducing Technologies
Work conducted under DOE Wind Program projects from 1994 to 2004 produced innovative designs, larger turbines, and efficiencies that have led to dramatic cost reductions. Although this drop in cost is impressive, electricity produced by wind energy is not yet fully competitive with that produced by fossil fuels. Researchers believe that further technology improvements will be needed to reduce the cost of electricity from wind another 30 percent for it to become fully competitive with conventional fuel-consuming electricity generation technologies.
Cultivating Market Growth
To cultivate market growth by increasing acceptance of wind technology around the country, DOE’s Wind Powering America (WPA) team works with industry partners to provide state support, develop utility partnerships, conduct outreach, and develop innovative market mechanisms to support the use of large- and small-scale wind systems.
The WPA strategy for increasing acceptance of wind technology includes extensive information activities to better inform various publics about the benefits of this technology. In 2004, WPA team members staffed exhibits at 36 events in 20 states and distributed 43,000 copies of WPA publications to state wind working groups and at various events. The number of visitors to the Wind Powering America Web site (http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov) continues to grow.
Through such efforts, the WPA seeks to increase the use of wind energy in the United States with the goal that at least 30 states have 100 megawatts of wind capacity by 2010.
New Wind Energy Applications
Decades of work conducted through public-private partnerships have moved wind energy from yesterday’s dream to today’s reality.
To ensure continued industry growth in 2005 and beyond, the Wind Program is exploring innovative applications that will open new markets. The applications include installing wind turbines offshore in shallow and deep water, using wind energy to produce fresh water, and developing new technologies that will help wind work in synergy with other renewable energy technologies like hydropower.
Offshore and Deep-Water Development
Offshore wind turbines, now in the early stages of development, are more expensive and harder to install and maintain than turbines on land. Offshore turbines must be designed to survive the offshore wind and wave loading of severe storms, and protected from the corrosive marine environment.
Some advantages of offshore installation are that turbines can be made bigger than those onshore to produce more power per turbine, and the ocean location provides greatly increased wind speeds and less turbulence. Offshore installations also reduce land-use and could ease aesthetic concerns, if the turbines are located far from shore and out of sight.
Recent studies show that there are significant offshore wind resources in regions of the United States near major urban areas in the mid-Atlantic and northeast. In Europe, offshore wind turbines produce about 600 megawatts, but no turbines have yet been installed in waters deeper than 20 meters.
For offshore turbines in shallow water (less than 30 meters), European turbine manufacturers have adopted conventional land-based turbine designs and placed them on concrete bases or steel monopiles driven into the seabed. An offshore substation collects the energy and boosts the voltage, and then a buried undersea cable carries the power to shore, where another substation provides a further voltage increase for transmission to utilities for distribution to customers.
A large amount of potential U.S. offshore wind resources are in waters deeper than the current technology limit of about 30 meters, as developed in Europe for the Baltic Sea. Monopile foundations driven into the seabed are less suitable for the deeper waters off U.S. coasts. To produce cost-effective wind energy in deep water, floating platform technologies developed by the oil and gas industries need to be adapted and scaled for application to wind energy and new lower-cost anchoring methods developed. The ultimate vision for this new offshore wind technology would be to build the turbines and the supporting platform in a shore-based dry dock with local labor, tow the floating turbine to its place on the sea, drop anchor, and plug in to the power cable to shore.
The Wind Program is evaluating several floating platform concepts for offshore wind turbines for cost-effective electricity generation in water 50-200 meters deep. The program is also negotiating a partnership agreement with a domestic company to develop the first U.S. multi-megawatt wind turbine prototypes designed specifically for shallow-water offshore use.
Wind and Water
The Wind Program is investigating how wind and water can work together to provide a more stable supply of electricity and fresh water. The scarcity of fresh water is a growing global problem. According to the United Nations, the world’s burgeoning population will need billions more cubic meters of fresh water per day by 2025. The current global desalination capacity is an estimated 28 million cubic meters per day.
An important solution to water scarcity is desalination of abundant ocean salt water, but desalination is a highly energy-intensive technology and is not cost effective in most areas. Among all the desalination process technologies, reverse osmosis has the highest electrical energy efficiency, at 3-8 kilowatt hours per cubic meter of water.
Reverse osmosis is a method of producing pure water by forcing salt water through a semipermeable membrane (which allows some molecules through but not others) that salts cannot pass through.
Even with the high efficiency of reverse osmosis, energy accounts for about 40 percent of the total desalinated water cost. From a cost and environmental point of view, inexpensive and clean alternative power sources are needed for a low-cost desalination solution.
Wind power is the most promising and least expensive renewable power source but, because of its variable nature—because wind doesn’t always blow—researchers must determine the effects it will have on desalination systems and their operation.
In 2004, the Wind Program funded a conceptual design study for an integrated wind energy and desalination system. The project is exploring wind and desalination concepts, identifying technical issues, exploring the feasibility of alternative concepts, and evaluating their economic viability.
To provide a stable supply of electricity to the utility grid, the Wind Program is conducting research into the potential benefits of combining wind and hydropower (or waterpower), which harnesses the energy of moving or falling water.
As part of that effort, the United States helped form a working group of the International Energy Agency (IEA) whose participants will focus on integrating wind and hydropower systems (the IEA Research, Development and Demonstration Wind Annex XXIV).
The annex will exchange information and conduct cooperative research into the generation, transmission, and economics of integrating wind and hydropower systems. The annex held its first meeting at the Hoover Dam in Nevada in 2005.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Program to make clean and sustainable wind energy cost effective for several market applications has made significant progress in recent years and is on a steady course to further significant improvements. Sound and sustainable development of this renewable energy resource is a key element of the U.S. strategy to reduce national reliance on carbon-based fuels and reduce the production of greenhouse gas emissions.
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
Research reduces cost; increases wind generated electricity production
06 July 2005
The following article appears in the June 2005 issue of the State Department's electronic journal, titled Protecting the Environment: Thirty Years of U.S. Progress.
Wind Power Today
By Robert Thresher, director of the National Wind Technology Center at the U.S. Department of Energy�s National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has worked with the U.S. wind energy industry for more than 30 years to turn yesterday�s dream for a clean, renewable energy source into today�s most viable renewable energy technology.
Wind power�the technology of using wind to generate electricity�is the fastest-growing new source of electricity worldwide. Wind energy is produced by massive three-bladed wind turbines that sit atop tall towers and work like fans in reverse. Rather than using electricity to make wind, turbines use wind to make electricity.
Wind turns the blades and the blades spin a shaft that is connected through a set of gears to drive an electrical generator. Large-scale turbines for utilities can generate from 750 kilowatts (a kilowatt is 1,000 watts) to 1.5 megawatts (a megawatt is 1 million watts). Homes, telecommunications stations, and water pumps use single small turbines of less than 100 kilowatts as an energy source, particularly in remote areas where there is no utility service.
In wind plants or wind farms, groups of turbines are linked together to generate electricity for the utility grid. The electricity is sent through transmission and distribution lines to consumers.
Since 1980, research and testing sponsored by the DOE Wind Program has helped reduce the cost of wind energy from 80 cents (current dollars) per kilowatt hour to between 4 and 6 cents per kilowatt hour today.
One goal of the Wind Program is to further reduce the cost of utility-scale wind energy production to 3 cents per kilowatt hour at land-based, low-wind-speed sites and 5 cents per kilowatt hour for offshore (ocean) sites. A low-wind-speed site is one where the annual average wind speed measured 10 meters above the ground is 13 miles per hour.
To accomplish this and other goals, two of DOE's main research laboratories, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado and Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, work with industry partners and university researchers nationwide to further advance wind energy technologies. Each laboratory has unique skills and capabilities to meet industry needs.
NREL's National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) is the lead research facility for the wind program. NWTC conducts research and supports industry partners in design and review analysis, component development, systems and controls analysis, testing, utility integration, technical assistance, and more. Sandia conducts research in advanced manufacturing, component reliability, aerodynamics, structural analysis, material fatigue, and control systems.
Thanks to such research and development, global wind energy capacity has increased 10-fold in the last 10 years—from 3.5 gigawatts (a gigawatt is 1 billion watts) in 1994 to nearly 50 gigawatts by the end of 2004. In the United States, wind energy capacity tripled, from 1,600 megawatts in 1994 to more than 6,700 megawatts by the end of 2004—enough to serve more than 1.6 million households.
In 2005, because of a federal production tax credit renewed by Congress in 2004, the U.S. wind energy industry is poised for record growth. The tax credit provides a 1.9-cent per kilowatt hour credit for eligible technologies for the first 10 years of production. Some wind industry experts predict that wind technology installations for 2005 will add more than 2,000 megawatts of capacity because of the tax advantage provided by this law.
The wind industry has grown phenomenally in the past decade thanks to supporting government policies, and the work of DOE Wind Program researchers in collaboration with industry partners to develop innovative cost-reducing technologies, cultivate market growth, and identify new wind energy applications.
Developing Cost-Reducing Technologies
Work conducted under DOE Wind Program projects from 1994 to 2004 produced innovative designs, larger turbines, and efficiencies that have led to dramatic cost reductions. Although this drop in cost is impressive, electricity produced by wind energy is not yet fully competitive with that produced by fossil fuels. Researchers believe that further technology improvements will be needed to reduce the cost of electricity from wind another 30 percent for it to become fully competitive with conventional fuel-consuming electricity generation technologies.
Cultivating Market Growth
To cultivate market growth by increasing acceptance of wind technology around the country, DOE’s Wind Powering America (WPA) team works with industry partners to provide state support, develop utility partnerships, conduct outreach, and develop innovative market mechanisms to support the use of large- and small-scale wind systems.
The WPA strategy for increasing acceptance of wind technology includes extensive information activities to better inform various publics about the benefits of this technology. In 2004, WPA team members staffed exhibits at 36 events in 20 states and distributed 43,000 copies of WPA publications to state wind working groups and at various events. The number of visitors to the Wind Powering America Web site (http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov) continues to grow.
Through such efforts, the WPA seeks to increase the use of wind energy in the United States with the goal that at least 30 states have 100 megawatts of wind capacity by 2010.
New Wind Energy Applications
Decades of work conducted through public-private partnerships have moved wind energy from yesterday’s dream to today’s reality.
To ensure continued industry growth in 2005 and beyond, the Wind Program is exploring innovative applications that will open new markets. The applications include installing wind turbines offshore in shallow and deep water, using wind energy to produce fresh water, and developing new technologies that will help wind work in synergy with other renewable energy technologies like hydropower.
Offshore and Deep-Water Development
Offshore wind turbines, now in the early stages of development, are more expensive and harder to install and maintain than turbines on land. Offshore turbines must be designed to survive the offshore wind and wave loading of severe storms, and protected from the corrosive marine environment.
Some advantages of offshore installation are that turbines can be made bigger than those onshore to produce more power per turbine, and the ocean location provides greatly increased wind speeds and less turbulence. Offshore installations also reduce land-use and could ease aesthetic concerns, if the turbines are located far from shore and out of sight.
Recent studies show that there are significant offshore wind resources in regions of the United States near major urban areas in the mid-Atlantic and northeast. In Europe, offshore wind turbines produce about 600 megawatts, but no turbines have yet been installed in waters deeper than 20 meters.
For offshore turbines in shallow water (less than 30 meters), European turbine manufacturers have adopted conventional land-based turbine designs and placed them on concrete bases or steel monopiles driven into the seabed. An offshore substation collects the energy and boosts the voltage, and then a buried undersea cable carries the power to shore, where another substation provides a further voltage increase for transmission to utilities for distribution to customers.
A large amount of potential U.S. offshore wind resources are in waters deeper than the current technology limit of about 30 meters, as developed in Europe for the Baltic Sea. Monopile foundations driven into the seabed are less suitable for the deeper waters off U.S. coasts. To produce cost-effective wind energy in deep water, floating platform technologies developed by the oil and gas industries need to be adapted and scaled for application to wind energy and new lower-cost anchoring methods developed. The ultimate vision for this new offshore wind technology would be to build the turbines and the supporting platform in a shore-based dry dock with local labor, tow the floating turbine to its place on the sea, drop anchor, and plug in to the power cable to shore.
The Wind Program is evaluating several floating platform concepts for offshore wind turbines for cost-effective electricity generation in water 50-200 meters deep. The program is also negotiating a partnership agreement with a domestic company to develop the first U.S. multi-megawatt wind turbine prototypes designed specifically for shallow-water offshore use.
Wind and Water
The Wind Program is investigating how wind and water can work together to provide a more stable supply of electricity and fresh water. The scarcity of fresh water is a growing global problem. According to the United Nations, the world’s burgeoning population will need billions more cubic meters of fresh water per day by 2025. The current global desalination capacity is an estimated 28 million cubic meters per day.
An important solution to water scarcity is desalination of abundant ocean salt water, but desalination is a highly energy-intensive technology and is not cost effective in most areas. Among all the desalination process technologies, reverse osmosis has the highest electrical energy efficiency, at 3-8 kilowatt hours per cubic meter of water.
Reverse osmosis is a method of producing pure water by forcing salt water through a semipermeable membrane (which allows some molecules through but not others) that salts cannot pass through.
Even with the high efficiency of reverse osmosis, energy accounts for about 40 percent of the total desalinated water cost. From a cost and environmental point of view, inexpensive and clean alternative power sources are needed for a low-cost desalination solution.
Wind power is the most promising and least expensive renewable power source but, because of its variable nature—because wind doesn’t always blow—researchers must determine the effects it will have on desalination systems and their operation.
In 2004, the Wind Program funded a conceptual design study for an integrated wind energy and desalination system. The project is exploring wind and desalination concepts, identifying technical issues, exploring the feasibility of alternative concepts, and evaluating their economic viability.
To provide a stable supply of electricity to the utility grid, the Wind Program is conducting research into the potential benefits of combining wind and hydropower (or waterpower), which harnesses the energy of moving or falling water.
As part of that effort, the United States helped form a working group of the International Energy Agency (IEA) whose participants will focus on integrating wind and hydropower systems (the IEA Research, Development and Demonstration Wind Annex XXIV).
The annex will exchange information and conduct cooperative research into the generation, transmission, and economics of integrating wind and hydropower systems. The annex held its first meeting at the Hoover Dam in Nevada in 2005.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Program to make clean and sustainable wind energy cost effective for several market applications has made significant progress in recent years and is on a steady course to further significant improvements. Sound and sustainable development of this renewable energy resource is a key element of the U.S. strategy to reduce national reliance on carbon-based fuels and reduce the production of greenhouse gas emissions.
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission has approved construction of a 200-megawatt wind energy project
The Capital Times
PSC approves huge state wind farm
By Kevin Murphy
Correspondent for The Capital Times
July 9, 2005
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission has approved construction of a 200-megawatt wind energy project that will feature up to 130 turbine generators dotting a 50-square mile site in Dodge and Fond du Lac counties.
Forward Energy, of Chicago, last September proposed the project, which will be first large-scale wind farm in the state. The project garnered praised as a source of clean, renewable energy, but came under criticism as a potential hazard for birds and bats due to its location within miles of the Horicon marsh, a state and federal wildlife area.
PSC Chairman Daniel Ebert called the project "an environmental winner," as it lacked the air and water quality issues usually associated with coal or natural gas fired power plants. It furthers the state's goal of producing 10 percent of its energy from renewable sources within 10 years and nearby transmission lines also made the project a less complicated case for the commissioners, Ebert said.
Commissioner Mark Meyer noted that the land-use issues raised by the 32,000-acre project had "pitted neighbor against neighbor" but hoped they would "come together" in time and accept the wind farm.
Although concerns were raised about the impacts on migratory and nesting birds by locating the project within a few miles of Horicon marsh, the country's largest freshwater cattail wetland, the commissioners said research, although incomplete, indicates the impact on avian and bat mortality would not be significant.
"We want to make sure our actions don't harm this treasure," said Ebert, who mentioned that he grew up within 30 miles of the marsh.
The nearby Neda mine, home to an estimated hundreds of thousands of bats, also posed a potential hurdle for the project. However, the Environmental Impact Statement and Forward's studies showed that the risks to birds and bats from the turbines' whirling blades posed less of a risk to birds than feral cats, moving vehicles, and windows, Ebert said.
The commissioners rejected a suggestion to delay construction of the project until more comprehensive studies were completed. Instead, they created a two-mile setback for turbines from the marsh property, which could be lessened if ongoing studies showed the turbines to have minimal impact on bird and bat populations.
In consultation with the Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Forward will conduct a more expansive study of the wind farm's impact on bird breeding, nesting, and migratory bird functions.
Madison Gas and Electric Co. and Wisconsin Public Power, Inc. each will purchase 40 megawatts of power produced by the wind farm and Green Bay-based Wisconsin Public Service has contracted to buy 70 megawatts of power.
Calls to Forward Energy on the project construction timetable weren't immediately returned.
Forward is a subsidiary of Invenergy Wind LLC, which has 25 wind energy projects capable of producing 2,500 megawatts of power under development nationwide.
E-mail: tctbiz@madison.com
Published: 10:14 AM 7/9/05
PSC approves huge state wind farm
By Kevin Murphy
Correspondent for The Capital Times
July 9, 2005
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission has approved construction of a 200-megawatt wind energy project that will feature up to 130 turbine generators dotting a 50-square mile site in Dodge and Fond du Lac counties.
Forward Energy, of Chicago, last September proposed the project, which will be first large-scale wind farm in the state. The project garnered praised as a source of clean, renewable energy, but came under criticism as a potential hazard for birds and bats due to its location within miles of the Horicon marsh, a state and federal wildlife area.
PSC Chairman Daniel Ebert called the project "an environmental winner," as it lacked the air and water quality issues usually associated with coal or natural gas fired power plants. It furthers the state's goal of producing 10 percent of its energy from renewable sources within 10 years and nearby transmission lines also made the project a less complicated case for the commissioners, Ebert said.
Commissioner Mark Meyer noted that the land-use issues raised by the 32,000-acre project had "pitted neighbor against neighbor" but hoped they would "come together" in time and accept the wind farm.
Although concerns were raised about the impacts on migratory and nesting birds by locating the project within a few miles of Horicon marsh, the country's largest freshwater cattail wetland, the commissioners said research, although incomplete, indicates the impact on avian and bat mortality would not be significant.
"We want to make sure our actions don't harm this treasure," said Ebert, who mentioned that he grew up within 30 miles of the marsh.
The nearby Neda mine, home to an estimated hundreds of thousands of bats, also posed a potential hurdle for the project. However, the Environmental Impact Statement and Forward's studies showed that the risks to birds and bats from the turbines' whirling blades posed less of a risk to birds than feral cats, moving vehicles, and windows, Ebert said.
The commissioners rejected a suggestion to delay construction of the project until more comprehensive studies were completed. Instead, they created a two-mile setback for turbines from the marsh property, which could be lessened if ongoing studies showed the turbines to have minimal impact on bird and bat populations.
In consultation with the Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Forward will conduct a more expansive study of the wind farm's impact on bird breeding, nesting, and migratory bird functions.
Madison Gas and Electric Co. and Wisconsin Public Power, Inc. each will purchase 40 megawatts of power produced by the wind farm and Green Bay-based Wisconsin Public Service has contracted to buy 70 megawatts of power.
Calls to Forward Energy on the project construction timetable weren't immediately returned.
Forward is a subsidiary of Invenergy Wind LLC, which has 25 wind energy projects capable of producing 2,500 megawatts of power under development nationwide.
E-mail: tctbiz@madison.com
Published: 10:14 AM 7/9/05
Monday, July 04, 2005
'Windforce 12' shows 12% of the world's electricity can be supplied by wind by 2020
Greenpeace: Choose Clean Energy - News
'Windforce 12' shows 12% of the world's electricity can be supplied by wind by 2020
30-06-2005
11 billion tonnes of CO2 can be saved by 2020
Greenpeace and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) today launched 'Windforce 12', a global wind energy blueprint that describes how wind power can supply 12% of the world's electricity by 2020. The report is a crucial tool in the race to cut greenhouse gas emissions, showing that by 2020, 1,250 GW of wind power can be installed saving a cumulative 10,771 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, a key contributor to climate change. Wind Force 12 demonstrates that there are no technical, economic or resource barriers to supplying 12% of the world's electricity needs with wind power alone by 2020 - against the challenging backdrop of a projected two thirds increase of electricity demand by that date.
Wind Force 12 is the main global wind energy assessment, and has been conducted annually since 1999 by EWEA (the European Wind Energy Association) and Greenpeace International. The 2005 report has been completed by Greenpeace and EWEA on behalf of GWEC - the Global Wind Energy Council.
The report shows that wind is one of the most effective power technologies that is ready today for global deployment on a scale that can help tackle the threat of climate change, meet the rising demand for energy and safeguard security of energy supplies. Wind power can be installed far quicker than other conventional power stations, a significant factor in economies with rapid growth in electricity demand. Today, wind power installed in Europe is saving over 50 million tonnes of CO2 a year and is on track by 2010 to deliver one third of the EU's Kyoto commitment. In the UK, wind power is set to grow rapidly as the Government implements its plan to generate 10% of the nation's electricity from renewables by 2010. The majority, some 7-8 GW of new power, will be met from onshore and offshore wind energy. The value of the global market for wind turbines is set to grow from the current E8 billion to an estimated E80 billion annual business by 2020.
The UK is now one of only eight countries around the world to have installed over a gigawatt of wind energy capacity, a record which was broken earlier this month with the opening of the UK's largest onshore wind farm to date, the 58.5 MW Cefn Croes project in Ceredigion in Wales. Breaking the gigawatt barrier comes in a record year of growth for the UK wind industry, with a total of 18 new wind projects totalling some 500 MW of capacity expected to be officially commissioned by year end, taking UK wind generation to over 1% of UK electricity supply. Meanwhile continued development in the offshore sector means that sometime in 2006, the UK is set to become the world's number one offshore wind generator, making it a significant player in the global wind energy market.
The report also highlights that thirteen key countries, including the UK, can play a leadership role to help unlock the major market deployment envisaged by this blueprint: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, the Philippines, Poland, Turkey, the UK and the USA.
The wind industry today is one of the world's fastest growing energy sectors and offers the best opportunity to begin the transition to a global economy based on sustainable energy, helping to satisfy global energy demands and unlock a new era of economic growth, technological progress and environmental protection
Wind energy is a significant and powerful resource. It is safe, clean, and abundant. Unlike conventional fuels, wind energy is a massive indigenous power source permanently available in virtually every nation in the world. It delivers the energy security benefits of avoided fuel costs, no long term fuel price risk, and wind power avoids the economic and supply risks that can exist with reliance on imported fuels and political dependence on other countries.
Stephen Tindale, Executive Director of Greenpeace UK commented on the report today in advance of the G8 summit:
"The barriers to harnessing Europe's massive wind resources are not technological, they are political. If Tony Blair had been willing to expend half as much time and effort embracing the wind revolution as he has on his fruitless attempt to shift George Bush, the UK would have a world-beating industry and our carbon emissions would be going down rather than up."
Marcus Rand, CEO of the British Wind Energy Association said:
"Wind energy has now firmly arrived in the UK. This year the wind industry is breaking all records as we expand to meet the bulk of the Government's renewable targets. This new report makes clear that the UK is a critical market in the global roll out of this exciting carbon free source of power. For us to deliver our potential here in the UK it is essential that the progress that has been made over the past few years is built upon and maintained."
Corin Millais, of the Global Wind Energy Council said:
"Wind power is one of the few energy supply technologies that is ready for a broader roll out today; wind has the maturity, clout and global muscle to deliver deep cuts in CO2, while providing a hedge against fluctuating fossil fuel prices and reduce energy import dependence. The global energy challenge of our time is not only to tackle climate change, but to meet the rising demand for energy and to safeguard security of energy supplies. As a power technology which can meet these three challenges, wind energy is a leading candidate."
A copy of the Windforce 12 report can be downloaded here.
Further Information
Please contact:
Ben Stewart, Greenpeace UK, 020 7865 8255 or ben.stewart@uk.greenpeace.org
For information on the 'Windforce 12' report, contact Luisa Colasimone, Director of Communications, EWEA on +32 2 546 1981 or luisa.colasimone@ewea.org
'Windforce 12' shows 12% of the world's electricity can be supplied by wind by 2020
30-06-2005
11 billion tonnes of CO2 can be saved by 2020
Greenpeace and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) today launched 'Windforce 12', a global wind energy blueprint that describes how wind power can supply 12% of the world's electricity by 2020. The report is a crucial tool in the race to cut greenhouse gas emissions, showing that by 2020, 1,250 GW of wind power can be installed saving a cumulative 10,771 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, a key contributor to climate change. Wind Force 12 demonstrates that there are no technical, economic or resource barriers to supplying 12% of the world's electricity needs with wind power alone by 2020 - against the challenging backdrop of a projected two thirds increase of electricity demand by that date.
Wind Force 12 is the main global wind energy assessment, and has been conducted annually since 1999 by EWEA (the European Wind Energy Association) and Greenpeace International. The 2005 report has been completed by Greenpeace and EWEA on behalf of GWEC - the Global Wind Energy Council.
The report shows that wind is one of the most effective power technologies that is ready today for global deployment on a scale that can help tackle the threat of climate change, meet the rising demand for energy and safeguard security of energy supplies. Wind power can be installed far quicker than other conventional power stations, a significant factor in economies with rapid growth in electricity demand. Today, wind power installed in Europe is saving over 50 million tonnes of CO2 a year and is on track by 2010 to deliver one third of the EU's Kyoto commitment. In the UK, wind power is set to grow rapidly as the Government implements its plan to generate 10% of the nation's electricity from renewables by 2010. The majority, some 7-8 GW of new power, will be met from onshore and offshore wind energy. The value of the global market for wind turbines is set to grow from the current E8 billion to an estimated E80 billion annual business by 2020.
The UK is now one of only eight countries around the world to have installed over a gigawatt of wind energy capacity, a record which was broken earlier this month with the opening of the UK's largest onshore wind farm to date, the 58.5 MW Cefn Croes project in Ceredigion in Wales. Breaking the gigawatt barrier comes in a record year of growth for the UK wind industry, with a total of 18 new wind projects totalling some 500 MW of capacity expected to be officially commissioned by year end, taking UK wind generation to over 1% of UK electricity supply. Meanwhile continued development in the offshore sector means that sometime in 2006, the UK is set to become the world's number one offshore wind generator, making it a significant player in the global wind energy market.
The report also highlights that thirteen key countries, including the UK, can play a leadership role to help unlock the major market deployment envisaged by this blueprint: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, the Philippines, Poland, Turkey, the UK and the USA.
The wind industry today is one of the world's fastest growing energy sectors and offers the best opportunity to begin the transition to a global economy based on sustainable energy, helping to satisfy global energy demands and unlock a new era of economic growth, technological progress and environmental protection
Wind energy is a significant and powerful resource. It is safe, clean, and abundant. Unlike conventional fuels, wind energy is a massive indigenous power source permanently available in virtually every nation in the world. It delivers the energy security benefits of avoided fuel costs, no long term fuel price risk, and wind power avoids the economic and supply risks that can exist with reliance on imported fuels and political dependence on other countries.
Stephen Tindale, Executive Director of Greenpeace UK commented on the report today in advance of the G8 summit:
"The barriers to harnessing Europe's massive wind resources are not technological, they are political. If Tony Blair had been willing to expend half as much time and effort embracing the wind revolution as he has on his fruitless attempt to shift George Bush, the UK would have a world-beating industry and our carbon emissions would be going down rather than up."
Marcus Rand, CEO of the British Wind Energy Association said:
"Wind energy has now firmly arrived in the UK. This year the wind industry is breaking all records as we expand to meet the bulk of the Government's renewable targets. This new report makes clear that the UK is a critical market in the global roll out of this exciting carbon free source of power. For us to deliver our potential here in the UK it is essential that the progress that has been made over the past few years is built upon and maintained."
Corin Millais, of the Global Wind Energy Council said:
"Wind power is one of the few energy supply technologies that is ready for a broader roll out today; wind has the maturity, clout and global muscle to deliver deep cuts in CO2, while providing a hedge against fluctuating fossil fuel prices and reduce energy import dependence. The global energy challenge of our time is not only to tackle climate change, but to meet the rising demand for energy and to safeguard security of energy supplies. As a power technology which can meet these three challenges, wind energy is a leading candidate."
A copy of the Windforce 12 report can be downloaded here.
Further Information
Please contact:
Ben Stewart, Greenpeace UK, 020 7865 8255 or ben.stewart@uk.greenpeace.org
For information on the 'Windforce 12' report, contact Luisa Colasimone, Director of Communications, EWEA on +32 2 546 1981 or luisa.colasimone@ewea.org
BLM Accelerates Wind Energy Development
RenewableEnergyAccess.com | BLM Accelerates Wind Energy Development: "BLM Accelerates Wind Energy Development
June 30, 2005
Washington DC [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management Rebecca Watson announced the completion and availability of a study that addresses the environmental, social and economic impacts associated with the development of wind energy on public lands. In essence, BLM has laid the environmental groundwork to speed up the permitting of wind energy in the 11 western public-land states.
"What this means in plain English is that BLM has laid the environmental groundwork to speed up the permitting of wind energy in the 11 western public-land states. It should pave the way for development of more than 3200 MW of wind energy on public lands in 11 western states."
- Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management Rebecca Watson Watson noted that the study, The Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on Wind Energy Development on BLM-Administered Lands in the Western United States, focuses on public land administered by BLM in 11 western states, excluding Alaska.
"Our quality of life and economic security are dependent on a stable and abundant supply of affordable energy," Watson said. "Encouraging the production and development of renewable energy sources, including wind energy, on our public lands is a way to help meet the energy needs of the nation, as well as those of growing communities in the West."
The study analyzes three alternatives for managing wind energy development on BLM- administered lands: 1) the proposed action, which would implement a Wind Energy Development Program, establish policies and best-management practices for wind energy right-of-way authorizations, and amend 52 BLM land-use plans; 2) the no-action alternative, which would allow continued wind energy development under the terms and conditions of the BLM Interim Wind Energy Development Policy, and 3) a limited-wind-energy-development alternative, which would allow wind-energy development only in selected locations.
"This EIS proposes a consistent, agency-wide approach to wind energy permitting that will support and expedite site-specific analysis of individual wind projects," Watson said. "What this means in plain English is that BLM has laid the environmental groundwork to speed up the permitting of wind energy in the 11 western public-land states. It should pave the way for development of more than 3200 MW of wind energy on public lands in 11 western states. That's enough energy to power almost one million homes."
The EIS examines issues common to most wind energy development projects, adopts best- management practices to minimize impacts and amends land-use plans to facilitate wind development. Along with the proposed land-use plan amendments, the Final Programmatic EIS also includes the identification of specific areas where wind energy development would not be allowed. The proposed land-use plan amendments are designed to facilitate preparation and consideration of potential wind energy development right-of-way applications on BLM-administered lands, but not to eliminate the need for site-specific analysis of individual development proposals.
The Final Programmatic EIS comes in response to recommendations set forth in the president's National Energy Policy, which encourages the development of renewable energy resources on public lands. Work on the EIS began in October 2003 and included extensive community meetings in the West and opportunities for public comment. The document addresses wind- energy development on BLM-administered lands in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
The Final Programmatic EIS is posted on the Web (see link below) and will be published in the Federal Register.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For further Information
The Final Programmatic EIS
June 30, 2005
Washington DC [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management Rebecca Watson announced the completion and availability of a study that addresses the environmental, social and economic impacts associated with the development of wind energy on public lands. In essence, BLM has laid the environmental groundwork to speed up the permitting of wind energy in the 11 western public-land states.
"What this means in plain English is that BLM has laid the environmental groundwork to speed up the permitting of wind energy in the 11 western public-land states. It should pave the way for development of more than 3200 MW of wind energy on public lands in 11 western states."
- Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management Rebecca Watson Watson noted that the study, The Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on Wind Energy Development on BLM-Administered Lands in the Western United States, focuses on public land administered by BLM in 11 western states, excluding Alaska.
"Our quality of life and economic security are dependent on a stable and abundant supply of affordable energy," Watson said. "Encouraging the production and development of renewable energy sources, including wind energy, on our public lands is a way to help meet the energy needs of the nation, as well as those of growing communities in the West."
The study analyzes three alternatives for managing wind energy development on BLM- administered lands: 1) the proposed action, which would implement a Wind Energy Development Program, establish policies and best-management practices for wind energy right-of-way authorizations, and amend 52 BLM land-use plans; 2) the no-action alternative, which would allow continued wind energy development under the terms and conditions of the BLM Interim Wind Energy Development Policy, and 3) a limited-wind-energy-development alternative, which would allow wind-energy development only in selected locations.
"This EIS proposes a consistent, agency-wide approach to wind energy permitting that will support and expedite site-specific analysis of individual wind projects," Watson said. "What this means in plain English is that BLM has laid the environmental groundwork to speed up the permitting of wind energy in the 11 western public-land states. It should pave the way for development of more than 3200 MW of wind energy on public lands in 11 western states. That's enough energy to power almost one million homes."
The EIS examines issues common to most wind energy development projects, adopts best- management practices to minimize impacts and amends land-use plans to facilitate wind development. Along with the proposed land-use plan amendments, the Final Programmatic EIS also includes the identification of specific areas where wind energy development would not be allowed. The proposed land-use plan amendments are designed to facilitate preparation and consideration of potential wind energy development right-of-way applications on BLM-administered lands, but not to eliminate the need for site-specific analysis of individual development proposals.
The Final Programmatic EIS comes in response to recommendations set forth in the president's National Energy Policy, which encourages the development of renewable energy resources on public lands. Work on the EIS began in October 2003 and included extensive community meetings in the West and opportunities for public comment. The document addresses wind- energy development on BLM-administered lands in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
The Final Programmatic EIS is posted on the Web (see link below) and will be published in the Federal Register.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For further Information
The Final Programmatic EIS
Wind Energy EIS Public Information Center
Wind Energy Development Programmatic EIS Information Center
This web site is the online center for public information and involvement in the Wind Energy Development Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Wind Energy Programmatic EIS).
The United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), has prepared a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate issues associated with wind energy development on Western public lands (excluding Alaska) administered by the BLM. This web site is the online center for public information and involvement in the EIS process.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has cooperated in the preparation of this Programmatic EIS in support of the BLM's efforts.
Final Programmatic EIS Document Available
The full text of the Wind Energy Development Final Programmatic EIS is available for downloading or online browsing in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. The EIS Guide provides an annotated table of content for the main sections of the EIS with links to the text, while the EIS Summary provides an overview of the Programmatic EIS contents and findings.
A Notice of Availability (NOA) (PDF, 59 KB) announcing the release of the Final PEIS was published in the Federal Register on June 24, 2005. The proposed action analyzed in the Final PEIS would implement a Wind Energy Development Program, establish policies and best management practices for wind energy right-of-way authorizations, and amend 52 BLM land use plans.
The Final PEIS includes proposed amendments to 52 BLM land use plans in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, as described in Appendix C (PDF, 96 KB) of the Final Programmatic EIS. BLM land use planning regulations (43 CFR 1610.5-2) state that any person who participated in the planning process, and has an interest that may be adversely affected, may protest. The protest must be filed within 30 days of the date that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. Instructions for filing of protests are described in the "Dear Reader" letter (PDF, 1.1 MB) in the front of Volume 1 of the Final PEIS.
Public Comments Available
The public was recently given the opportunity to provide comments on the Draft Programmatic EIS. The public comment period began Sep. 10, 2004, and ended Dec. 10, 2004. Public comments on the draft Programmatic EIS have been incorporated in Volume 3 of the Programmatic EIS.
Public Participation
Public participation in the Wind Energy Programmatic EIS is important. This web site provides information and services to help you participate in the EIS process.
Wind Energy Programmatic EIS
EIS purpose, scope, and schedule.
Getting Involved
How to participate in the EIS process and how public comments are used in the EIS process.
Wind Energy Guide
Wind energy basics, environmental issues, maps, photos, and links to wind energy resources on the World Wide Web.
EIS Documents
EIS and related documents for downloading or online browsing.
Other resources include a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs), news updates, and e-mail notices of important events.
Background Information
In response to recommendations contained in the President's National Energy Policy that encourage the development of renewable energy resources, the BLM is undertaking efforts to evaluate additional wind energy development on public lands, including the establishment of a Wind Energy Development Program. The BLM currently administers numerous wind energy right-of-way authorizations on lands in several Western states and has received a large number of new project proposals. The BLM has determined that the establishment of a Wind Energy Development Program would be a major federal action that requires preparation of a Programmatic EIS.
This web site is the online center for public information and involvement in the Wind Energy Development Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Wind Energy Programmatic EIS).
The United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), has prepared a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate issues associated with wind energy development on Western public lands (excluding Alaska) administered by the BLM. This web site is the online center for public information and involvement in the EIS process.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has cooperated in the preparation of this Programmatic EIS in support of the BLM's efforts.
Final Programmatic EIS Document Available
The full text of the Wind Energy Development Final Programmatic EIS is available for downloading or online browsing in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. The EIS Guide provides an annotated table of content for the main sections of the EIS with links to the text, while the EIS Summary provides an overview of the Programmatic EIS contents and findings.
A Notice of Availability (NOA) (PDF, 59 KB) announcing the release of the Final PEIS was published in the Federal Register on June 24, 2005. The proposed action analyzed in the Final PEIS would implement a Wind Energy Development Program, establish policies and best management practices for wind energy right-of-way authorizations, and amend 52 BLM land use plans.
The Final PEIS includes proposed amendments to 52 BLM land use plans in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, as described in Appendix C (PDF, 96 KB) of the Final Programmatic EIS. BLM land use planning regulations (43 CFR 1610.5-2) state that any person who participated in the planning process, and has an interest that may be adversely affected, may protest. The protest must be filed within 30 days of the date that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. Instructions for filing of protests are described in the "Dear Reader" letter (PDF, 1.1 MB) in the front of Volume 1 of the Final PEIS.
Public Comments Available
The public was recently given the opportunity to provide comments on the Draft Programmatic EIS. The public comment period began Sep. 10, 2004, and ended Dec. 10, 2004. Public comments on the draft Programmatic EIS have been incorporated in Volume 3 of the Programmatic EIS.
Public Participation
Public participation in the Wind Energy Programmatic EIS is important. This web site provides information and services to help you participate in the EIS process.
Wind Energy Programmatic EIS
EIS purpose, scope, and schedule.
Getting Involved
How to participate in the EIS process and how public comments are used in the EIS process.
Wind Energy Guide
Wind energy basics, environmental issues, maps, photos, and links to wind energy resources on the World Wide Web.
EIS Documents
EIS and related documents for downloading or online browsing.
Other resources include a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs), news updates, and e-mail notices of important events.
Background Information
In response to recommendations contained in the President's National Energy Policy that encourage the development of renewable energy resources, the BLM is undertaking efforts to evaluate additional wind energy development on public lands, including the establishment of a Wind Energy Development Program. The BLM currently administers numerous wind energy right-of-way authorizations on lands in several Western states and has received a large number of new project proposals. The BLM has determined that the establishment of a Wind Energy Development Program would be a major federal action that requires preparation of a Programmatic EIS.
Area's winds could power Windy City
Monday, July 4, 2005
Area's winds could power Windy City
McLean County panel to hear wind power plan
By Dan Caterinicchia
Associated Press
CHICAGO -- The Windy City earned the nickname from blowhard politicians, not its weather conditions, but the winds that blow across the vast expanses of farmland throughout Illinois may soon help power the energy-hungry Chicago area.
A Texas company will formally present a $500 million wind power project at a Tuesday hearing in Bloomington of the McLean County Zoning Board, the latest step in a process that began more than three years ago. The result -- in terms of energy produced -- would be the country's largest land-based wind farm.
The largest facility currently operating in the U.S. is on the border of Oregon and Washington and produces 300 megawatts, said Christine Real de Azua, a spokeswoman for the American Wind Energy Association.
The Central Illinois proposal -- called the Arrowsmith Wind Power Project -- would feature 267 wind turbines more than 260-feet tall and capable of producing 400 megawatts. The energy would be sent via transmission lines about 130 miles to the northeast, where it would be enough to power an estimated 120,000 homes annually in the Chicago area.
Many environmentalists champion wind farms as a source of clean power. But they have been challenged across the country by people who complain about the "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" sound their blades produce and say the modern-day windmills are a blight on the landscape.
In McLean County, residents and government officials have expressed concerns about the noise, but also a possible negative effect on the tax base by taking the farmland on which the windmills will be located out of production.
But officials with Zilkha Renewable Energy -- the company behind the Arrowsmith project -- have adequately addressed worries so far, said Philip Dick, McLean County's director of building and zoning. As long as they continue to do so, Dick expects zoning approval.
The nation gets less than 1 percent of its electricity from wind, and the American Wind Energy Association predicts no more than 6 percent by 2020.
Way to meet energy needs
Still, supporters argue that wind farms are a simple way to help the country meet its energy needs. Wind blows through the turbine causing its three massive blades to spin. That motion drives a generator which produces the electricity. The power then runs down a cable into a substation before being transferred to a utility grid where it mixes with electricity from other sources and goes out to meet demand, Real de Azua said.
Illinois currently has two wind farms in operation, but neither approaches the size of the Arrowsmith project.
When it is fully operational, the Crescent Ridge Windpower Project's 33 turbines in Bureau County will be able to generate up to 54 megawatts, enough to supply electricity to approximately 18,000 households, said Stefan Noe, president of Chicago-based developer Midwest Wind Energy. He said 13 turbines are currently running, but foundation issues with the remaining windmills required repairs that should be complete by the end of July.
The 63 turbines at Lee County's Mendota Hills Wind Farm have been spinning since November 2003 and have a capacity of 50.4 megawatts, enough to power approximately 15,000 homes, said Christopher Moore, managing director of Minneapolis, Minn.-based developer Navitas Energy, Inc.
Elroy Swope, 75, has four windmills on his Compton farm that are part of Mendota Hills project.
"I wouldn't do it again," he said. "It just didn't turn out the way it was supposed to."
Swope said he was told he would receive about $1,000 per year per windmill, but after one year, he has not received anywhere near $4,000. He declined to say how much he has been paid.
"Mr. Swope is a difficult person to keep happy," Navitas' Moore said, but he acknowledged that farmers were not paid as much as they expected last year. "2004 was a poor wind year and because it was the first facility, the first part of the year was what I would call startup. We didn't get as much production as we hoped."
This year has been better, but Moore declined to provide statistics about the wind farm's production in 2005.
In McLean County, the proposal calls for the 267 turbines to be constructed over 21,000 acres leased from area landowners, removing about 200 acres of land from crop production.
Zilkha has entered into five-year options with landowners that start at about $5,000 a year and include the right to enter into a 30-year land leases, said Michael Skelly, the Houston-based company's vice president of development.
If approved by the county's zoning board, the McLean County Board and the Federal Aviation Administration would still need to sign off on the proposal, and Zilkha must find utility companies to buy the power, Skelly said.
"There's still a lot of work to do," he said, adding that the best case scenario would have the wind farm partially done and producing power by the end of the 2006 and completed the following year.
Experts say Illinois' strong transmission capacity and huge customer base make up for its average wind speeds. Plus, the projects have the full support of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose renewable energy plan relies mostly on wind power.
Under Blagojevich's plan, electric utilities would provide 2 percent of their power from renewable energy sources by the end of 2006, increasing to 8 percent by 2012.
The Illinois Commerce Commission is examining Blagojevich's energy plan and its recommendation is expected by mid-July, said Steve Frenkel, the governor's senior policy adviser for the environment and energy. The state's two largest electric utilities, Commonwealth Edison and Ameren Corp., have already endorsed the plan, but if it passes they will not be obligated to purchase electricity from a specific wind farm or other renewable energy provider.
"We hope the plan that emerges from the commission very much reflects the governor's proposal," Frenkel said. "We hope to see turbines spinning and energy generated by the end of 2006," from the Arrowsmith project.
Area's winds could power Windy City
McLean County panel to hear wind power plan
By Dan Caterinicchia
Associated Press
CHICAGO -- The Windy City earned the nickname from blowhard politicians, not its weather conditions, but the winds that blow across the vast expanses of farmland throughout Illinois may soon help power the energy-hungry Chicago area.
A Texas company will formally present a $500 million wind power project at a Tuesday hearing in Bloomington of the McLean County Zoning Board, the latest step in a process that began more than three years ago. The result -- in terms of energy produced -- would be the country's largest land-based wind farm.
The largest facility currently operating in the U.S. is on the border of Oregon and Washington and produces 300 megawatts, said Christine Real de Azua, a spokeswoman for the American Wind Energy Association.
The Central Illinois proposal -- called the Arrowsmith Wind Power Project -- would feature 267 wind turbines more than 260-feet tall and capable of producing 400 megawatts. The energy would be sent via transmission lines about 130 miles to the northeast, where it would be enough to power an estimated 120,000 homes annually in the Chicago area.
Many environmentalists champion wind farms as a source of clean power. But they have been challenged across the country by people who complain about the "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" sound their blades produce and say the modern-day windmills are a blight on the landscape.
In McLean County, residents and government officials have expressed concerns about the noise, but also a possible negative effect on the tax base by taking the farmland on which the windmills will be located out of production.
But officials with Zilkha Renewable Energy -- the company behind the Arrowsmith project -- have adequately addressed worries so far, said Philip Dick, McLean County's director of building and zoning. As long as they continue to do so, Dick expects zoning approval.
The nation gets less than 1 percent of its electricity from wind, and the American Wind Energy Association predicts no more than 6 percent by 2020.
Way to meet energy needs
Still, supporters argue that wind farms are a simple way to help the country meet its energy needs. Wind blows through the turbine causing its three massive blades to spin. That motion drives a generator which produces the electricity. The power then runs down a cable into a substation before being transferred to a utility grid where it mixes with electricity from other sources and goes out to meet demand, Real de Azua said.
Illinois currently has two wind farms in operation, but neither approaches the size of the Arrowsmith project.
When it is fully operational, the Crescent Ridge Windpower Project's 33 turbines in Bureau County will be able to generate up to 54 megawatts, enough to supply electricity to approximately 18,000 households, said Stefan Noe, president of Chicago-based developer Midwest Wind Energy. He said 13 turbines are currently running, but foundation issues with the remaining windmills required repairs that should be complete by the end of July.
The 63 turbines at Lee County's Mendota Hills Wind Farm have been spinning since November 2003 and have a capacity of 50.4 megawatts, enough to power approximately 15,000 homes, said Christopher Moore, managing director of Minneapolis, Minn.-based developer Navitas Energy, Inc.
Elroy Swope, 75, has four windmills on his Compton farm that are part of Mendota Hills project.
"I wouldn't do it again," he said. "It just didn't turn out the way it was supposed to."
Swope said he was told he would receive about $1,000 per year per windmill, but after one year, he has not received anywhere near $4,000. He declined to say how much he has been paid.
"Mr. Swope is a difficult person to keep happy," Navitas' Moore said, but he acknowledged that farmers were not paid as much as they expected last year. "2004 was a poor wind year and because it was the first facility, the first part of the year was what I would call startup. We didn't get as much production as we hoped."
This year has been better, but Moore declined to provide statistics about the wind farm's production in 2005.
In McLean County, the proposal calls for the 267 turbines to be constructed over 21,000 acres leased from area landowners, removing about 200 acres of land from crop production.
Zilkha has entered into five-year options with landowners that start at about $5,000 a year and include the right to enter into a 30-year land leases, said Michael Skelly, the Houston-based company's vice president of development.
If approved by the county's zoning board, the McLean County Board and the Federal Aviation Administration would still need to sign off on the proposal, and Zilkha must find utility companies to buy the power, Skelly said.
"There's still a lot of work to do," he said, adding that the best case scenario would have the wind farm partially done and producing power by the end of the 2006 and completed the following year.
Experts say Illinois' strong transmission capacity and huge customer base make up for its average wind speeds. Plus, the projects have the full support of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose renewable energy plan relies mostly on wind power.
Under Blagojevich's plan, electric utilities would provide 2 percent of their power from renewable energy sources by the end of 2006, increasing to 8 percent by 2012.
The Illinois Commerce Commission is examining Blagojevich's energy plan and its recommendation is expected by mid-July, said Steve Frenkel, the governor's senior policy adviser for the environment and energy. The state's two largest electric utilities, Commonwealth Edison and Ameren Corp., have already endorsed the plan, but if it passes they will not be obligated to purchase electricity from a specific wind farm or other renewable energy provider.
"We hope the plan that emerges from the commission very much reflects the governor's proposal," Frenkel said. "We hope to see turbines spinning and energy generated by the end of 2006," from the Arrowsmith project.
REpower Systems and Denker & Wulf agree to sell one of Germany's largest wind farm portfolios to GE Commercial Finance Energy Financial Services
REpower Systems and Denker & Wulf agree to sell one of Germany's largest wind farm portfolios
Hamburg, 4 July 2005. REpower Systems AG and Denker & Wulf AG announced today their agreement to sell one of Germany's largest wind farm portfolios. GE Commercial Finance Energy Financial Services agreed to buy four wind farms from Denker & Wulf and one from REpower Systems for EUR 135.5 million ($164.5 million), including the assumption of debt. The sale, the second of a wind portfolio by REpower and Denker & Wulf, is subject to satisfaction of various conditions, including governmental anti-competition review.
The wind electricity generation projects - in Grossvargula, Zabelsdorf, Premslin-Kribbe, Falkenwalde and Heckelberg-Breydin (eastern Germany) -
comprise 66 REpower MD turbines, each with 1.5 megawatts of rated power, for total electricity production of 99 megawatts. At the Heckelberg-Breydin wind farm, ten of 18 turbines are generating electricity; the remaining eight are scheduled to come on stream at the end of September of this year. Electricity produced by the wind farms is sold to regional electricity grid operators. Once fully operational, the wind farms will produce enough energy annually to power 60,000 homes and will save approximately 200,000 tones a year in greenhouse gas emissions, measured against equivalent fossil fuel generation.
REpower Systems AG Alsterkrugchaussee 378 22335 Hamburg Deutschland
ISIN: DE0006177033 WKN: 617703 Listed: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin-Bremen, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, München und Stuttgart
End of ad hoc announcement (c)DGAP 04.07.2005
Issuer's information/explanatory remarks concerning this ad hoc announcement:
"The sale of the wind farm portfolio to GE Commercial Finance Energy Financial Services proves the positioning of REpower in the wind energy industry, which is also an attractive technology investment for financial investors,"concluded REpower's CEO, Prof. Dr. Fritz Vahrenholt.
Heiko Baumann, REpower's Project Finance Manager for this transaction, added: "This landmark investment by an international player represents the entry of a new class of investors in the German market."
Managing Director Torsten Levsen of Denker & Wulf commented: "Denker & Wulf has again confirmed its position as one of the leading developers of wind energy projects in Germany. We are proud of our work, which now has attracted an institutional investor like GE."
Andrew Marsden, Managing Director of GE Commercial Finance Energy Financial Services' European operations, said: "This transaction represents our biggest commitment to wind energy investment in Europe and supports our strategy to grow in Europe and renewable energy." Energy Financial Services' European Executive Director and transaction leader, Mark Jones, added: "Germany is a key growth area for us because it is Europe's premier wind energy market, with installed capacity of more than 16,600 megawatts."
Contacts: REpower Systems AG
Daniela Puttenat Corporate Communications & Public Relations Tel.: +49 - 40 - 53 93 07- 14 Fax: +49 - 40 - 53 93 07- 37 E-mail: d.puttenat@repower.de
Thomas Schnorrenberg Investor Relations Tel.: +49 - 40 - 53 93 07- 23 Fax: +49 - 40 - 53 93 07- 77 E-mail: t.schnorrenberg@repower.de
End of message (c)DGAP
04.07.2005, 10:05
Hamburg, 4 July 2005. REpower Systems AG and Denker & Wulf AG announced today their agreement to sell one of Germany's largest wind farm portfolios. GE Commercial Finance Energy Financial Services agreed to buy four wind farms from Denker & Wulf and one from REpower Systems for EUR 135.5 million ($164.5 million), including the assumption of debt. The sale, the second of a wind portfolio by REpower and Denker & Wulf, is subject to satisfaction of various conditions, including governmental anti-competition review.
The wind electricity generation projects - in Grossvargula, Zabelsdorf, Premslin-Kribbe, Falkenwalde and Heckelberg-Breydin (eastern Germany) -
comprise 66 REpower MD turbines, each with 1.5 megawatts of rated power, for total electricity production of 99 megawatts. At the Heckelberg-Breydin wind farm, ten of 18 turbines are generating electricity; the remaining eight are scheduled to come on stream at the end of September of this year. Electricity produced by the wind farms is sold to regional electricity grid operators. Once fully operational, the wind farms will produce enough energy annually to power 60,000 homes and will save approximately 200,000 tones a year in greenhouse gas emissions, measured against equivalent fossil fuel generation.
REpower Systems AG Alsterkrugchaussee 378 22335 Hamburg Deutschland
ISIN: DE0006177033 WKN: 617703 Listed: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin-Bremen, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, München und Stuttgart
End of ad hoc announcement (c)DGAP 04.07.2005
Issuer's information/explanatory remarks concerning this ad hoc announcement:
"The sale of the wind farm portfolio to GE Commercial Finance Energy Financial Services proves the positioning of REpower in the wind energy industry, which is also an attractive technology investment for financial investors,"concluded REpower's CEO, Prof. Dr. Fritz Vahrenholt.
Heiko Baumann, REpower's Project Finance Manager for this transaction, added: "This landmark investment by an international player represents the entry of a new class of investors in the German market."
Managing Director Torsten Levsen of Denker & Wulf commented: "Denker & Wulf has again confirmed its position as one of the leading developers of wind energy projects in Germany. We are proud of our work, which now has attracted an institutional investor like GE."
Andrew Marsden, Managing Director of GE Commercial Finance Energy Financial Services' European operations, said: "This transaction represents our biggest commitment to wind energy investment in Europe and supports our strategy to grow in Europe and renewable energy." Energy Financial Services' European Executive Director and transaction leader, Mark Jones, added: "Germany is a key growth area for us because it is Europe's premier wind energy market, with installed capacity of more than 16,600 megawatts."
Contacts: REpower Systems AG
Daniela Puttenat Corporate Communications & Public Relations Tel.: +49 - 40 - 53 93 07- 14 Fax: +49 - 40 - 53 93 07- 37 E-mail: d.puttenat@repower.de
Thomas Schnorrenberg Investor Relations Tel.: +49 - 40 - 53 93 07- 23 Fax: +49 - 40 - 53 93 07- 77 E-mail: t.schnorrenberg@repower.de
End of message (c)DGAP
04.07.2005, 10:05
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