Today, GE announced 110 MW of orders to supply some of Germany’s newest wind farms with its brilliant 2.5-120 wind turbines, further establishing the company as a leading supplier of renewable resources in the region. It will supply a total of 44 GE 2.5-120 wind turbines for eight new German wind farms. “GE’s 2.5-120 wind…
Downwind: Off-grid system turns to windpower when solar is not enough
Off-grid industrial devices and substations powered with solar panels have speckled the countryside for years. Solar, after all, is more cost-effective than running power lines at up to $100,000 per mile. But what about the weather? Snow can cover photovoltaic cells, which lets batteries run dry, and that may take critical equipment offline. In the…
Windpower work around North America
More than 12,000 MW of windpower generating capacity was under construction in the fourth quarter of 2013, according to the latest AWEA market report. At least 60 PPAs for nearly 8,000 MW were signed by utilities and corporate purchasers, of which 5,200 MW have not yet started construction. The U.S. wind industry installed 1,084 MW…
Testing center opens for turbines of all sizes
West Texas A&M University and UL have opened a turbine testing facility on 480 acres in Canyon, Texas. The Advanced Outdoor Wind Test Facility will provide services for manufacturers of large, small, and micro-scale wind turbines, as well as research and design testing. The facility lies in the middle of the Great Plains Wind Corridor,…
DNV GL launches six scientific reports on sustainability
DNV GL kicked off its 150th anniversary year with an event in Singapore for more than 500 customers, employees, and stakeholders, together exploring insights and actions necessary to achieve its vision of “global impact for a safe and sustainable future.” Can the shipping industry cut fatality rates by 90%? Why should business help society build…
Honeywell opens enrollment for fall protection courses in 30 cities
Honeywell Safety Products announced the 2014 open enrollment schedule, featuring Miller fall prevention and protection training. This comprehensive offering of fall prevention and protection classes is part of the Honeywell Safety Institute, an initiative aimed at providing educational tools, resources, and training programs that inspire workers to implement good safety practices in industries around the…
Wind Talk: Siemens’ windpower CEO discusses 10-MW turbines, energy policy and domestic manufacturing
Siemens continues to receive orders from windpower developers across the United States. In December, the company received an order from MidAmerican Energy for 448 turbines – the largest order ever for onshore wind turbines. The company also announced a duo of projects in Texas that will use its turbines, adding up to 250-MW of clean…
Windpower technicians face the freeze
Windpower technicians across the United States were forced to cancel maintenance runs in early January when the polar vortex – a mass of low-pressure and extremely cold air, usually found swirling above Siberia and Northern Canada – had moved south into American airspace. The air mass brought sub-zero temperatures to places unacquainted with extreme chill.…
Tri Global Energy selects Alstom for 80-MW project
Alstom Power is slated to supply 4 ECO110 and 25 ECO122 wind turbines and provide 10 years of service and maintenance for the 80-MW Fiber Winds Energy project near Lorenzo and Ralls, Texas. The agreement, which came in December, secures a “safe harbor” position on the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for Fiber Winds Energy. Construction…
Wind Talk: Protecting windpower technicians in the bitter cold
It’s been a cold winter so far, and while many people think walking across a parking lot to a car is unbearable, windpower technicians working at a rural turbine site or 300 ft. up can experience a more extreme chill, one that is potentially dangerous. In this Wind Talk podcast, we’ll learn how technicians working…
Ergodyne shirts are comfortable and meet standards, too
For workers needing ANSI-compliant hi-visibility clothing, GloWear provides comfort, compliance, and visibility in a single garment that withstands the elements. ANSI 107-compliance is becoming mandatory in more work environments, and employees are looking for compliant clothing that meet their needs for climate and comfort. The GloWear shirts offer workers choices of performance classes, styles, and…
Moxa device configures with settings on thumb drive
The ioLogik R1200 series, a line of dual-independent RS-485 serial interface remote I/O devices, lets integrators use dual-bus redundant or extended-length remote I/O daisy-chain topologies in wide temperature environments (-40° to 85°C on some models). Five models are available with various analog and digital input and output configurations for interfacing to field sensors, such as…
Joints make cable splicing easier
The Elastimold Shrink-Fit Cable Joint combines pre-molded splicing with the versatility of cold-shrink methods. The joint features a single-piece body that installs using a self-ejecting plastic support core, which can be removed by hand. A four-piece plastic support core reinforces the openings at both sides of the joint. To create a splice, users insert a…
Stauff breathers remove moisture from gearbox
When air flows through a gearbox breather, it can introduce moisture into the system. Temperature fluctuations cause the water in the air to condense, which can cause corrosion on the drive gears and oxidize oil, possibly leading to serious damage of components. With Stauff’s desiccant breathers, air first passes through a drying agent of non-toxic…
Vaisala sensor adjusts lighting based on weather
Some countries have established regulations for reducing intensity of obstruction lights based on visibility. The PWD series of weather detectors and visibility sensors offers a variety of visibility measurement ranges (MOR). It also characterizes reduced visibility, identifies precipitation, measures accumulation and intensity, and offers different report formats. The PWD12 and PWD22 by Vaisala identify precipitation…
STATCOM lets wind farms comply with grid requirements
With population growth, worldwide industrialization, and the emergence of new technology, expanding energy infrastructure and investing in sustainable power sources is becoming more critical than ever. Many utilities are looking to windpower as a viable alternative to traditional fossil fuel based power plants, as it is a safe and constant source of power that has…
Adhesives for windpower offer diverse characteristics
As windpower has become an important part of the world’s overall energy production, wind turbine manufacturers have sought out tough, durable adhesives to join the large, complex composite structures in wind turbine blades and nacelles. Structural adhesives are specifically formulated to join a variety of composite materials – thermosets and thermoplastics, as well as metal…
State RPS policies survive challenges in 2013
Make no mistake, state renewable portfolio standards (RPS) have been a key driver of the solar and windpower industries, along with federal tax incentives, and RPS policy will continue to push utility-scale development for years to come. Still, companies are preparing for the changes and challenges that lie ahead. Overall, 2013 was a year of…
Vaisala acquires 3TIER
Vaisala has broadened its position in the renewable energy market through its acquisition of 3TIER, a U.S.-based company with $9 million net sales in 2012 and 55 employees. The value of the deal is EUR 10.7 million. Vaisala is using its existing cash balance to finance the transaction. This acquisition will not have a material…
Wind Talk: GE discusses PowerUp, a way to increase wind farm output by up to 5%
I’m Steven Bushong, assistant editor at Windpower Engineering & Development magazine. Welcome to another edition of Wind Talk, our podcast series that gives you the opportunity to hear from the industry’s newsmakers in their own words. In this edition, we hear from Jeff Wiener, Global Sales Leader for GE Wind Services, which is part of…