Building a new industry in America: Components for Wind Turbines

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Excerpt: by Ed Weston Despite the push from Washington and state capitals for ‘green jobs,’ the wind industry has found them harder to create than expected.  Latest estimates of domestic content of US turbines are estimated at less than 50%.  With the help of organizations like the Great Lakes WIND …

Community wind shapes a growing trend

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Excerpt: An emerging group of wind-farm developers are focusing on midsized project farms and in places utility companies are overlooking. These community-wind projects, ranging from five to 80 MW, are cropping up in part due to recent financial incentives and guidance from firms such as OwnEnergy Inc, Brook …

A powerful idea: Wind turbines in the city

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Excerpt: Not all wind farms have to be located far from power purchasers. A recent ribbon-cutting for a 120 kW turbine was right in Cleveland, Ohio, where the turbine is visible to thousands driving by on I-480 and Pearl Rd. Electrical Design Consultants President David Graneto, Pepper Pike, Ohio, says p …

Analyzing building-integrated wind

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Excerpt: Russell M. Tencer/CEO, Wind Products LLC/New York, NY Controversy seems to follow the installation of wind turbines on building rooftops, and for good reason. On one hand, there can be considerable wind with harvestable kinetic energy at roof level. Accessing this clean, renewable sou …

Six criteria for more reliable wind farm networks

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Excerpt: Scott Killian/Sixnet, LLC/Ballston Lake, NY/sixnet.com A high-speed, industrial-grade network infrastructure offers wind farm operators many benefits, including improved operational management, visibility and access to key data. Networking a wind farm provides real-time data capture to moni …

Novel transmission to give small turbines a boost

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Excerpt: A continuously variable transmission with features similar to planetary gearbox could improve energy capture for smaller wind turbines along with reducing capital costs. The transmission works by changing the contact position on a set of planetary balls on which input and output disks ride. Continuo …

Dept. Of Energy Gives $20.5M To Community Projects

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Excerpt: Steven Chu, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary, announced that five projects will receive a combined US $20.5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support deployment of community-based renewable energy projects which include biomass, wind and solar installations. The …

Here’s what I think, Feb 2010

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Excerpt: Economic conditions don’t look good right now. Our nation is at war, businesses struggle to get sales going, and the future feels uncertain. To make matters worse, baby boomers, the most experienced people in your company, are thinking about retirement and some will take advantage of it. If there …

Wind-turbine manufacturer adds solar interest, changes name

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Excerpt: Earth Turbines Inc, Williston, Vermont, the state's only manufacturer of small scale grid-connected wind and solar tracking systems, announces a corporate name change to AllEarth Renewables Inc. "Our company is dedicated to developing new wind and solar technologies," says David Blittersdor …

Obama Gives $2.3B In Tax Credits to Solar & Wind Energy

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Excerpt: President Barack Obama last week announced the award of US $2.3 billion in Recovery Act Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits. One hundred eighty three projects in 43 states will receive that funds that are meant to help create tens of thousands of jobs through the domestic manufacturing of adva …