This report builds on NextGen Climate America’s analysis in November showing that meeting carbon emissions reduction goals at the national level will help grow the United States economy, create millions of jobs across the country, increase household disposable incomes, and lower energy bills.
China’s non-hydropower renewable installed capacity will more than triple to 609 GW by 2025, says GlobalData
Cumulative installed capacity for renewables, excluding hydropower, in China will more than triple from 196.3 GW in 2015 to an estimated 608.9 GW by 2025, representing a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 12%, driven primarily by ambitious government targets for onshore wind, according to research and consulting firm GlobalData. The report, titled: China Power Market…
WINDPOWER 2015 launches in Orlando as wind industry elects new leadership
Just miles from where NASA launches rockets to explore the final frontier, wind power developers, manufacturers, workers, executives, and more from around the world gather today for a four-day exploration into what’s next for wind energy in the U.S. The WINDPOWER 2015 Conference & Exhibition of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) kicks off this…
Support for renewables is wider than you think
Editor’s note: The following article, by energy lawyer Patricia M. French, shows that the wind industry has support from across the political spectrum. Yet too often, conservatives are mislabeled as anti-renewable energy when just the opposite is true. This should be greeted as good news because wide support will be a valuable commodity for growing…
Energy Secretary Moniz to attend and speak at WINDPOWER 2015
The U.S. Department of Energy has confirmed that Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz will speak at WINDPOWER, the U.S. wind industry’s largest annual event. This will be the first time ever that the head of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) attends the annual conference and exhibition, which will be held this year in Orlando,…
Wind energy accelerates record growth in first quarter
Strong growth in the U.S. wind energy industry accelerated during the first quarter of 2015, with a near-record 13,600 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity under construction across 100 projects in 23 states. This bumper crop of new wind projects will be on display in less than three weeks when over 8,000 are expected to join…
HELUKABEL introduces new cable technologies for the wind industry
HELUKABEL, a global cable manufacturer, will introduce their latest cabling technologies for wind energy at the industry’s leading annual conference and exhibition, WINDPOWER 2015. One of the largest wind energy events in North America, WINDPOWER 2015 takes place in Orlando, Florida, May 18-21, and will gather thousands of industry professionals to promote unity within the…
ACCIONA Windpower will supply 129 MW to a wind farm in Mexico
ACCIONA Windpower, the ACCIONA Group subsidiary that designs, manufactures, and markets wind turbines, will supply 43 three-megawatt (MW) turbines–with a total of 129 MW–to a renewable energy sector company for a wind farm in Mexico. With this contract, ACCIONA Windpower has now sold 988.5 MW in Mexico, of which 38% correspond to its 3-MW turbine.…
Keeping turbines and workers safe with lightning diverters and electric meters
High current is a hazard to the turbine and technicians alike. For the turbine, lightning strikes can damage blades and short out electric equipment when not sufficiently grounded. There are ways to handle the high current in lightning. Inside the nacelle, technicians have to diagnose issues to get troubled turbines back into production as soon…
Making a case for the Production Tax Credit
Here’s a more balanced look at the benefits of the Production Tax Credit The Institute for Energy Research, one of the wind industry’s unconverted allies, released a grey paper of invented arguments against renewing the Production Tax Credit (PTC). The last I recall, the House passed the so-called extenders tax package that includes some 55…
Ecofys explains how water heaters help wind turbines
A new study showed home water heaters can help integrate wind energy into the region’s power system. A study by Ecofys energy consultants demonstrates that residential electric water heaters and furnaces, refrigerated warehouses, and commercial heating and cooling loads can help the power grid accommodate variable wind energy. The project funded by Bonneville Power Administration…
Downwind: A floating wind farm with lodging
A 750-meter-long floating wind farm with living space could harness energy from places too deep and seabed conditions too difficult for bottom-mounted wind development. Hexicon, a Swedish design and engineering company, says its wind-farm design will use a centralized turret mooring system that lets a platform and its turbines automatically align to the wind. The…
Hey buddy, can you spare a machinist?
At a recent conference, a colleague from Chicago-based machine shop Bley LLC showed me pictures of the huge parts his team manufacturers. A gearbox front housing with torque arms, for instance, appeares over 6-ft in diameter. Main shafts are some 6-ft long and 2-ft in diameter with 5-ft diameter flanges on one end. Company manager…
Hall effect series with 4 to 20mA output
The continuous shortage of Hall Effect sensors is trouble for manufacturers. But Premo’s family of Hall effect sensors have an output current with a fixed range of 4 to 20mA. The new series provides a linearity <0.5% with a ±1% accuracy levels. The bandwidth is up to 6kHz with a response time less than 200…
Tough tubing tasks made much easier
The light, portable TurnPro tool can automatically assemble two ferrules and a high-purity-tube fitting to manufacturer recommendations. The tool is easy to handle because controls in the power house (motor body) accurately measure 1.25 turns from “finger tight” and then shut the motor off. The tool provides a repeatable fitting make-up every time. The tool…
Alarm software texts you when things go awry
TopView software lets users configure alarms, monitor remote processes, signal notifications, and more. The software is a comprehensive, cost-effective alarm management and notification program that’s useful when data must be monitored, such as in wind turbines and other non-manned facilities. The software lets users quickly respond to abnormal conditions. Users can customize notification messages and…
Pinned joints assemble tubular transmission poles faster
The arms on tubular steel transmission poles typically attach using as many as 16 bolts. It takes a small crew about a half an hour to get an arm in place, attach all of those bolts and nuts, and then tighten to specifications. Engineers at Thomas & Betts developed a connection using a pinned joint…
Obstruction light runs on 2W
A medium-intensity obstruction light flashes red to mark structures at night that present a hazard to aviation. The L450-864-G has benefits of advanced LED and controls, as well as an effective intensity of 2,000 cd red, 20 fpm night flashing operating mode, horizontal beam coverage of 360°, vertical beam profile of 3° min., and stabilized…
Cooling electronics in a hot nacelle
It’s no secret that wind-turbine capacity, particularly for offshore turbines, continues to grow each year with 6 to 10 MW on the horizon. Even with efficiency improvements, key power generation subsystems —including generators, power-conversion electronics and transformers—are challenged to manage ever increasing heat within limited nacelle space. In addition, even if incurred power losses are…
How ultracaps improve blade pitch drives
On modern wind turbines, each blade is adjusted by an independent electro-mechanical pitch-control unit. The electronic controller checks the turbine’s power output several times each second. Should the power output become too high, the controller signals the blade-pitch mechanisms to turn the rotor blades slightly out of the wind. Conversely, when wind velocity decreases, the…