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Anaconda wave energy system tested in Qinetiq ship tank

May 6th, 2009 | Posted in Hydro

Anaconda wave energy covnerter is a renewable energy concept that harnesses wave power by mimicing the action of a sea snake. Basically, there is a head part of the device, with a long trailing tail that oscilates together with the waves on the ocean surface. It can be about 200 meters long and made almost entirely from rubber, capable of generatin about 1 MW of power per unit. A typical large scale "snake" farm would consist of about 50 snakes, totalling in about 50 MW of wave power generated electricity. Anaconda is developed by Checkmate Group, UK based.

Anacondas are anchored to the seabed and floated just beneath the water surface. Passing waves form bulges down the water filled trailing tail, generating power to drive a turbine in the tail. Generated electricity is then transported ashore using cables.

Anaconda test device used at Qinetiq's test tank. (Image credit: Qinetiq)

Even though the concept has been introduced some time ago, this is the first time it has actually been tested in lab conditions. It is now in the final stages of exhaustive testing at Qinetiq's test tank. A 270 meter Anaconda is being put under rigorous testing conditions simulating various ocean and wave conditions the device could encounter in real world usage. The Qinetiq test facility is located in Gosport, Hampshire. The test tank is one of the largest in the UK.

If everything goes as planned, Anacondas could be used in large scale commercial projects as early as 2014. With much less moving mechanical parts, compared to other wave energy devices, the Anacondas represent a commercially viable alternative. If accepted, the Anaconda wave energy converters can play a significany role in UK's plans to achieve 20% renewable energy by 2020. Once established, the UK derived technology can be licensed for use around the world. Interesting deployment areas include the US and South American western seashores, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, Japan, New Zealand…

CSP modules integrated into the sides of building and roofs

May 6th, 2009 | Posted in Solar

Manel Ibáñez, Ferran Badia, Daniel Chemisana and Joan Ignasi Rosell behind the concentration solar power system. (Image credit: Jordi V. Pou)

The University of Lleida (Spain) has obtained a new patent for integrating concentrated solar power (CSP) modules with facades or building roofs. These modules can produce electricity, heat and be used for cooling (if installed with heat pumps). The thermal PV modular system concentrates sun power ten times (10x) which means it gets 10 times more sun energy than the conventional PV module system. Just for comparison, large scale CSP power plants concentrate sun energy a few hundred times, like the big CSP plant, the PS20 in Spain, for example.

The solar power modules are smaller in surface area, which brings cost reduction, but are also easily integrated into a building's outward appearance, becoming a virtual "second skin" of the building. Power generated this way is a good solution for residential buildings, companies or farms. The system consists of a stationary lens and a linear absorber plate which concentrates sunlight in order to generate energy. This method uses less available space, otherwise occupied by standard solar power modules, which change position in order to capture optimal amounts of sunlight. An international patent has been requested for the system.

The global efficiency of this module could go above 60%. University researchers anticipate commercialization of this system in about a year, if companies decide to use this technology.

GE Energy and WSI form alliance to provide forecasting technology for wind farms

May 6th, 2009 | Posted in Wind

ge-energy wsi

GE Energy and WSI Corporation, member of Weather Channel companies, announced at Windpower 2009 that they have formed an alliance which will bring together two technology platforms and invoke further advancements in forecasting technology for wind farm operators and transmission and distribution providers. WSI will build upon its existing wind power and wind speed forecasting capabilities in order to develop technology for more accurate wind power industry forecasting. The improvements will help in turbine performance optimization, power production planning and integration of wind energy transmission.

The alliance will also work on technology for collecting real-time wind and turbine data, and include this data into proprietary forecast models. This will result in customized forecast and operational guidance services.

Since 2002, when GE first entered the wind energy business, the company has invested about US$850 million in wind turbine research and improvements. Currently, GE has about 12,000 of its wind turbines operational world wide.

Siemens is going to build a wind turbine production facility in the US

May 5th, 2009 | Posted in Wind

Siemens is planning to build a production facility for manufacturing wind turbines in Hutchinson, Kansas. About 400 jobs are expected to be created initially. Once production begins Siemens will be able to more effectively meet the growing demand for wind turbines and equipment in the Americas. The facility is going to occupy about 300,000 square feet in area, with construction beginning in August 2009. It will produce nacelles (mounted on top of the wind turbine tower, providing support for the rotor and housing electrical power generation components).

The produced nacelles will weigh about 90 tons, with the first one coming out of the production facility in December 2010. All the produced nacelles will be used in the company's proven and reliable 2.3 MW unit family. The planned output is at about 650 nacelles, equivalent to about 1500 MW of wind turbine capacity.

Two years ago Siemens opened a wind turbine blade factory in Iowa, so the new nacelle manufacturing facility is an expansion of the already present manufacturing operation in the US. Another benefit for the company is it's going to be a lot closer to its customers in North and South America, making delivery much easier and cheaper. Hutchinson is at the center of the country basically, providing very good work force potential and excellent transportation logistics – products will be loaded onto rail, and delivered directly to various locations on the continent. Additionally, products can be shipped using river barges from Catoosa, some 250 miles away from the factory site.

Suzlon gets a 52 MW wind farm contract

May 5th, 2009 | Posted in Wind

suzlon Rumor has it Suzlon just got a 52 MW wind farm contract from Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC). The wind farm is located in Kutch, and is planned to be commissioned before September this year. According to this article, the financial tie-up has been arranged and advance payment has already been made to Suzlon as part of the contract for this project. There is no mention about the actual amount involved at this point.

GSPC has invited bids for setting up a 200 MW wind farm for generating clean electricity in the state in January, this year. Thirteen companies have purchased the bid document, but only two of these companies, Suzlon and Vestas, finally entered the bidding for this project. GSPC plans to award the remaining planned capacity to new contracts, after the first 52 MW wind farm is commissioned in September.

Sunfilm and Sontor merge to become a leading manufacturer of Si-based thin film modules

May 4th, 2009 | Posted in Solar

Cross section of Si tandem thin film module. (Image credit: Sontor)

Sunfilm AG and Sontor Gmbh have merged to form a new company, to be called Sunfilm AG, with the aim to become one of the leading manufacturers of thin film silicon based modules. The merger is based upon several characteristics:

- combined expertise in production and research & development,
- the company reaches a critical size for achieving higher productivity and accelerated growth,
- it will continue full support for its shareholders Q-Cells, Good Energies, NorSun.

The new company will be able to answer the growing demand in the thin film solar market. Sunfilm is already one of the largest junction tandem thin film module manufacturers, with about 85 MWp at two current production sites in Bitterfeld-Wolfen and Grossroehrsdorf, but also with the additional 60 MWp capacity which is under construction in Grossroehrsdorf. The company states they will be able to create a competitive advantage on the market by shear economics of scale. Additionally, the company can achieve various cost savings, including synergies in purchasing, and from consolidating overlapping segments. Sunfilm is aiming to achieve a high research and development position, with the goal to significantly advance the technology of solar modules with an even better performance.

Major shareholders in the company will continue to support the new company. Q-Cells will hold 50%, Good Energies 35% and NorSun 15% stake in the company. This development will work towards strengthening Germany's position as center for PV technology. Production sites will be in Grossroehrsdorf and Bitterfeld-Wolfen, while a research and development center will be located in Bitterfeld-Wolfen.

An Australian solar cell and Thai energy authority form joint business for solar power plant development

May 4th, 2009 | Posted in Solar

During the recent Australia roadshow, where Thai Industry Minister Charnchai Chairungrueng visited Australia and discussed potential cooperation areas and deals with the Australian authorities and businesses, among which a joint venture was spawned between EGAT and an Australian solar cell company, for the development of a 63 MW solar power plant in Thailand. This would be one of the first mega renewable energy projects on the Thai market. The deal is rumored to be about Bt10 billion (about US$1.5 billion). Australian associations of investors expressed interest in investing and developing alternative energy projects with Thai companies.

This is a significant development, that could push Thailand and its energy economy in the direction of clean affordable energy. The country has solar energy potential, and offshore wind to an extent. Development of these energy sources will help the country answer the growing demand for energy, as well as bring jobs to the developing economy.

NRDC renewable energy map of US

May 2nd, 2009 | Posted in General

Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), an environmental action group whose mission is to "safeguard the Earth", is hosting a nice online interactive map of renewable energy in the US. The map shows the country divided into states, color coded according to the kind of renewable energy being shown (blue tones for wind, red tones for solar, biogass brown, and cellulosic biomass green. Darker shades of each color tone represent areas that are richest with the corresponding type of renewable energy resources. For example, Arizona is a very dark red, signifying that solar projects in this area would enjoy the most sunlight, while Idaho has a nice big patch of dark blue, which means wind power projects would be a great option there. The map can show existing and/or planned facilities, depending on the user's choice.

us-renewable-energy-map

Users can easily input basic location information such as zip code, and quickly be shown a corresponding zoomed area corresponding, usually a county within a state. Unforutunately, this is where the tool stops with information. So far, the map boils down to having a general overview of renewable energy resource availability in the US, down to the county level, but unfortunately it only covers wind, solar, biogas and biomass (where is hydro power or geothermal?). There are tables with values associated with different classes of renewable energy availability, although associated with numbers representing a class, rather than color coded, which can be somewhat confusing, but it is easy enough to get the idea of the available parameters for a certain area. It would maybe have been nicer to present the data on the areas themselves, rather than having to click and look at an overlaying layer showing the tables.

Sveral US states have been covered in more detail – Florida, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. If you are wondering why these five particular states, NRDC points them out as the most promising states in terms of renewable energy infrastructure. Additional state profiles will be added over time.

Check it out here.

Smarter wind turbine blades using computational software and sensor monitoring

May 2nd, 2009 | Posted in Wind

Image credit: Purdue University

Purdue University and Sandia National Laboratory researchers have developed a technique that uses computational software to constantly monitor forces exerted on wind turbine blades. The data is fed into an active control system that precisely adjusts components to new conditions in order to optimize efficiency. The new system could also help improve turbine reliability by providing critical real-time info to the control system which could prevent catastrophic wind turbine damage caused by high winds.

Engineers embedded sensors – uniaxial and triaxial accelerometers – inside a wind turbine blade, while the blade was in the building process. The test blade is now being monitored at the US Department of Agriculture's Agriculture Research Service lab in Bushland, Texas, operated by Sandia and USDA. Sensors such as these could be used in future generation turbine blades, and allow the turbine blades to change geometry to answer the changing wind conditions, much like airplane wings are able to change shape with moving surfaces (flaps, control surfaces). By changing the aerodynamic characteristics of wind turbine blades, a greater control over their performance in various wind conditions can be achieved. Research findings, using the trio of sensors and the "estimator model" software, accurately shows how much force is being put on the blades.

Detailed findings from this research study, done by Jonathan White, Douglas Adams and Sandia engineer Mark Rumsey, are going to be presented on May 4, at the Windpower 2009 Conference & Exhibition in Chicago.

Final feasibility study for Great Lakes offshore wind pilot project released

May 2nd, 2009 | Posted in Wind

great-lakes-wind-power Great Lakes Energy Development Task Force announced the release of a feasibility study of an offshore wind turbine pilot project in Lake Erie. The study was started about a year ago, and was commissioned for the purposes of the Great Lakes Wind Energy Center which was envisioned to be consisted of 5-20 MW pilot offshore wind projects in Lake Erie, near downtown Cleveland and associated test, certification and advanced research centers.

The final report represents a summarized collection of results from the feasibility study including a wide variety of technical and economic disciplines, and covers a one-year study period. Bottom line is – the Pilot Project is technically and environmentally feasible, with pending further studies to done on selected issues, approvals and solutions for a greater economic viability.

The location of the future Pilor Project is 3-5 miles off the shores of downtown Cleveland. There are nine potential configurations at various locations in the area, with recommendations towards an area east of the Cleveland water intake Crib.

Capital costs for the project are estimated to be between US$72-92 million (depending on wind turbine sizes), and represents design, construction, associated infrastructure, onshore facilities, and other costs. This investment is expected to boost wind energy projects in the Great Lakes area, identifying the viability of large-scale offshore wind energy projects in the area. Ohio has been seen as the leading state for research, manufacturing and employment growth related to wind energy development.

One of the strategic goals of this study was to kick-start the depressed regional economy by building a new industry which can offer next-generation jobs, according to the Task Force. Spain has been further cited as an example of how commitment and strategic planning has made the country a leader in renewable energy, developing a large renewable energy industry sector and creating many jobs. Cleveland is seen as an area with similar potential.