The first two paragraphs of the 11 pages in Step 1 are
Know the wind quality at your site(s)
Cost-effective development of wind power for electricity generation occurs in areas rated Class 3 (gold) or higher. Because long-term meteorological tower measurements often indicate significantly greater- as much as one class or more- wind energy potential than the map shows, it is “money in your pocket” when you know the wind.
Wind energy density classes are color-coded on this NREL map of the South Dakota Wind Resource.
“Know your wind.” What exactly does that mean? In order to earn money by harvesting some of the 1,030 billion kWhs of power from the wind blowing through our state every year, you need to know the qualities of the wind at your site(s). Soil qualities such as moisture, pH, nitrogen, percentages of sand and/or clay determine potential crop yield; wind qualities are similar indicators of potential yield.
10 Steps to Successful Wind Farming "fleshes out" wind farming in a handbook on farm energy production I am editing. The paper version of the handbook will cost $5.95; a Microsoft Publisher file will be available for $8.95; an online version with more links than "you can shake a stick at" will be available by subscription. The link to the SD Wind Resource Map is one link in the online version; another example is "If you want to make wind variability visible, draw a “wind rose.”
Looking at the map tells us that nearly every South Dakotan can harvest and sell wind power and "green credits" to buyers nationwide. The handbook will be a starting point for action by individuals, groups, businesses, and communities, action that means profiting from every windy day.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Farm energy production will "soften" coal
Lagerwey is developing a permanent magnet drive 100kW wind turbine. If the design is efficient and robust, every rural community on the Upper Great and Great Plains could install one or more to reduce the bite of increasing electricity rates and provide power to ethanol plants. Electricity is quality of life; rural Americans can act to improve "QoL."
A “Letter to the Editor” in The Wall Street Journal (13 August) spurred me to read the 25 June report the letter referenced in the context of HR 2154 (“Rural Energy”). America's “fossil-fuel addiction” will lead to diversifying ag incomes and wide-spread rural development through energy production. Or we will “twiddle our thumbs” until our quality of life “goes to hell in a hand-basket.” One or the other- our choice.
In enacting HR 2154- Rural Energy for America Act of 2007- the Congress found that--
(1) rising energy costs and uncertain long-term energy supplies threaten to undermine the growth of the United States economy;
(2) since 2003, fuel and fertilizer costs have nearly doubled for agricultural producers;
(3) there are continuing and increasing risks to the energy security of the United States;
(4) having an affordable, reliable, and plentiful energy supply will strengthen the United States economy and improve domestic energy security;
(5) the agricultural sector can provide a significant source of clean, sustainable energy for the United States that can reduce the dependence of the United States on imported energy and lower energy costs for all people of the United States;
(6) agriculture-based energy--
(A) boosts rural economic development
(B) increases farm-based income
(C) creates manufacturing, construction, and service jobs
(D) expands economic opportunity for all people and
(E) improves environmental quality.
A little more than one month later, on 25 July, 2007, “New Power Plants Fueled by Coal Are Put on Hold” was published by The Wall Street Journal. Rebecca Smith reported, on pages A1 and A10
--from coast to coast, plans for a new generation of coal-fired power plants are falling by the wayside as states conclude that conventional coal plants are too dirty to build and the cost of cleaner plants too high.
[agriculture-based energy- wind and solar power and biofuels- in contrast, are another aspect of the stewardship successfully practiced by American farmers, ranchers, and other operators]
--if significant numbers of new coal plants don't get built in the U.S. in coming years, it will put pressure on officials to
--clear the path for other power sources, including nuclear power or
--trim the nation's electricity demand, so far this year growing at a brisk 2.7% annualarized rate.
[more than 60 clean energy-related bills are in-work for the 110th Congress, many of them involving the agriculture industry in one way or another]
-- ... long-term consequences of not building the plants ... higher prices or the potential for shortages.
[a focused effort to harvest some of the more than three thousand billion kWhs of wind power that blows through the Upper Great Plains states each year can be a means to avoiding those consequences]
--by May 2007, 150 new plants were planned for construction alongside the 645 existing U.S. plants
--coal was expected to reduce the use of natural gas, even though coal emits twice as much carbon dioxide when burned as does NG
page A10
--nearly two dozen coal projects have been cancelled since early 2006 [source: National Energy Technology Laboratory]
--on 18 July, Citibank commented: “prophesies of a new wave of coal-fired generation have vaporized.“
--climate change has become a hot-button political issue
--China is expected to become a net importer of coal this year. Sales to China may substitute for [reduced] U.S. purchases.
--new nuke plants are several years away [and themselves face intense resistance from a number of groups]
--wind and solar power [aren't "always on at the flip of a switch"]
[what agriculture-based energy production lacks- for the time being- in efficiency compared to traditional power plants, it would make up for when millions of acres of agriculture land concurrently produce energy]
[agriculture-based energy production on the Upper Great Plains states co-exists with nearly all agriculture operations and other organizations. While many ag operations are seasonal, energy productions are perennial]
--if coal stumbles, natural gas is “the bridge fuel.” But other industries are increasing their use of NG as a fuel or raw material [such as for fertilizer, raising the specter of importing more foreign NG, in addition to oil].
--sudden and forceful changes to the nature of the power industry have arisen because of environmental concerns and the costs associated with eradicating them
[wind and solar power production use no fossil fuels, so no emissions. Biofuels may or may not emit fewer pollutants than fossil fuels; it depends on who is measuring and what is being measured. One agriculture-based energy production method- anaerobic digestion- converts animal wastes into hydrogen and other products.]
--Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is not in favor of Xcel Energy buying coal gas from Excelsior Energy largely because a $635.4 million pipeline for carrying carbon dioxide would have to be built
--Xcel in Colorado is buying 775 MW of wind power to offset the carbon dioxide emitted by a 750 MW coal-fired plant
--Peabody Energy and ConocoPhillips may build a coal gasification plant; claims its coal gas [$5 – $6 per trillion cubic feet] may be price-competitive with natural gas [$2 – $3 per trillion cubic feet]. [What assumptions allow this?]
[weighing all of the pros and cons, from environmental to manufacturing job creation to local economic development, wind power today is price-competitive with coal- and nuclear-fired power plants].
Several high-wind hours on Aug 15 here in Watertown: SE at 8 mph; also had a couple of hours of Calm (less than 5 mph).
'Til next time, Best Wind.
A “Letter to the Editor” in The Wall Street Journal (13 August) spurred me to read the 25 June report the letter referenced in the context of HR 2154 (“Rural Energy”). America's “fossil-fuel addiction” will lead to diversifying ag incomes and wide-spread rural development through energy production. Or we will “twiddle our thumbs” until our quality of life “goes to hell in a hand-basket.” One or the other- our choice.
In enacting HR 2154- Rural Energy for America Act of 2007- the Congress found that--
(1) rising energy costs and uncertain long-term energy supplies threaten to undermine the growth of the United States economy;
(2) since 2003, fuel and fertilizer costs have nearly doubled for agricultural producers;
(3) there are continuing and increasing risks to the energy security of the United States;
(4) having an affordable, reliable, and plentiful energy supply will strengthen the United States economy and improve domestic energy security;
(5) the agricultural sector can provide a significant source of clean, sustainable energy for the United States that can reduce the dependence of the United States on imported energy and lower energy costs for all people of the United States;
(6) agriculture-based energy--
(A) boosts rural economic development
(B) increases farm-based income
(C) creates manufacturing, construction, and service jobs
(D) expands economic opportunity for all people and
(E) improves environmental quality.
A little more than one month later, on 25 July, 2007, “New Power Plants Fueled by Coal Are Put on Hold” was published by The Wall Street Journal. Rebecca Smith reported, on pages A1 and A10
--from coast to coast, plans for a new generation of coal-fired power plants are falling by the wayside as states conclude that conventional coal plants are too dirty to build and the cost of cleaner plants too high.
[agriculture-based energy- wind and solar power and biofuels- in contrast, are another aspect of the stewardship successfully practiced by American farmers, ranchers, and other operators]
--if significant numbers of new coal plants don't get built in the U.S. in coming years, it will put pressure on officials to
--clear the path for other power sources, including nuclear power or
--trim the nation's electricity demand, so far this year growing at a brisk 2.7% annualarized rate.
[more than 60 clean energy-related bills are in-work for the 110th Congress, many of them involving the agriculture industry in one way or another]
-- ... long-term consequences of not building the plants ... higher prices or the potential for shortages.
[a focused effort to harvest some of the more than three thousand billion kWhs of wind power that blows through the Upper Great Plains states each year can be a means to avoiding those consequences]
--by May 2007, 150 new plants were planned for construction alongside the 645 existing U.S. plants
--coal was expected to reduce the use of natural gas, even though coal emits twice as much carbon dioxide when burned as does NG
page A10
--nearly two dozen coal projects have been cancelled since early 2006 [source: National Energy Technology Laboratory]
--on 18 July, Citibank commented: “prophesies of a new wave of coal-fired generation have vaporized.“
--climate change has become a hot-button political issue
--China is expected to become a net importer of coal this year. Sales to China may substitute for [reduced] U.S. purchases.
--new nuke plants are several years away [and themselves face intense resistance from a number of groups]
--wind and solar power [aren't "always on at the flip of a switch"]
[what agriculture-based energy production lacks- for the time being- in efficiency compared to traditional power plants, it would make up for when millions of acres of agriculture land concurrently produce energy]
[agriculture-based energy production on the Upper Great Plains states co-exists with nearly all agriculture operations and other organizations. While many ag operations are seasonal, energy productions are perennial]
--if coal stumbles, natural gas is “the bridge fuel.” But other industries are increasing their use of NG as a fuel or raw material [such as for fertilizer, raising the specter of importing more foreign NG, in addition to oil].
--sudden and forceful changes to the nature of the power industry have arisen because of environmental concerns and the costs associated with eradicating them
[wind and solar power production use no fossil fuels, so no emissions. Biofuels may or may not emit fewer pollutants than fossil fuels; it depends on who is measuring and what is being measured. One agriculture-based energy production method- anaerobic digestion- converts animal wastes into hydrogen and other products.]
--Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is not in favor of Xcel Energy buying coal gas from Excelsior Energy largely because a $635.4 million pipeline for carrying carbon dioxide would have to be built
--Xcel in Colorado is buying 775 MW of wind power to offset the carbon dioxide emitted by a 750 MW coal-fired plant
--Peabody Energy and ConocoPhillips may build a coal gasification plant; claims its coal gas [$5 – $6 per trillion cubic feet] may be price-competitive with natural gas [$2 – $3 per trillion cubic feet]. [What assumptions allow this?]
[weighing all of the pros and cons, from environmental to manufacturing job creation to local economic development, wind power today is price-competitive with coal- and nuclear-fired power plants].
Several high-wind hours on Aug 15 here in Watertown: SE at 8 mph; also had a couple of hours of Calm (less than 5 mph).
'Til next time, Best Wind.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Wind turbine definitions
A bit of searching for established definitions of turbine categories left me with the impression that the reader and installer of a machine essentially defines the "middle wind" (community wind) turbine size. Here's what I think
- micro- or architectural wind turbine: has a rated power of under 500 watts
- small wind turbine: has a rated power of 500 watts to 35 kW
- community wind: has a rated power of 35 kW to 250 kW (or as North Dakota SEED indirectly states, "all developments that do qualify for net metering")
- large wind turbine: has a rated power of more than 250 kW.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 is passed
It is the sense of Congress in HR 2419 RH that—
(1) energy demand in the United States is projected to increase by more than 30 percent over the next two decades;
(2) increased production of renewable energy and growth of its infrastructure would assist the United States in meeting the growing energy demand;
(3) continued, and even accelerated, development of renewable energy inputs and technologies provide numerous benefits to the United States, including improved national security and economic growth;
(4) while it should be a priority of the Federal Government to continue to promote policies and in1centives to stimulate growth and development of renewable energy infrastructure, it should be recognized that the marketplace is also an important instrument to determine which renewable energy sources and technologies will provide the most efficient and effective energy production;
(5) renewable energy inputs and technology must be available in abundant quantities and provide energy at competitive prices in a reliable manner for the American consumer; and
(6) it is in the interest of the United States to diversify its energy portfolio and increase the energy independence of the United States by further developing alternative forms of energy.
In that context, then, important areas to explore include
Title VI—Rural Development
Sec. 6013. Rural entrepreneur and microenterprise assistance program.
Sec. 6021. Rural strategic investment program.
Sec. 6030. Guarantees for bonds and notes issued for electrification or telephone purposes.
Title IX—Energy
Sec. 9004. Energy audit and renewable energy development program.Sec. 9005. Renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements.
Sec. 9009. Energy Council of the Department of Agriculture.
Sec. 9011. Rural energy self-sufficiency initiative.
Nuclear power is government- and security-intensive. Wind and solar power and biodiesel production for local use are agricultural land-intensive. The latter empower rural Americans to develop the "Energy Basket" as they provided for the world's "Bread Basket." We have to act, not just plan.
(1) energy demand in the United States is projected to increase by more than 30 percent over the next two decades;
(2) increased production of renewable energy and growth of its infrastructure would assist the United States in meeting the growing energy demand;
(3) continued, and even accelerated, development of renewable energy inputs and technologies provide numerous benefits to the United States, including improved national security and economic growth;
(4) while it should be a priority of the Federal Government to continue to promote policies and in1centives to stimulate growth and development of renewable energy infrastructure, it should be recognized that the marketplace is also an important instrument to determine which renewable energy sources and technologies will provide the most efficient and effective energy production;
(5) renewable energy inputs and technology must be available in abundant quantities and provide energy at competitive prices in a reliable manner for the American consumer; and
(6) it is in the interest of the United States to diversify its energy portfolio and increase the energy independence of the United States by further developing alternative forms of energy.
In that context, then, important areas to explore include
Title VI—Rural Development
Sec. 6013. Rural entrepreneur and microenterprise assistance program.
Sec. 6021. Rural strategic investment program.
Sec. 6030. Guarantees for bonds and notes issued for electrification or telephone purposes.
Title IX—Energy
Sec. 9004. Energy audit and renewable energy development program.Sec. 9005. Renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements.
Sec. 9009. Energy Council of the Department of Agriculture.
Sec. 9011. Rural energy self-sufficiency initiative.
Nuclear power is government- and security-intensive. Wind and solar power and biodiesel production for local use are agricultural land-intensive. The latter empower rural Americans to develop the "Energy Basket" as they provided for the world's "Bread Basket." We have to act, not just plan.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Farm energy production is blossoming
A business opportunity in farm energy production is something I can't pass by. I will move most of my time from blogging to developing a business plan; even so, I will post twice each week- fully remembering what my Grandma Moen used to warn: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions!"- to spur wind development and its subsequent rural development.
As you know, farm energy production is harnessing renewable energy sources such as wind, oil seeds, solar, biomass, geothermal, and microhydro to reduce energy consumption and sell excess energy in the forms of electricity and biofuels.
Farm energy production is fostered by federal legislation and regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies such as IRS.
Here in South Dakota, which has the nation's fourth-best annual wind power potential of 1,030 billion kWh and marginal to good agricultural land, farm energy production is a superb fit into daily agricultural practices.
____________________________
In late May, former Senators Bob Dole (R-KS) and Tom Daschle (D-SD) released New Markets for American Agriculture, a report by the 21st Century Agriculture Project, sponsored by the Bipartisan Policy Center. The report highlights investing in biofuels and wind farms to provide farmers and ranchers with new and diversified sources of income.
"Today, America's farmers and ranchers are facing an array of new challenges. ... Amidst these many challenges, lay many opportunities...."
"A strong agricultural sector is a pillar of America’s growing economy,
• providing a secure domestic food supply
• helping to reduce our dependence on foreign oil
• generating renewable energy
• increasing exports and
• providing needed income to rural communities."
____________________________
"Representatives Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) introduced major new clean energy development legislation for the next Farm Bill. Their bipartisan bill expands the size and scope of the already-successful Farm Bill Section 9006 clean energy program into a new "Rural Energy for America Program," or REAP. HR 2154 IH cited as the 'Rural Energy for America Act of 2007.'" Source.
____________________________
Information research, analysis, and writing are put to work developing visible knowledge for farm energy.
In the same vein of making knowledge visible, "roadmaps" can be developed and marketed to
• streamline application
• reduce paperwork
• ensure feasibility and achievability and
• clarify who is as well as what technologies are eligible for different programs.
Visible knowledge informs and guides potential participants to ensure compliance and strengthen the likelihood of successful outcomes. Ag business and rural small business people have severe time constraints and may not have ready access to the broad scope of information and expertise they need to take part in farm energy projects. Visible knowledge tackles those two problems.
____________________________
On March 8, 2007 - Montana's senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus introduced Senate bill 828: To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to make cost-share payments for on-farm energy production under the environmental quality incentives program.
Cited as the "On-farm Energy Production Act of 2007."
SEC. 2. Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
(a) Purposes- Amends Section 1240 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa).
SEC. 1240J. On-Farm Energy Production.
(a) In General- In carrying out the program under this chapter, the Secretary shall promote on-farm energy production by providing cost-share payments to producers that produce energy on the farms of the producers, including--
(1) solar energy;
(2) wind energy; and
(3) renewable fuel (as that term is defined in section 211(o) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(o)).
On-farm energy production amendment to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
____________________________
On-Farm Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy is in the March-April 2005 issue of the ATTRAnews newsletter.
• Solar-Powered Livestock Watering Systems
• Reaping What We Sow: A Long-Range View of Farm-Based Renewable
• Energy
• Biodiesel—A Primer
• ATTRA and NCAT Publications about On-Farm Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy
• The Realities of Wind Energy
• Resources for On-Farm Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy
• How Leaks and Worn Sprinkler Nozzles Cost You Money and
• ATTRA New and Updated Publications.
____________________________
A 24-hour summary of wind and temperature at Watertown, South Dakota.
'Til next time; Best Wind.
As you know, farm energy production is harnessing renewable energy sources such as wind, oil seeds, solar, biomass, geothermal, and microhydro to reduce energy consumption and sell excess energy in the forms of electricity and biofuels.
Farm energy production is fostered by federal legislation and regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies such as IRS.
Here in South Dakota, which has the nation's fourth-best annual wind power potential of 1,030 billion kWh and marginal to good agricultural land, farm energy production is a superb fit into daily agricultural practices.
____________________________
In late May, former Senators Bob Dole (R-KS) and Tom Daschle (D-SD) released New Markets for American Agriculture, a report by the 21st Century Agriculture Project, sponsored by the Bipartisan Policy Center. The report highlights investing in biofuels and wind farms to provide farmers and ranchers with new and diversified sources of income.
"Today, America's farmers and ranchers are facing an array of new challenges. ... Amidst these many challenges, lay many opportunities...."
"A strong agricultural sector is a pillar of America’s growing economy,
• providing a secure domestic food supply
• helping to reduce our dependence on foreign oil
• generating renewable energy
• increasing exports and
• providing needed income to rural communities."
____________________________
"Representatives Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) introduced major new clean energy development legislation for the next Farm Bill. Their bipartisan bill expands the size and scope of the already-successful Farm Bill Section 9006 clean energy program into a new "Rural Energy for America Program," or REAP. HR 2154 IH cited as the 'Rural Energy for America Act of 2007.'" Source.
____________________________
Information research, analysis, and writing are put to work developing visible knowledge for farm energy.
In the same vein of making knowledge visible, "roadmaps" can be developed and marketed to
• streamline application
• reduce paperwork
• ensure feasibility and achievability and
• clarify who is as well as what technologies are eligible for different programs.
Visible knowledge informs and guides potential participants to ensure compliance and strengthen the likelihood of successful outcomes. Ag business and rural small business people have severe time constraints and may not have ready access to the broad scope of information and expertise they need to take part in farm energy projects. Visible knowledge tackles those two problems.
____________________________
On March 8, 2007 - Montana's senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus introduced Senate bill 828: To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to make cost-share payments for on-farm energy production under the environmental quality incentives program.
Cited as the "On-farm Energy Production Act of 2007."
SEC. 2. Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
(a) Purposes- Amends Section 1240 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa).
SEC. 1240J. On-Farm Energy Production.
(a) In General- In carrying out the program under this chapter, the Secretary shall promote on-farm energy production by providing cost-share payments to producers that produce energy on the farms of the producers, including--
(1) solar energy;
(2) wind energy; and
(3) renewable fuel (as that term is defined in section 211(o) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(o)).
On-farm energy production amendment to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
____________________________
On-Farm Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy is in the March-April 2005 issue of the ATTRAnews newsletter.
• Solar-Powered Livestock Watering Systems
• Reaping What We Sow: A Long-Range View of Farm-Based Renewable
• Energy
• Biodiesel—A Primer
• ATTRA and NCAT Publications about On-Farm Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy
• The Realities of Wind Energy
• Resources for On-Farm Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy
• How Leaks and Worn Sprinkler Nozzles Cost You Money and
• ATTRA New and Updated Publications.
____________________________
A 24-hour summary of wind and temperature at Watertown, South Dakota.
'Til next time; Best Wind.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
ATTRA and Farm energy
ATTRA
• is part of the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and is funded under a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
• provides information and other technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, Extension agents, educators, and others involved in sustainable agriculture in the United States.
• services are available to farmers, ranchers, market gardeners, Extension agents, researchers, educators, farm organizations, and others involved in commercial agriculture.
Its "Farm Energy" sidebar link goes to a page listing publications, success stories, and additional links regarding "Renewable Energy" categories, which are discussed in the "Introduction"
• Biodiesel
• Ethanol
• Wind Energy
• Solar Energy
• Anaerobic Digesters and Other Biomass Options
• Energy Co-ops and Local Ownership and
• Funding Opportunities.
• is part of the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and is funded under a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
• provides information and other technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, Extension agents, educators, and others involved in sustainable agriculture in the United States.
• services are available to farmers, ranchers, market gardeners, Extension agents, researchers, educators, farm organizations, and others involved in commercial agriculture.
Its "Farm Energy" sidebar link goes to a page listing publications, success stories, and additional links regarding "Renewable Energy" categories, which are discussed in the "Introduction"
• Biodiesel
• Ethanol
• Wind Energy
• Solar Energy
• Anaerobic Digesters and Other Biomass Options
• Energy Co-ops and Local Ownership and
• Funding Opportunities.
This post focuses on the "Wind Energy" link. Future posts will cover more farm energy topics in greater detail.
Renewable Energy Opportunities on the Farm
• can be read online or as a PDF (20-page)
• is not a technical guide for designing or installing renewable energy systems
• is an overview that provides information on wind, solar, and renewable fuel technologies, cost and savings, site planning, and financial incentives
• introduces three renewable energy resources that can be attractive and economically feasible for the farm: solar, wind, and renewable fuels.
Renewable energy can prevent the release of pollutants into the atmosphere and contribute significantly to local economies, creating jobs and keeping energy dollars in the local economy.
__________________________________
Small wind turbines-
--Skystream 3.7, Southwest Windpower USA, MSRP: $5,400, residential wind generator that hooks up to your your home, Rated Power not provided, Peak Power 2400 W, Output/Month 400 kW @ 20 mph (9.5 m/s).
--Whisper 500, Southwest Windpower USA, The 3000-watt rated turbine will deliver in excess of 500 KWH per month in a 12 mph (5.2 m/s), Rated Power 3000 Watts, Peak Power 3200 W @ 27 mph (12 m/s), Output/Month 538 kW @ 12 mph (5.3 m/s).
--BWC Excel & Excel-R, Bergey USA, well suited for large rural homes, remote villages and facilities, Rated Power not provided, Peak Power 10 kW @ 31 mph (13,8 m/s), Output/Month 1500 kW (XLSheet) @ 12.5 mph (5.6 m/s).
--Wind Turbine Industries Corporation's 20Kw Jacobs® Wind Turbine, Rated Wind Speed (mph) 26 mph, in 16 mph wind may yield 60,665 kWh annually, Complete System with 120 ft. tower- $56,100.00, Grid Intertie System option.
--Fuhrländer FL 30, Power Output: 30 kW, specifications are in PDF.
--Energy Maintenance Service, LLC, Remanufactured E15 35kW or 65kW (approx. $2 per output watt purchase price), proven track records of reliable performance. Small/community wind turbine.
Community wind turbine-
--Distributed Energy Systems (previously known as Northern Power Systems) NorthWind 100 wind turbine NorthWind 100 Wind Turbine brochure/specification is a PDF.
--Fuhrländer's FL 250 has proven in inland and coastal location that wind turbines of the medium class continue to be of commercial use. Designed for a life of 25 years.
129 items found for wind turbine on eBay (24 June).
Friday, June 22, 2007
Buffer Zone for Wind Turbines, "Extreme" Enzymes, and more good wind
Cape Wind Flies in Under the Radar
Hyannis, Massachusetts; [RenewableEnergyAccess.com]; June 21, 2007
The most recent Department of Defense (DOD) report analyzing the effects of offshore wind turbines on early warning radar missile defense systems is good news for Massachusetts' highly publicized Cape Wind project, which is scheduled to come online in 2010.
Issued by the Missile Defense Agency, the nine-page report recommends a 25-kilometer (km) wind turbine offset or buffer zone be established to "mitigate impact" on the PAVE PAWS early warning radar system at the Cape Cod Air Force Station (AFS).
The Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound, with its 130 GE 3.6-megawatt XL wind turbines in Nantucket Sound, falls just outside this zone. In addition, the analysis shows the wind turbines in Hull, Massachusetts, are also beyond the recommended buffer.
The analysis by the DOD, however, is the third such report to be issued in recent years that has found the Cape Wind project would not negatively impact or be a concern to the PAVE PAWS radar system.
For wind turbines that lie within the 25 km offset zone, the report notes that further study would be required to assess the impact accounting for location within the radar's field of view and the relative height of the wind turbine and the radar's main beam.
Biomass & Nature's "Extreme" Enzymes
Sandia National Laboratory researchers looking to biology in earth's extreme environments
to help solve lignocellulosic ethanol puzzle
Livermore, California [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] June 15, 2007
Buried beneath a sulfurous cauldron in European seas lies a class of microorganisms known as "extremophiles," so named because of the extreme environmental conditions in which they live and thrive.
Almost as radical, perhaps, is the idea that these organisms and their associated enzymes could somehow unlock the key to a new transportation economy based on a renewable biofuel, lignocellulosic {Fibrous/woody plant (like mesquite) based} ethanol.
However the primary hurdle preventing lignocellulosic ethanol ... its efficient and cost-effective processing. "Extremophiles'" enzymes may get over that hurdle.
Blake Simmons, a chemical engineer and project lead at Sandia's Livermore, California, site, says More than a billion tons of biomass is estimated to be created each year in the timber and agricultural industries, as well as a variety of grasses and potential energy crops."
"Though we're probably decades away from that...." "Because lignocellulosic biomass is such a multifaceted material, we need to have a fundamental understanding of how it works ." {Plant cellulose is strong and highly resistant to rotting and decay. One commenter on the original report pointed out "While there may be millions of tons of lignocellulosic biomass on U.S. soil, collecting and moving it to processing plants may use more energy than is available from lignocellulosic ethanol." Available energy remains a hotly contested quality of ethanol, too.}
Senate Passes Thune Wind Energy Amendment
Washington, DC [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] June 21, 2007
The United States Senate passed U.S. Senator John Thune's energy transmission amendment to the energy bill, which would promote the development of energy transmission infrastructure, on June 19.
"This legislation is critical to promoting the development of wind energy in South Dakota and around the country. As the windiest state in the nation, {whoa, there, Senator! We are ranked fourth-best, according to the American Wind Energy Assoc.} South Dakota will greatly benefit from these provisions {as will the other 19 windy states on AWEA's Wind Energy: An Untapped Resource}.
Thune's amendment, #1609, would promote the creation of energy corridors that would facilitate the transference of wind energy generated in South Dakota to high-demand areas.
"We have the wind energy in South Dakota that the major power consumers in our nation need. The missing link is transmission infrastructure to deliver this power," Thune said.
Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee voted in favor of energy tax credits, including the Production Tax Credit advanced by Senator Thune, which creates incentives for the development of wind energy. "Today's victories should be celebrated by everyone who wants to promote wind energy in South Dakota," Thune said.
The following guide will have information SDans can put to work in their farm and business energy projects as well as their home energy efficiency efforts.
Guide for Homeowners Considering Renewable Energy
Albany, New York [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] June 22, 2007
Citizens' Environmental Coalition has just completed a 100-page resource guide, The World at Home: A Household Guide to Building Green, by Laura McCarthy, which includes information for homeowners, renters, students and contractors looking for green building materials and strategies.
The guide describes problems with conventional building materials; toxic problems in existing homes and then covers greener possibilities and products for all the building steps from the foundation upward. It includes links to all its resources at the end of each section.
____________________________
A handful of low-yield South Dakota wind-
• 5 PM Jun 22, SSW at 7 mph
• 2 PM Jun 22, SSW at 8 mph
• 6 AM Jun 22, SE at 5 mph mist
• Midnight (4) Jun 22, E at 6 mph
• 6 PM Jun 21, ESE at 10 mph.
Do contact me if you want to buy any of this blog's content or would like to have other specific wind power-related content uncovered.
'Til next time. Best Wind.
Hyannis, Massachusetts; [RenewableEnergyAccess.com]; June 21, 2007
The most recent Department of Defense (DOD) report analyzing the effects of offshore wind turbines on early warning radar missile defense systems is good news for Massachusetts' highly publicized Cape Wind project, which is scheduled to come online in 2010.
Issued by the Missile Defense Agency, the nine-page report recommends a 25-kilometer (km) wind turbine offset or buffer zone be established to "mitigate impact" on the PAVE PAWS early warning radar system at the Cape Cod Air Force Station (AFS).
The Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound, with its 130 GE 3.6-megawatt XL wind turbines in Nantucket Sound, falls just outside this zone. In addition, the analysis shows the wind turbines in Hull, Massachusetts, are also beyond the recommended buffer.
The analysis by the DOD, however, is the third such report to be issued in recent years that has found the Cape Wind project would not negatively impact or be a concern to the PAVE PAWS radar system.
For wind turbines that lie within the 25 km offset zone, the report notes that further study would be required to assess the impact accounting for location within the radar's field of view and the relative height of the wind turbine and the radar's main beam.
Biomass & Nature's "Extreme" Enzymes
Sandia National Laboratory researchers looking to biology in earth's extreme environments
to help solve lignocellulosic ethanol puzzle
Livermore, California [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] June 15, 2007
Buried beneath a sulfurous cauldron in European seas lies a class of microorganisms known as "extremophiles," so named because of the extreme environmental conditions in which they live and thrive.
Almost as radical, perhaps, is the idea that these organisms and their associated enzymes could somehow unlock the key to a new transportation economy based on a renewable biofuel, lignocellulosic {Fibrous/woody plant (like mesquite) based} ethanol.
However the primary hurdle preventing lignocellulosic ethanol ... its efficient and cost-effective processing. "Extremophiles'" enzymes may get over that hurdle.
Blake Simmons, a chemical engineer and project lead at Sandia's Livermore, California, site, says More than a billion tons of biomass is estimated to be created each year in the timber and agricultural industries, as well as a variety of grasses and potential energy crops."
"Though we're probably decades away from that...." "Because lignocellulosic biomass is such a multifaceted material, we need to have a fundamental understanding of how it works ." {Plant cellulose is strong and highly resistant to rotting and decay. One commenter on the original report pointed out "While there may be millions of tons of lignocellulosic biomass on U.S. soil, collecting and moving it to processing plants may use more energy than is available from lignocellulosic ethanol." Available energy remains a hotly contested quality of ethanol, too.}
Senate Passes Thune Wind Energy Amendment
Washington, DC [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] June 21, 2007
The United States Senate passed U.S. Senator John Thune's energy transmission amendment to the energy bill, which would promote the development of energy transmission infrastructure, on June 19.
"This legislation is critical to promoting the development of wind energy in South Dakota and around the country. As the windiest state in the nation, {whoa, there, Senator! We are ranked fourth-best, according to the American Wind Energy Assoc.} South Dakota will greatly benefit from these provisions {as will the other 19 windy states on AWEA's Wind Energy: An Untapped Resource}.
Thune's amendment, #1609, would promote the creation of energy corridors that would facilitate the transference of wind energy generated in South Dakota to high-demand areas.
"We have the wind energy in South Dakota that the major power consumers in our nation need. The missing link is transmission infrastructure to deliver this power," Thune said.
Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee voted in favor of energy tax credits, including the Production Tax Credit advanced by Senator Thune, which creates incentives for the development of wind energy. "Today's victories should be celebrated by everyone who wants to promote wind energy in South Dakota," Thune said.
The following guide will have information SDans can put to work in their farm and business energy projects as well as their home energy efficiency efforts.
Guide for Homeowners Considering Renewable Energy
Albany, New York [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] June 22, 2007
Citizens' Environmental Coalition has just completed a 100-page resource guide, The World at Home: A Household Guide to Building Green, by Laura McCarthy, which includes information for homeowners, renters, students and contractors looking for green building materials and strategies.
The guide describes problems with conventional building materials; toxic problems in existing homes and then covers greener possibilities and products for all the building steps from the foundation upward. It includes links to all its resources at the end of each section.
____________________________
A handful of low-yield South Dakota wind-
• 5 PM Jun 22, SSW at 7 mph
• 2 PM Jun 22, SSW at 8 mph
• 6 AM Jun 22, SE at 5 mph mist
• Midnight (4) Jun 22, E at 6 mph
• 6 PM Jun 21, ESE at 10 mph.
Do contact me if you want to buy any of this blog's content or would like to have other specific wind power-related content uncovered.
'Til next time. Best Wind.
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