Grassroots Commercial Wind

A short article in the Vancouver Sun about the first windmill to sell power back to the grid in Canada. An interesting diversion.

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/fp/Pincher+Creek+lessons+science+wind/1809937/story.html

Small Quiet Egyptian Wind Turbine Design

I mentioned a slower moving, quiet, bird/bat friendly wind turbine design in an earlier post. Here's a video showing the design in action. Apparently it was used by the ancient Egyptians to grind wheat. Pretty cool. Check it out.

Four Doctors Argue in Favour of Wind Energy

A recent post in the Globe and Mail has four doctors arguing that wind energy--though not without risk--is far healthier than the alternatives.

Wind Turbines and Health Concerns

Serious studies about the possible health risks of wind turbines are starting to crop up, like the one announced in the Globe and Mail this morning as well as the work done by Dr. Nina Pierpont. All of the health concerns that I've read about so far are centered around the turbines emitting extremely high levels of infrasound (sound below the threshold of human hearing: about 15hz).

The New Zealand Wind Energy Association claims that modern wind turbines don't emit nearly the same levels of infrasound as older turbines do. And though I am somewhat suspicious that this site may have a slightly biased agenda, it does seem clear that engineers are aware of the infrasound problem and are aggressively moving to address the issue in future turbine design. A recent conference in Denmark was held to discuss this problem and the proceedings from this conference can be purchased from the conference site.

In any case, wind energy developers would do well to pay mind to the technological advancements aimed at reducing infrasound. I predict infrasound levels from wind farms will soon be regulated.

High Altitude Generator Technology

A very cool technology that uses kites was reported on this morning. It's worth a quick read. Can you imagine how this would look in the sky? Bizzarre, but cool, I'd think.

http://europe.theoildrum.com/node/5538

Battery and Storage Technology

In his recent article on some of the misconceptions about the feasibility of replacing conventional power sources with wind, Chris Bell points out there is no reliable method of storing electricity produced in the peak wind hours. Unfortunately Bell, doesn't seem to be aware that this is a well-known problem in the wind-energy industry and is being overcome very quickly.

ZESS 500: This is new zinc based storage system that will be used at the Dundalk Institute of Technology in Ireland. The system will be installed alongside their existing wind turbine--which is already providing half of the Institutes power needs.

Encore Clean Energy: This Vancouver-based company is developing compressed-air-based storage systems using their proprietary device, the "MPG". "The MPG can use many different sources of energy - one of them the compressed air from these proposed wind energy storage facilities - to generate the pressures required to propel the MPG's "Magnetic Piston" at high velocities, back-and-forth, through a linear alternator to generate power according to Faraday's Law of Induction." - from energybulletin.net

Battery Stimulus Package: The US government is also aware of the storage problems of wind (and many other alternative, clean energy sources). The Congressional stimulus bill speaks for itself. "The nearly $790 billion economic stimulus legislation contains tens of billions of dollars in loans, grants, and tax incentives for advanced battery research and manufacturing, as well as incentives for plug-in hybrids and improvements to the electrical grid, which could help create a market for these batteries." from technologyreview.com